VW chose 2012 Chicago Auto Show to unveil the TDI Clean Diesel version of the new Beetle. It does 39 mpg highway and 29 mpg city.

The Beetle TDI is powered by the 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injection Clean Diesel engine developing 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It picks up where the old 1.9 liter diesel Beetle left off in 2006.

The engine can be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or VW’s innovative, dual-clutch DSG six-speed automatic.

To meet emission standards in all 50 states, the Beetle TDI is fitted with both high- and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation over all engine speeds, as well as an exhaust system that has a particulate filter and no fewer than three catalytic convertors: for oxidation, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and hydrogen sulfide.

Visually, the diesel-powered Beetle is pretty much the same as the petrol models, and only comes with unique 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, TDI badging, and a chrome trim line that caps the top of the door’s sheetmetal. Inside the cabin all TDIs gain a supplementary instrument pod that has oil temperature and turbo boost gauges and a stopwatch.

All Beetle models have standard anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake pressure distribution (EBD). The Volkswagen Beetle TDI has 11.3-inch-diameter vented front discs and 10.7-inch-diameter rear disc brakes. The TDI also gets standard RCD310 audio system has an AM/FM radio, CD player, Bluetooth®, and eight speakers, and can be had with sunroof and navigation as optional extras.

Pricing for the diesel Beetle TDI is yet to be announced.