“I remember the days of my life. I recall the faces, mostly yours. This is my life and I’m passing on the memories…” I had this song from the famous VW ad in my head for the three days at the new Beetle’s launch.
We landed in Berlin, Germany, a little worse for wear after a long haul of flights, and were taken straight to the Volkswagen Centre. Signs like “No more flower, just power” adorned the walls of the centre and, after a brief business session, we were off to meet the new “masculine and sportier” version of the once rather feminine Millennium Bug.
The design is far more like the original Beetle than the 1998 design. It is flatter and broader, while the windscreen is closer to the driver. The round headlamps are still used but are now LEDs. The front grille is gone and the side profile mirrors that of the original.
We hopped into the 2,0-litre 147 kW FSI and off we went. Now, before I can even say anything more about the car, I need to put you right in the centre of Berlin, driving on the wrong side of the road and guessing what every road sign means, being hooted at from every which way and bus drivers turning up one or two fingers at you. And it was bucketing down with rain for the entire drive. I can only be honest here and tell you that I did not get to test this car in conditions that I would have liked to.
What I can say is that I did not feel the “individuality” that VW has strived for with this vehicle. In fact, I could just have easily been driving a Golf or Polo, while bearing in mind that it is built on the Golf VI underpinnings.
As I stepped inside, the feeling of “been there, done that” didn’t immediately dissipate. However, after a while the differences over the Golf do become noticeable (especially the cool double glovebox). Overall, the third-gen Beetle is comfortable and spacious.
The engine line-up for South Africa will look like this: a 1,2 TSI 77 kW six-speed manual Design, 1,4 TSI 118 kW six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG Design and Sport. The 2,0 TSI 147 kW will not be available at launch but is under consideration for introduction in 2013. The same applies to TDI engines. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but will start at about R250 000. It is set to rival the Mini Cooper on price, a strategy of which I’m not convinced – could the Beetle be as well-loved as the current Mini?
An interesting little marketing trick is that Volkswagen will place the nickname of each car from its respective country on the vehicle as an option. Our very own Oona Scheepers, who happens to be part of the design team, is fighting for South Africa to have “Volksie” as our nickname.
Overall, the latest Bug feels more grown up but is still of course fun to drive … even if I nearly killed my co-driver and I in the process.
The local launch is planned for the first half of 2012.
