 What strikes your imagination when you hear the word ‘Beetle’? Only a real nerd who prefers to stay away and is indifferent to cars might think of the red bug with the black dots on its body , but anyone who knows even a bit of cars will immediately recollect the iconic Beetle - a car that has been on the road for like 70 years now. Vintage lovers will swear by it and modern car aficionados will excuse themselves for their affection towards the modern retro vehicle – such is the persona of the Volkswagen Beetle. After being the same old car till the late ‘90s , VW revamped the Bug and came out with the new Beetle. To delight us , VW placed this iconic drive in their current Indian portfolio last month. And if that was not enough , i was handed over the keys of the test car one fine morning in the office.
No hesitation , no second thoughts , I rushed downstairs to get a feel of the new Beetle. Not that I hadn’t seen the Beetle before , but that was in pictures , photos and websites. How does a Beetle look in the flesh? How does it feel to touch one for real? How does it feel to get into one? And how does it feel to drive around town with thousands of eyes glaring at you around every corner , envying every bit of the fortune that you spent to drive one of these? All the mystifying answers started unfolding as soon as I got into the cute and curvy little Beetle. For a car of that size , there is unbelievable space offered in the cabin. You are welcomed into the lavish , elegant and retro styled interiors. I believe , with the Beetle , Volkswagen have achieved an impeccable feat by combining modern bits and technology with classy old trend. Look at the three-spoke steering wheel. It is big with a thin rim reminding you of the old styled Bug. The round instrumentation console behind the wheel houses a large speedometer dial surrounded by all the tell-tale lights and two small dials underneath for fuel and tacho. The body  paint slips into the cabin from the window panes to the insides of the door. Fabric upholstery is just perfectly classy for a car like the Beetle. Feel the fit and finish of the dash and it speaks of topnotch quality and style. A very minute and detailed attention has been given to every bit of the Beetle and that is what makes it stand out. Well , now if you are done enjoying the interiors of the Beetle , glance outside the windows and you will see innumerable faces admiring the beauty of your Bug as you roll on to the streets. The crease of the bonnet that curves over the wheel arches and dips in the front along with the two round headlamps lend the Beetle a look of a smiling face. The distinctive curvy shape of this VW takes most of its cues from the original Beetle that hit the roads first in the late 1930s. It incorporates modern design theories seamlessly in it at the same time. The roof line slopes towards the rear and gels immaculately into the bulges of the rear wheel arches giving the car its ‘bug’ like looks.
While this is the story of the design and styling of the Beetle , a drive in the VW is an experience in itself. The soft , butter smooth and refined 2.0-litre petrol engine has been mated with a six-speed tiptronic gearbox. It is quite surprising to see that Volkswagen has not included their latest quick shifting , modern day DSG ‘box in the Beetle though. Anyways , getting back to the engine , it pumps out a peak power of 115PS at 5400rpm and has a maximum torque of 172Nm that acts at as low as 3200rpm. However , do not be fooled by the big size of the engine. The specific power output is quite low and thus , the Beetle will not sprint to three digit speeds in minimum time nor will it gather a lot of pace over the 150km/h mark. Basically , the Beetle is not a hot hatch and hence won’t behave like one. Nonetheless , it is undoubtedly an amazing car to zip around in traffic , thanks to the amazing low end offered by the motor residing in its bay. Also , aiding its drivability in the City is the perfectly weighted steering that is neither too heavy  nor too light. The brilliant chassis , phenomenal suspension that betters even some of the D segment cars and minimal body overhangs lend the Beetle its sweet handling characteristics. Not to forget , the retro looking high profile , fat 195 section tyres that lend an amazing road grip.
The Beetle , which is styled so cutely and drives so amazingly , does not miss out on the equipment and features list as well. Four airbags , ABS with ESP , all around disc brakes take care of the safety part of the drive. And then there are small bits here and there which quantify to a lot more in the end product like the reach and rake adjustable steering wheel , a handle in front of the passenger on the dash for him/her to hold on to , the digital clock and temperature gauge near the rear view mirror , a six-CD changer underneath the driver’s armrest and the ‘anti-pinch’ power window buttons. The flower vase next to the steering wheel is something insanely unique and has a presence of its own. It may look stupid for some to use it , but isn’t it pleasing to have a nice fresh flower in your car? The female owners will flaunt it!
I was mightily impressed with the Beetle and thought it was almost flawless. But there were a few people who pointed out some shortcomings to me. They said that there is not enough space for two adults at the rear. Fellas , when Hitler asked Ferdinand Porsche to build the first Beetle , his requirements demanded that the car should carry two adults and three kids comfortably. Isn’t that what the Beetle still follows? Then there were some who said that it is pricey. But I feel that if the government is going to levy so much duty on the CBUs , then a car that is already expensive abroad is going to be super expensive here , isn’t it? Plus , compared to its competition in India , the Beetle might be slightly costlier but offers a much better drive , fit and finish , reliability and is a much bigger attention grabber. The Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic drive and those who are going to buy this car know what they are going for. They will know of its proud history. They will know what a Beetle is. Volkswagen , can I have one for the long term please?
