Car Test
|
R0353 | |
|
August 2003 |
||
| First Drive | Volkswagen Beetle | |
| Printer Friendly Page | Featured model: 1.6 Cabriolet | |
|
South of the border down Mexico way, they’ve just said hasta la vista, baby to the old Beetle. The so-called Final Edition rolled off the line to create a production record of 21.5 million models – a tough act to follow. But life goes on at the Puebla factory, only this time with the new Beetle (saloon and cabriolet) – a characature of the original maybe, but an affectionate and a very much up-to-date one. Beneath that retro styling lie good old Golf underpinnings, plus a quartet of familiar engines.
However, fans of the original Beetle Cabriolet expecting a nostalgia trip in this latest model will be disappointed. The only resemblance between the two is in the way the folded hood lies on top of the bodywork, to preserve boot space. It’s electrically operated on all but the 1.4, and within 13sec it provides a snug, windproof roof. There’s no breezy backdraught with the hood down, either, if you click the optional extra wind deflector into place. This foldaway device precludes rear passengers being carried. However, even when they can be, they’re unlikely to want to go too far because, although knee and headroom are tight but tolerable, the backrests are horribly upright. Getting to and from the back seats is aided by the tilt-and-slide front seats, but it helps if you’re spry. Conversely, those up front have plenty of room in all directions, when installed in the firm but shapely front seats. These and the fully adjustable wheel give a very good driving position, with a big and clear (by day) speedo. The fuel gauge and tacho are small, though, but minor switches are instantly to hand. Rear quarter vision is seriously hampered by the wide hood, however, which when stowed, halves the view in the interior mirror. The 102bhp 1.6 engine is a compromise between the sluggish 1.4 and the thirstier 2.0, although if you’re a diesel fan, the 1.9TDI gives the best of both worlds. This Cabriolet is more about posing than performance, yet this smooth-revving, quiet-cruising eight-valver provides quite lively acceleration when needed and is usefully tractable in town. It tends to flag on up-gradients, and for the briskest overtaking it’s often best to snick straight from fifth to third. The gearchange is excellent. Luridly over-steering Beetles are a thing of the past. The new model (with front-wheel drive, of course) could hardly be safer, thanks to a set of electronic traction and braking aids. But, should the worst happen, there are front and side airbags up front and a pop-up roll-over protection system. The suspension cushions road faults rather well, to give a generally comfortable ride, with deft steering and tenacious tyre grip. Also, VW has introduced considerable body stiffening to quell the infamous soft-top scuttle shake. It works, too – there’s just the merest trace of tremor now and then. A downside to this stiffening is that (unlike the saloon’s), the back seats can’t be folded forwards to increase luggage space. Mind you, we managed to shoehorn three supermarket shopping boxes in side by side, so the awkward-to-load boot is slightly bigger than it first appears -–until you stow the hood cover and wind deflector! |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
