If there is one car I have wanted to write about for long, it is the Volkswagen Beetle. The car has had an iconic status all over the globe and has been a fun to drive car for over 70 years now. Making entry in India in 2009, it was welcomed with great excitement and possibly greater rebuke for its price tag of Rs. 21 lakh. Nevertheless, 500 units were sold. Then, in 2015, a face-lifted Beetle was launched in India. This time, surprisingly there were more Beetle lovers with probably lesser rebukes even when the price of the car went up to Rs.28.73 lakh. Did I not tell you before of the way Indian automobiles market work? The strange way! In only ten months i.e. till November 2016, 175 units were sold of this current generation Beetle. While those numbers may not have matched the global sales of the car, they gave enough encouragement to Volkswagen India to announce their third generation of Beetle for Indian market which is set to come out in late 2017.
But with all these face-lifts what stays the same is the way Beetle looks, well by and large, its tall name and its tiny size. From outside, this two-door passenger car looks stylish to say the least. The signature rounded-headlamps, the crescent shaped LEDs, a large curvy bonnet and a beefed up look all give Beetle a neat sporty character. The 2017 model, it is said, will be sportier in looks with twin racing stripes on the hood, boot and sides. It will sport bi-xenon headlamps, dual exhausts and bigger wheels.
All this gets the makers of the car much admiration. However, VW also knows that much more needs to be done. The German car maker housing around 12 brands has been in soup lately due to environmental concerns. On its part, the company has shown resolve and planning. Its ‘Strategy 2025’ stresses on cleaner gas engines, third-party emission tests, and electrification. Well, more on that later. For now, I must tell you I drove Beetle quite a few months ago. And ever since, I have not been able to write about it. Writer’s bug you may call it.
I took the car out on the streets of Delhi and it was a fun experience. It meant taking charge of the flat-bottomed steering wheel as I put the ignition on and tested the four-cylinder 1395cc TSI petrol engine. The maker claims of 148bhp of power and 250Nm of torque. But to tell you how it feels in one word, I would say, stylish. It was comfortable and smooth on the bumpy roads. However, I hated the constant ingress and egress for the photo-shoot. Not the most comfortable, I would say. In the rear, space might be a constraint. But, it’s a Beetle. And it’s meant to be so.
The 2017 model will continue to house the same dual-zone air-conditioning system, multi-function display and infotainment with eight speakers. Particularly likeable are the smooth-sailing character, the pleasing looks, the vibrant colours, and the joy of being in a Beetle. That said, it has several flaws too – space, fuel efficiency, comfort, and value for money. But to conclude, it is not for people who want the best of everything. It is not to put the critic in you to rest. It is for people who want the best of style. For people less critical, more fun-loving.
