Volkswagen’s new Beetle now has a more masculine look, in some details looking a bit like the Porsche 911. Volkswagen described it as “no flowers, more power”, and so it is. The 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine produces 162 horsepower and 240 Nm, for a sprint from 0 to 60 in 8.1 seconds. That’s not freakishly fast, but the average Beetle buyer would agree that that is enough.
The interior is now classier. The Sport version features heated leather sports seats with manual adjustment and lumbar support. The steering wheel is a bit large, which makes for a lot of arm movement to be necessary when cornering, but still, it is very accurate and pleasant to use.
The engine is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. As in previous models, this transmission handles well, as well as the clutch and throttle, which deliver amazing response. The brakes also feel powerful.
The base price of the new Beetle is $33,500, just a bit less than the Golf GT ($33,600). Dual-zone air-con, leather steering wheel and larger alloys come as standard on the Beetle, though, while on the GT you would have to pay extra.
Sounds like this car is a real contender to the already established Golf GT, so we will wait to see how it drives.
