News
Sports
ENLARGE
The ongoing reinvention of those classic automotive icons can be tricky business. For every success story, you also get a few (the Dodge Charger and the upcoming Dodge Dart, for instance) that distort the DNA in a mind-bending and enthusiast-rattling way.
So what would you say if I told you the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is both true to its original, utilitarian mission and wholly and fully part of the impressive world of modern VWs? And, it's no longer just a cute little car (with the dash-mounted flower holder of the old model), aimed exclusively at teenaged first-time drivers?
Yep. They kinda went crazy on this project, but in a good way. The new Beetle is flatter and wider and sports a less iconic profile than the decade-old New Beetle it replaces. It's also added a litany of Mini Cooper-styled touches (body-colored dash, door and steering wheel inserts), plus fantastically garish 18-inch wheels (like a chrome-plated version of Oscar the Grouch's trash can lid) and a gigantic, seemingly cabin-wide sunroof. No flower holder, either.
Opt up for the more fully equipped model I drove and you also get the improved navigation system and the thoroughly awesome, 400-watt Fender audio system (I played ZZ Top's “Degüello” album for a week, loudly, and was quite impressed).
Does all of that still make it a Beetle? Strangely, yes. The added width (3 inches) and length (7.4 inches), plus a lowered profile, had many people asking what that strange Bug-styled hatchback was that I was driving; it's definitely a departure, but at the same time, a better mix with the new and significantly improved crop of Jettas and Passats.
The base engine (a 2.5-liter five-cylinder) is not a barn-burner, generating 170 horsepower, but it will more than adequately get the 2,983-pound Beetle rolling, and did seem true to its 29 highway MPG sticker figure.
Currently, you can also jump up to a 200-HP 2.0-liter turbo engine with similar highway mileage, and a 140-HP, 40 MPG diesel will debut in the near future.
Out on the road, the Beetle is comfortable and an easy handler – not sporty, per se, but still pleasant to drive – the only downside being some overly flaccid braking, especially during the many thousands of lurching stops on my three-plus-hour-long drive on I-70 last weekend (yes, the police pace car experiment did not quite work).
The curious five-cylinder thrumming of the base engine turns up a notch when you floor it; there won't be a lot of drag racing, but it was punchy enough to head up the passes without a problem. Ride is solid, maybe a little overly solid, and with all-seasons we had adequate bite on icy roads.
If you park it next to the car it replaces, it is indeed an entirely new deal. While the old New Beetle was all giddy circles and swoops and arches, new Beetle is certainly more refined and modern, with a flared, chrome-edged curb line, rectangular rear lamps and a broad and smooth look.
Inside, the body-colored bits are quite striking, a la Fiat 500, and include an odd little half-sized glove box accessed by what looks like an Aston Martin's door handle. There's also a large utility tray on the dash, quite useful, and standardized navigation screen and audio controls; as an option, you can also go for a super old-school oil and boost gauge cluster. Otherwise, it's cleanly designed and totally black, as is the VW style.
Seats are enormous and just a little sticky to slide into as they're covered in a faux leather. Accessing the seating position is a bit of a butt-first stretch (especially if you can't fully open the very wide doors in a parking lot squeeze); the seats do slide easily and allow access to a decent but not overly large rear seat. Driver and front passenger leg and shoulder room has been improved considerably.
Flip open the VW symbol on the back and you get access to a 15.4 cubic foot trunk, or drop the not-entirely-flattenable rear seats and you have almost 30 cubic feet.
Target audience? Hard to say. Purists will shudder, but first-timers might find it a more normal and livable machine than the older Bugs.
So what would you say if I told you the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is both true to its original, utilitarian mission and wholly and fully part of the impressive world of modern VWs? And, it's no longer just a cute little car (with the dash-mounted flower holder of the old model), aimed exclusively at teenaged first-time drivers?
Yep. They kinda went crazy on this project, but in a good way. The new Beetle is flatter and wider and sports a less iconic profile than the decade-old New Beetle it replaces. It's also added a litany of Mini Cooper-styled touches (body-colored dash, door and steering wheel inserts), plus fantastically garish 18-inch wheels (like a chrome-plated version of Oscar the Grouch's trash can lid) and a gigantic, seemingly cabin-wide sunroof. No flower holder, either.
Opt up for the more fully equipped model I drove and you also get the improved navigation system and the thoroughly awesome, 400-watt Fender audio system (I played ZZ Top's “Degüello” album for a week, loudly, and was quite impressed).
Does all of that still make it a Beetle? Strangely, yes. The added width (3 inches) and length (7.4 inches), plus a lowered profile, had many people asking what that strange Bug-styled hatchback was that I was driving; it's definitely a departure, but at the same time, a better mix with the new and significantly improved crop of Jettas and Passats.
The base engine (a 2.5-liter five-cylinder) is not a barn-burner, generating 170 horsepower, but it will more than adequately get the 2,983-pound Beetle rolling, and did seem true to its 29 highway MPG sticker figure.
Currently, you can also jump up to a 200-HP 2.0-liter turbo engine with similar highway mileage, and a 140-HP, 40 MPG diesel will debut in the near future.
Out on the road, the Beetle is comfortable and an easy handler – not sporty, per se, but still pleasant to drive – the only downside being some overly flaccid braking, especially during the many thousands of lurching stops on my three-plus-hour-long drive on I-70 last weekend (yes, the police pace car experiment did not quite work).
The curious five-cylinder thrumming of the base engine turns up a notch when you floor it; there won't be a lot of drag racing, but it was punchy enough to head up the passes without a problem. Ride is solid, maybe a little overly solid, and with all-seasons we had adequate bite on icy roads.
If you park it next to the car it replaces, it is indeed an entirely new deal. While the old New Beetle was all giddy circles and swoops and arches, new Beetle is certainly more refined and modern, with a flared, chrome-edged curb line, rectangular rear lamps and a broad and smooth look.
Inside, the body-colored bits are quite striking, a la Fiat 500, and include an odd little half-sized glove box accessed by what looks like an Aston Martin's door handle. There's also a large utility tray on the dash, quite useful, and standardized navigation screen and audio controls; as an option, you can also go for a super old-school oil and boost gauge cluster. Otherwise, it's cleanly designed and totally black, as is the VW style.
Seats are enormous and just a little sticky to slide into as they're covered in a faux leather. Accessing the seating position is a bit of a butt-first stretch (especially if you can't fully open the very wide doors in a parking lot squeeze); the seats do slide easily and allow access to a decent but not overly large rear seat. Driver and front passenger leg and shoulder room has been improved considerably.
Flip open the VW symbol on the back and you get access to a 15.4 cubic foot trunk, or drop the not-entirely-flattenable rear seats and you have almost 30 cubic feet.
Target audience? Hard to say. Purists will shudder, but first-timers might find it a more normal and livable machine than the older Bugs.
