By Guilherme Marques
I don’t think there is any way in the world I am ever going to write about the VW Beetle without putting a Beatles’ song on the title. I know, the Beetle and The Beatles have nothing to do with each other, but to me, a Beatles’ fan, it is impossible to say the Beetle – the car – and not think about Paul, John, George and Ringo.
I picked up the Beetle at VW’s with great expectations. I never cared too much for those who said the first two modern Beetles didn’t drive too well because, although they were right, I thought they were missing the point. Still, the new car was said to be a good drive so I was expecting something else. Don’t let me down.
The Beetle was born in 1938 to fulfil a basic need of personal transportation and there are many great facts about it. First of all, it is the genesis of Volkswagen, the people’s car, and was designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the request of Hitler.
It was supposed to accommodate two adults and three children and travel up to 100km/h.
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More than 20 million original Beetles were built during its 65 years of production, making it one of the most important motor vehicles ever. And, let’s not forget, the Beetle evolved into the Porsche 356, which evolved into the iconic 911, so this really is a significant car. Genesis if you like (this is getting very musical).
The first few kilometres are promising, as the car feels very much like a Golf- good, because mechanically it is one. It rides well, comfort is great and I’ve got a feeling fuel consumption will be fantastic because, although this is only a 1.6 diesel with 105hp, the torque figure is 250Nm and progress is effortless.
The car also feels really light on its feet, which definitely helps. Ergonomics are faultless and all the interior elements come together to create a retro-modern environment that I really like.
The first modern Beetle was clearly aimed at the feminine slice of the market, but I think this new car can be driven by a man any day in life – no problem.
I pick up my daughter at school and ask her if she likes it. She says she does but would prefer it in yellow and not in our car’s white colour. Judging by the pictures I would have to agree with her.
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As I get home the missus also gives the Beetle the thumbs up and, come to think of it, it did draw a lot of attention around town – I guess people still have a soft spot for the Bug and this latest generation’s design is definitely appealing.
The Beetle is not a car for going street racing, but because the 1.6 TDI Golf I drove earlier in the year was so good at tackling corners, I took it to a challenging course. And here lied the real surprise of this test: with this engine the Beetle could never be very fast, but dynamically it’s as close to the Golf as it has ever been, and that makes it an enjoyable car to simply drive when you feel like it.
A long and winding road no longer scares the Beetle, quite the contrary actually. I almost felt compelled to call it Herbie at the end of that early morning blast.
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So, all in all, who are the Beetle’s clients? Well, I guess they are people who see the quality of the Golf as a big advantage, are willing to sacrifice some practicality, namely in boot space and rear legroom, and absolutely love the idea of owning a car that stands out for the right reasons.
Prices start at €27,400 for a diesel Beetle like the one we drove. Although it is not a cheap homage to the original model, it is one well worth the price.
That’s it then. Four days with a Beetle. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did, since I am a Fiat 500 die-hard follower (not that they are direct rivals bar the retro element of course).
But the Beetle won me over with its looks, its superb quality and by being a much better drive than I was expecting. This car works, it really does – and you’ll be happy taking it to that place I mention in the title.
