A little over a decade ago Volkswagen’s reborn Beetle started a spate of retro cars. The Mini, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser and Citroen’s C3 all followed, and this led a prominent American car designer to forecast the big problem with retro cars; when it’s time to update how do you facelift a retro design?
Mini, by far the most successful of the bunch, keeps things fresh with lots of variations on the original theme, to the point where there’s now even a Mini SUV.
The sadly underpowered PT Cruiser faded away, the C3 bumps along at a few sales a month and, after a disappointing initial response, Volkswagen is giving the Beetle another go.
It’s bigger than the first retro Beetle with a longer roofline that’s higher at the rear, a design that’s far less sympathetic to the original 1940s VW but allowing your actual people to ride up back without detaching their heads. It has also proved beneficial for luggage space, which is now on par with many small hatchbacks.
Mind you, the Beetle costs a lot more than most small hatchbacks. And you can’t get four doors. And if you don’t want a clutch pedal, your only option is the seven-speed direct shift gearbox. It’s better than most electronic manuals but it’s still nowhere near as smooth or as fuss-free as a conventional auto. I don’t like DSGs much. There are annoying dead spots and flat spots, but they’re good on fuel.
Even with DSG the Beetle is a nice thing to drive. It handles surprisingly well and makes even challenging corners easy. It goes quite hard once you get over the inordinately slow initial take-off, and it overtakes pretty well too. But while it may be perfectly happy to be driven hard, this is not a car to drive with enthusiasm because you look rather ridiculous. The Beetle is more something for cruising the boulevards and sashaying the St Kilda foreshore on long, balmy nights.
The surprising thing is that it rides so well. The interior is comfortable and nicely finished, with extensive metal trim carrying the exterior colour.
It may be greatly improved and thus of wider appeal, but with its looks and premium pricing the Beetle will always be a niche car. And I can’t help thinking that, Minis notwithstanding, the retro thing is done now.
What is it? Like an old rock star; larger, squishier, quieter.
What’s in it? A turbocharged and supercharged 118-kilowatt 1.4-litre with a seven-speed DSG gearbox.
Is it thirsty? I used 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 6.7 in the country. The official combined figure is 6.4.
Driveaway price: $36,487
Thumbs up Handling, ride, body integrity.
Thumbs Down It’s flamboyant but not cool any more, and it costs too much.
