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Come back kid: The new Beetle warms its way back into our hearts!

VW’s latest Beetle for 21st Century has left an indelible mark in the public’s eye. The oohs and aahs were the order of the day as I had the privilege to test drive one recently.

It is a fitting tribute and an embodiment of the original Beetle, retaining its classic design, sporty and refined, and those spot lights still remain, thanks to the designers they did not tamper with.

The new iconic Beetle is available in two TSI petrol engines.

By now we should know any VW model is economical when coming to petrol or diesel.

The turbocharged 1.2-litre TSI engine offers 77kW available at 5 000rpm with a maximum torque figure of 175Nm available from 1 550rpm. Acceleration to 100km/h is achieved in 10.9 seconds with a top speed of 180km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 5.9-litres/100km with a CO2 emissions figure of 137g/km. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

As we traversed from one province to another to gauge how it would compete with others, instead we were imploded with blistering hooters and cheers, stru!  

Longer, wider and lower than the original Beetle, it has the sporty appeal. Classic features such as the flared wings, rear-light design, shape of the bonnet, side and door sills and large wheel arches are reminiscent of the original Beetle.

The only snag is the space limitations owing to a bigger boot space (310 litres). If you were planning a bigger family this ain’t for you my sista or brada…but who would bother himself with that when the whole world is at your feet? Exactly my feeling!

It incorporates a rear spoiler in black with the underside in body colour. The Beetle is also the only VW model equipped with round headlights while bi-xenon headlights are available as an option and come with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) which include 15 LEDs arranged along the outer edge of the headlight housing.

As you would expect, a panoramic sunroof is available as an option. Brilliant master piece, one must declare.

The interior features elegant leather upholstery fitted as standard on the 1.4-litre version with a two-tone variation available as an option. The shape and colour of the dashboard are either in body colour or ‘carbon look’ depending on the model and trim level.

It comes fitted with lines namely ‘Design’ and ‘Sport’ which offer varying design features and 16-inch ‘Whirl’ alloy wheels with ten spokes.

In ‘Sport’, the Beetle rides on 17-inch ‘Spin’ alloy wheels with five spoke design. 18-inch, five spoke ‘Twister’ wheels can be ordered as an option.

Although, I did tread lightly on the gravel road-off road experience- it stood the test of its time!

According to WVSA, the new Beetle is available in ten colours. But be warned no colour-blind please.

At the time of publishing it was debatable at office which target market would best suit this new 21s Century icon?

Well, we did have interactions with various soccer players’ and some losers and theirs is: it suits best the younger market. There you go…

Because it is available in various models, here are the retail prices:

Beetle 1.4 TSI Sport DSG R311 100

Beetle 1.4 TSI Sport R296 600

Beetle 1.2 TSI Design 235 400

Verdict:

1-10(Petrol) 7

1-10 (Performance) 8

 

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