This VW puts a twinkle in the eye of our car reviewer Syd Taylor
I’m off to a beetle drive,’ I announced cheerily one sunny morning to the lady wife. ‘You witty so and so,’ she responded, knowing full well what I was on about. I was off for a drive, but not down to the church hall.
Outside - resplendently chic and inviting - waited the latest updated incarnation of the VW Beetle. Or the VW Beetle Design 1.2 litre 105PS 7 Speed DSG to give its full title.
I have to confess to a sneaking fondness for the retro Beetle. After all, it has been around for quite some time now and is establishing itself as a style icon in its own right. However, VW feel that the time is right for a facelift and an already pretty car has been turned into something even more beguiling with, perhaps, an extra cutting edge.
Say what you like, but this new Beetle has charisma by the bucket load. I defy anyone to get behind the wheel and not find their eyes twinkling with pleasure. In short, a fun car for the fashionable underpinned with the most reliable engineering this side of eternity.
For a four seater it seemed to have acres of interior space coupled with a nice airy feel and everywhere that feeling of confidence that comes from VW solidity was apparent. What VW have proved with the Beetle is that style is more than skin deep.
It’s a joy to drive and you can hardly believe that the engine is just 1.2 litres and develops 105 PS. Put simply, this is a flying Beetle that will reach nearly 115mph yet is claimed to achieve nearly 48mpg overall. The seven speed automatic DSG box is the best there is and if you put it into ‘Sport’ mode you can really enjoy sports motoring and take advantage of the Beetles excellent handling dynamics. Thankfully, the ride comfort is good and if you wish you can bimble along undisturbed on our potholed highways that the Romans would probably have kept in better repair.
Ownership of the new Beetle has to be expressive of young entrepreneurial spirit and even the long in tooth like myself can feel young at heart in one of these. I tootled back to the ranch where it was my partner’s turn to go for a spin. Afterwards, she said succinctly: ‘I like it. Can we get one?’ The question was: ‘Is the piggy bank the equal of the £19,570 for a new Beetle?’
