Volkswagen Beetle (2012) review
by Sue Baker (22 August 2011)
There are very few cars that are instantly recognisable from a couple of lines deftly sketched on a blank sheet, or capable of being identified in the traffic by an observant child. The Mini is one, the Volkswagen Beetle another. Each is an icon from an earlier age, since reinvented for a new generation.
The Mini's transition from origins in the middle of the last century to a new life in this one has been the more successful resurrection. There is something about the 21st century Beetle (actually launched in 1998) that has seemed just a bit too pastiche and overly feminine, from its soft curves to its twee flower vase atop the dashboard. So those were two targets for change in the extensively redesigned Beetle that is on sale from early 2012.
By any standards the Beetle has been a remarkable success, with more than 22.5 million versions of generations one and two sold worldwide. The third-generation car – can it be called the new New Beetle? – has visually gained muscle and become more masculine. It is a little longer, lower and wider, gaining 152mm in length and 84mm in width, while also dropping 12mm. It has a longer wheelbase and wider track. The boot is almost 50% bigger.
Intriguingly, from a side view the car's silhouette actually has a raffish touch of the Porsche about it, and the body lines are more coupé than cutesy. It seems somehow truer to the iconic original than its predecessor did. VW's design chief Walter da Silva has overseen a masterly reinvention of the car's true character.
Inside, the latest Beetle now feels noticeably roomier, thanks to those extra external dimensions. The cabin has undergone a distinct upgrade, and features a sportily flat-bottomed steering wheel and an instrument panel with three dials. One version has sports seats trimmed in two-tone leather and looks absolutely terrific.
Volkswagen has noted the success of BMW's individualising of the MINI, and has sought to pursue a similar theme with the Beetle, with a host of personalising options that even includes the badges. If you would prefer to drive a Bug – as it's known in America – or favour some other name by which it has been called elsewhere in the world, you can specify badges that say so.
The most important change in this third generation Beetle is the way it drives. It feels distinctly sharper and more composed, altogether more competently characterful than its immediate forerunner. The handling is much crisper, with a grippier feel on the bends.
There will be a choice between four engines – three petrol and one diesel – ranging from 1.2 to two litres: the 1.2 TSI is 104bhp, the 1.4 TSI 158bhp and the 2.0 TSI 197bhp. The diesel is a 104 bhp 1.6 with BlueMotion Technology that includes stop/start, making it the greenest Beetle engine with a promised 65.7mpg and 112g/km of CO2.
Only the two-litre TSI petrol engine was available to drive at the car's international launch, and it gives the Beetle gutsy vigour. This is essentially the same engine as can be found in a Golf GTI, and it is a slickly-performing honey. In the Beetle, it gives a top speed of virtually double the UK legal limit, and 0-62mph acceleration in a slick 7.5 seconds.
The standard gearbox is a six-speed manual, and a DSG twin-clutch auto is also available. There will be three trim levels on offer: Beetle, Design and Sport. This Beetle will be far better equipped than the previous model, with standard kit including ESP anti-skid stability and six airbags.
A comprehensive range of options, available for the first time in a Beetle, include a full-length panoramic sunroof, Keyless Access linked through the satnav system, bi-xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights.
With the two-litre petrol engine and DSG gearbox, the Beetle has an eager responsiveness and a pleasing engine sound. It pulls strongly and the gearshifts are seamlessly smooth. There is a Sport mode on the gearbox, but it is not as appealing as the standard setting. In Sport, the box lingers two long before shifting ratios, and makes the car sound a bit revvy.
It is a similar story with the suspension settings. In normal mode the ride is acceptably firm, but when you select Sport mode it hardens the ride too much and induces unwanted thump and bounce over a coarse surface.
These are minor blemishes, though, in a car that looks markedly better and oozes greater confidence than its predecessor. It feels very well built to high Volkswagen standards, and is quiet and refined. Prices start from just under £15,000.
Owners seem to love the girly kitsch of the Beetle that has just become defunct, but its successor has more assurance and masculinity, and can be judged a much more worthy successor for the iconic original.
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