All-New Volkswagen Beetle Review

The all-new Volkswagen Beetle has now been launched in India and it comes in a completely new avatar. We drive this icon to check how improved it is.

Volkswagen Beetle Styling and Design:

The original Beetle had lived more than any other car has and when it was time to say goodbye, it was replaced by a new, modern version. The new version, though was contemporary in many aspects, it lacked the charm and simplicity of the original. It appealed to women instantly and initially sold decent volumes. However, it got a particular gender focused and hence male buyers were not too keen on this car. This time though Volkswagen aims to change that perception by making the Beetle more muscular and mean looking, thereby adding a masculine undertone to the car, to make it appeal universally.

The styling of the all-new Beetle leans towards the sporty side and is a luxurious car too, unlike the original Beetle. In fact, at a glance one might mistake it for a Porsche, from the front. The car is now chunkier while keeping the basic design elements similar like the rounded front with oval headlamps, bulging fenders, sloping roof and the flattish rear. The taillamp is now elongated and the boot has a large  and prominent spoiler, making it look sportier. The car also seems to be flatter from the top. The sharper lines and sporty looks are sure to make it much more appealing to a wider audience.

Volkswagen Beetle Interiors and Features:

The Beetle is a two door car and these doors along ones that open wide, typical of a coupe. The interiors have been designed keeping in mind the original Beetle like the painted dashboard panel and the glove box, which flips open with a pull-out handle. Modern aspects are in the form of the steering wheel and an informative instrument panel.

The centre of the dashboard houses a screen that has sat-nav, audio controls and also displays the park assist feature. There is no reverse camera.

The Beetle also gets a sunroof which has five settings and one can choose as per preference. There is a knob with five different settings, similar to a ceiling fan regulator, for the sunroof. There is enough space to hold stuff like bottles, cans and mobile phones.There is stretchable band on the door pocket that helps hold bottles etc, despite the limited space.

The interiors a well-built and feel like they will last long. However, they miss that zing or attractiveness that a Mini or a Fiat 500 bring. The Beetle interiors are not very different from other Volkswagens and many of the controls are shared from the Jetta. The front seats are nice, premium and provide adequate support too. The adjustment controls are manual and there is height adjustment too, along with lumbar adjustment. The rear seats are best for kids and adults may find it a squeeze. The new Beetle is dimensionally larger and the boot space is of 310 litres, which is fair enough. Folding down the rear seats further increases boot space.

Volkswagen Beetle Engine and Performance

The all-new Beetle is fitted with a 1.4-litre TSI, turbocharged petrol engine. This unit  also does duty in the Volkswagen Jetta and Skoda Octavia and belongs to VW’s EA211 engine family.  The engine belts out 148bhp and 250Nm of torque and is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.

The Beetle is a very good performer and we were pleasantly surprised with its power delivery. It sprints away well from standstill and can reach 100 km/h in under 9 seconds.

Now that is pretty quick! Apart from the engine, one factor for this superior performance is definitely he DSG gearbox that is a marvel of a unit. It has three driving modes, namely ‘D’, ‘S’ and ‘Manual’. The ‘D’ mode is for relaxed driving and prompts upshifts at lower RPMs to maximise fuel efficiency. The ’S’ mode has delayed shifts for gaining more power and gives you a spot feel, though the ‘D’ mode is not bad at all.  However, it is the ‘M’ mode which is the most fun to drive one. The Manual mode makes you in-charge of the shifts and the car come into a different element. We would have preferred paddle shifts in this one as the new Beetle is very close to being a sports car.

Volkswagen Beetle Mileage:

Even though fuel efficiency isn’t one of the most important factors for a Beetle buyer, it returns about 10km/l in the city, while on the highway it has an efficiency of about 14km/l. The dual clutch box on the Beetle improves the fuel efficiency of this engine.

Volkswagen Beetle Ride and Handling:

In the handling department, it excels and is far superior to the earlier Beetle. Yes, it is not in the league of the Fiat Abarth 595 or Mini Cooper, but is surely very well planted on the road even during heavy cornering. The steering responds to inputs very well but is a bit heavy at slow speeds. Sudden direction changes are well taken by this car and doesn’t feel wanting like the earlier Beetle. The brakes are also excellent and progressive.

The ride quality of the new Beetle is something that we like a lot. Clearly a big leap over the model it replaces. The suspension setup is perfectly balanced and it handles bad roads quite well, filtering the potholes and other undulations. Another good move by Volkswagen is to stick to high profile types. Low profile tyres would have improved handling further but taken a toll on the ride quality. The ground clearance is also decent and can manage very well on city roads.

Summing up: 

The new Beetle is a far more complete car as compared to the outgoing model. However, at almost INR 34 lacs (on-road, Mumbai), it falls between the Abarth 595 Competition and the Mini Cooper.  The Beetle does lack that special feel of the two cars and also is a step down on performance and handling. But if you are a Beetle fan, then there is no stopping. Though a tad expensive, it is overall a pretty well-balanced car.

Engine Specifications

Engine : 1.4-litre, TSI turbocharged petrol

Power: 148bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch automatic

Key Features: 

Airbags

ABS with EBD

Touchscreen infotainment

Push-button start

Bluetooth telephony

Steering controls

Sunroof

Park Assist

Dual zone climate control