They said it wouldn’t last, that the VW New Beetle, launched in 1998, would be a flash in the automotive pan. Pundits predicted the revived Beetle would drag in a few lovers of the old air-cooled VW from the 1960s and ’70s then quietly fade away.
Twelve years on, it has finally been discontinued, to be replaced by a new New Beetle, although this time around Volkswagen has ditched the ‘New’ and it’s simply the Beetle.
While there’s no doubting the intention of the stylists to retain the shape that has been familiar since 1936, this new Beetle is less feminine than before. Whereas women were the biggest buyers of the New Beetle, the 2013 version has plenty of masculinity in its shape.
Indeed, the head of the design team, Frank J Bruese, explained that there were elements of the American hot rod culture in the lines of the car.
There’s no doubting the car is lower, heavier in the rear, more aggressive in the window cutouts and has a stronger stance on the road.
The most telling feature of all is the large aero spoiler that sits at the bottom edge of the rear windscreen.
I like it. Then again, I liked the shape of what was to become the New Beetle from the first time I saw it in concept form during the mid ’90s.
The biggest and best changes in this third generation Volkswagen Beetle are in the interior. There’s no longer the feeling you’re sitting in the back of the car and peering over a vast expanse of dashtop through a small windscreen. The semi-upright windscreen gives you better visibility than in many modern hatches and sedans.
The new Beetle feature we like most of all is the painted dashboard and door tops, harking back to the mid years of the 1900s when this was the norm.
New VW Beetle has a large speedo in front of the driver in a separate binnacle. It’s easy to read at the slightest glance and revives memories of the old air-cooled cars.
At this stage, the only powerplant in the front of the Beetle is the familiar Volkswagen 1.4-litre Twincharger. This engine uses a supercharger and turbocharger to provide strong torque through a big slab of the rev range.
Ride comfort is good on most surfaces and the slightly firm suspension provides the sort of handling that keen drivers will love.