More photos:
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No hesitation , no second thoughts , I rushed downstairs to get a feel of the new Beetle. Not that I hadn’t seen the Beetle before , but that was in pictures , photos and websites. How does a Beetle look in the flesh? How does it feel to touch one for real? How does it feel to get into one? And how does it feel to drive around town with thousands of eyes glaring at you around every corner , envying every bit of the fortune that you spent to drive one of these? All the mystifying answers started unfolding as soon as I got into the cute and curvy little Beetle. For a car of that size , there is unbelievable space offered in the cabin. You are welcomed into the lavish , elegant and retro styled interiors. I believe , with the Beetle , Volkswagen have achieved an impeccable feat by combining modern bits and technology with classy old trend. Look at the three-spoke steering wheel. It is big with a thin rim reminding you of the old styled Bug. The round instrumentation console behind the wheel houses a large speedometer dial surrounded by all the tell-tale lights and two small dials underneath for fuel and tacho. The body
paint slips into the cabin from the window panes to the insides of the door. Fabric upholstery is just perfectly classy for a car like the Beetle. Feel the fit and finish of the dash and it speaks of topnotch quality and style. A very minute and detailed attention has been given to every bit of the Beetle and that is what makes it stand out. Well , now if you are done enjoying the interiors of the Beetle , glance outside the windows and you will see innumerable faces admiring the beauty of your Bug as you roll on to the streets. The crease of the bonnet that curves over the wheel arches and dips in the front along with the two round headlamps lend the Beetle a look of a smiling face. The distinctive curvy shape of this VW takes most of its cues from the original Beetle that hit the roads first in the late 1930s. It incorporates modern design theories seamlessly in it at the same time. The roof line slopes towards the rear and gels immaculately into the bulges of the rear wheel arches giving the car its ‘bug’ like looks.
While this is the story of the design and styling of the Beetle , a drive in the VW is an experience in itself. The soft , butter smooth and refined 2.0-litre petrol engine has been mated with a six-speed tiptronic gearbox. It is quite surprising to see that Volkswagen has not included their latest quick shifting , modern day DSG ‘box in the Beetle though. Anyways , getting back to the engine , it pumps out a peak power of 115PS at 5400rpm and has a maximum torque of 172Nm that acts at as low as 3200rpm. However , do not be fooled by the big size of the engine. The specific power output is quite low and thus , the Beetle will not sprint to three digit speeds in minimum time nor will it gather a lot of pace over the 150km/h mark. Basically , the Beetle is not a hot hatch and hence won’t behave like one. Nonetheless , it is undoubtedly an amazing car to zip around in traffic , thanks to the amazing low end offered by the motor residing in its bay. Also , aiding its drivability in the City is the perfectly weighted steering that is neither too heavy
nor too light. The brilliant chassis , phenomenal suspension that betters even some of the D segment cars and minimal body overhangs lend the Beetle its sweet handling characteristics. Not to forget , the retro looking high profile , fat 195 section tyres that lend an amazing road grip.
The Beetle , which is styled so cutely and drives so amazingly , does not miss out on the equipment and features list as well. Four airbags , ABS with ESP , all around disc brakes take care of the safety part of the drive. And then there are small bits here and there which quantify to a lot more in the end product like the reach and rake adjustable steering wheel , a handle in front of the passenger on the dash for him/her to hold on to , the digital clock and temperature gauge near the rear view mirror , a six-CD changer underneath the driver’s armrest and the ‘anti-pinch’ power window buttons. The flower vase next to the steering wheel is something insanely unique and has a presence of its own. It may look stupid for some to use it , but isn’t it pleasing to have a nice fresh flower in your car? The female owners will flaunt it!
I was mightily impressed with the Beetle and thought it was almost flawless. But there were a few people who pointed out some shortcomings to me. They said that there is not enough space for two adults at the rear. Fellas , when Hitler asked Ferdinand Porsche to build the first Beetle , his requirements demanded that the car should carry two adults and three kids comfortably. Isn’t that what the Beetle still follows? Then there were some who said that it is pricey. But I feel that if the government is going to levy so much duty on the CBUs , then a car that is already expensive abroad is going to be super expensive here , isn’t it? Plus , compared to its competition in India , the Beetle might be slightly costlier but offers a much better drive , fit and finish , reliability and is a much bigger attention grabber. The Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic drive and those who are going to buy this car know what they are going for. They will know of its proud history. They will know what a Beetle is. Volkswagen , can I have one for the long term please?
More photos: