The ‘New’ Beetle, introduced in 1998, was a terrific example of how you can look to the past while staying in the present.
To me, it was an even better job than the ‘new’ Mini. No doubt the minute VW management signed off on the ‘new’ Beetle, the design team issued a sigh of relief and hoped they would have moved on to another project when the time came to do the update.
Many of them have, but those responsible for the second-generation ‘new’ Beetle deserve a huge round of applause. They managed to retain much of the characteristic shape while pulling it further into the modern era.
The 2012 Beetle is longer — especially at the front, the A-pillars have been pushed back and the angle of the windshield decreased so the base it isn’t a km away from the dash. It looks as though the roof has been pushed down or flattened.
Longer, lower and wider, the result is a much more modern, masculine and aggressive appearance. The end result is less of a ‘girlie’ car as it had become known. No more flower vase on the dash, no more bulging roofline that made even a tall person look height challenged when at the wheel.
The 2012 Beetle has a lower profile, a longer hood and a longer wheelbase, making it look more, dare I say, masculine. It has traded some cute for some attitude.
The interior has been similarly updated, most obviously the dash with its oversized speedometer. Now the Beetle has a more conventional layout.
Instead of bothering with soft-touch materials for the instrument panel, which has become all the rage, VW slapped a few coats of paint on it, in colours that match the exterior.
It works and ends up feeling more upscale than it sounds. While I’m on the topic of sounds there was some wind noise around the top of the doors.
The front seats are well contoured and comfortable for long sessions and there is lots of head, shoulder and legroom.
Entry and exit are relatively easy and visibility good except for the rear quarters, which have some significant blind spots.
A couple of interesting touches include the flat bottom steering wheel and door pockets with wide elastic bands to keep objects from falling out.
There is room for a pair of sub six-footers in the back seat, but no excess of hip, shoulder or leg room. Still, the longer wheelbase of the new Beetle has allowed more room back there.
Where it really paid off was in the trunk which has become almost voluminous. Easily accessible through the very large hatch it can be almost doubled in size with the rear seat folded.
Another cute touch here — you open the hatch by pushing on the giant VW logo on the lid.
The Beetle is still based on one of many VW global platforms that serves beneath a variety of Golfs and Jettas in different markets.
As such it is a front driver with a choice of four or five-cylinder gasoline and four-cylinder diesel engines coupled with five- and six-speed manual and two different six-speed automatic transmissions.
Initially, in Canada, we get VW’s venerable 2.5-litre gas engine with a choice of five-speed manual or conventional six-speed automatic or the excellent 2.0-litre turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed DSG (dual shaft gearbox) automatic.
The five produces 170-HP and 177 lb. ft. of torque and the turbo four 205-HP and 200 lb.-ft. of torque. The diesel should be along later in the year.
The Beetle comes in Premier and Premier Plus trim levels. Once the original batch of 600 has been sold, it will come in Comfortline, Highline and Sportline.
My test vehicle was the $24,475 Premier model with the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, 17-inch alloy wheels and the six-speed Tiptronic automatic.
The new Beetle has the now-mandatory safety items like six airbag, ABS and electronic stability control.
But it also comes with what VW is calling an Intelligent Crash Response System which, in the event of a collision, shuts off electricity to the fuel pump, unlocks the doors, and activates the emergency flashers.
Standard equipment includes: power heated mirrors, 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power locks, six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, heated seats, eight-speaker audio system with MP3 capability and aux input, wireless connectivity, and cruise control.
I was pleasantly surprised with the sprightliness of the five/automatic combination. The six ratios are well spaced and there is ample spunk not only off the line but when passing or climbing hills.
It also comes with a distinct sound. Transport Canada says you might get 7.4-litres/100km on the highway and 9.5 in the city; I didn’t, averaging just under nine on the highway and in the low teens in the city.
Another surprise was the handling. Where the previous Beetle felt a little top heavy when pushed in the turns, this one feels much more like a Golf — that’s a good thing.
