Volkswagen beetle is probably one of the most iconic cars in the world and managed to register 20 million sales globally ever since its launch in 1938. The all new beetle was launched in 2011 in Europe followed by its showcase and launch in India at 2012 auto expo. Sadly, it was discontinued in the country two years ago due to low sales.
But after brief discontinuation, now Volkswagen has launched new aka 21st Century beetle in India at a price tag of Rs. 28.73 lakhs (ex-showroom Mumbai). Bookings for the 21st century Beetle has already begun at a token amount of Rs. 1 lakh and will take on against the like of Mini Cooper and Fiat Competizione 595 in the country.
Engine details:
In international markets, beetle is available with four engine choices- 1.2l TSI, 1.4l TSI, 2.0l TSI petrol and 1.6l Turbo diesel engines. Among these its 1.4l TSI turbo petrol engine that makes its way to the Indian market which is good to belt out max power of 148bhp and 250Nm of peak torque. The engine is matched to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox powering the front wheels. Power figures are lesser as compared to its arch rivals Mini cooper and Competizione 595.
Space and Dimensions:
The stylish two door hatch is bigger than ever resulting in more cabin space with dimensions of 4277mm in length, 1808mm of width, 1486mm of height and decent wheelbase of 2537mm. The four seater beetle is offers 144 mm of ground clearance which is on down side. At 310 liters the cargo space is of decent size but packing it with larger suitcases might be difficult owing to the sloping and short tail section.
Exterior and Interior:
The new model carries the timeless bug shaped profile of its predecessor but this one looks bolder, muscular than ever. The charisma and size of beetle has grown over the years which now further enhanced to reach out wider audience. The bug eye front still remains the same but roundish bi-xenon headlamps with LED DRLs, stretched windscreen, rectangular new front bumper with integrated fog lamps make beetle a better preposition.
The sides flaunt beetle’s sloping profile and two door design while bigger wheel arches, ORVMs with turn blinkers and new stylish alloy wheels gives it a retro yet elegant feel. Moving to the rear, which is probably the simplest part of new beetle with rectangular LED tail lamps and smallish opening boot lid. To add some funk VW is offering a chrome package to both exterior and interior of the premium hatch.
New beetle’s interiors looks slightly different from rest VW cars but it contains some parts bin to make you feel it’s a Volkswagen. The new model comes with some significant features such as leather seats, ambient light with three color options; front seats get height adjustment, heating option and lumber support, infotainment system with large screen supporting USB, Aux-in and bluetooth telephony along with other goodies like Panoramic sunroof, cruise control, auto dimming interior lights, spilt folding rear seats, dual zone climate control system, three 12V power sockets, rain senor makes cabin classy and contemporary. The new steering wheel with audio controls, gear lever and handbrake knob gets premium leather touch. However, the quality of plastics isn’t what you would expect out of the premium hatch.
Colors:
The new Beetle making its comeback in four cool paint schemes- Habanero orange, Blue silk, Tornado red and Oryx white.
Safety:
Being available in a single variant only it comes with some noteworthy safety features such as six airbags include driver and passenger side with deactivation feature, along with side and curtain airbags. The new beetle also bears hill hold control, electronic immobilizer, ESC (electronic stability control), ASR (anti-slip regulation), EDTC (Engine drag torque control), EDL (electric differential control), front-rear park distance control with acoustic warning, central locking, front-rear 3-point seat belts, ISOFIX and disc brakes.
