[Aditya]

Volkswagen has launched the new Beetle in India at a price of Rs. 28.73 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

The Beetle carries over the retro styling from the previous generation models. The car measures 4,278 mm in length, 1,808 mm in width and 1,486 mm in height. It has a wheelbase measuring 2,524 mm and a ground clearance of 136 mm. The car weighs 1,374 kg and has a fuel tank capacity of 55 litres. The car is available in four body colours - Habanero Orange, Oryx White, Tornado Red and Blue Silk.




The exterior of the Beetle features a panoramic sunroof with tilt and slide functions, bi-xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights, front fog lamps with static cornering function, LED license plate lights, body-coloured protective side mouldings with chrome strip, a rear spoiler, body-coloured door handles and bumpers and 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/60 R16 section tyres.




On the inside, the Beetle gets leather seats, a leather-wrapped, multifunction steering wheel, handbrake and gear knob, ambient lighting on front speaker surround- 3 colours, chrome inserts, scuff plates, paddle shifters and illuminated vanity mirrors.








The car is equipped with features such as dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming IRVM, cruise control, auto headlamp activation, rain sensor, height adjustable front seats and a sound system with 8 speakers and USB, Aux-in and Bluetooth connectivity. Safety features include 6 airbags, ESP & ABS, parking sensors with display and hill-hold among others.




The Beetle is powered by a 1,395cc, 4-cylinder TSI petrol engine that produces 148 BHP and 250Nm of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission. The car comes with a start/stop system with generative braking.



Volkswagen has positioned the Beetle against the Abarth 595 Competizione and the Mini Cooper.

[libranof1987]

The Mini's have a competitor! But too late to the party? With Mini around; which is the newer of the lot in terms of the "novelty" factor, wonder how the Beetle would fare.

Originally Posted by Aditya

The car is available in four body colours - Habanero Orange, Oryx White, Tornado Red and Blue Silk.

What?! I'm surprised the cult yellow shade didn't make the cut.

[RSR]

Despite the original Beetle being a brainchild of Der Führer, I've always had a soft spot for this car, because of its unique and endearing bug shape. In an age where cars are increasingly beginning to look similar in one way or the other, the Beetle is one of the few cars that truly stand out from the rest!

The latest generation one is no different, and retains those retro looks brilliantly! The rear spoiler ought to have been a bit smaller, though. It sticks out too much, and seems to partially prevent the high-mounted stop lamp (third brake light) from being visible to bus & truck drivers.

The car also deserves better looking signature alloys. These are too generic, and resemble the 14" alloys on the Hyundai Xcent's SX variant (the same as those on the previous gen. i20).

I think VW missed a trick by bringing it via the CBU route and by offering only a single variant. At this price, it costs nearly twice that of the Jetta with which it shares a lot of stuff. Priced on par with similar sized but more practical cars from the more premium German marques, this "people's car" will remain a niche product in India by moving out of the showrooms only in the single digits every month. A pity!

[VW2010]

The Mini's have a competitor! But too late to the party? With Mini around; which is the newer of the lot in terms of the "novelty" factor, wonder how the Beetle would fare.

Not sure if its going to be like competing for space in this segment in India at least. Both the cars sell in numbers that is so low that we cannot call it a competition. Both are over priced and the beetle is continuing to lose the actual retro look.

It may be in other countries where these cars are as affordable as any other cars and not overpriced and bloated into supreme segment.

Mini on the other hand is not from VW stable which makes it win the competition out right in most of the markets currently now simply because of the scandal and the fun factor of driving a mini.

[Contrapunto]

I hope the mods get to test drive this one ! That will be a fun read for sure.

On another note, I think its a good buy for someone looking for a second car with "personality" at that budget. It may not be a Merc, but it surely has more personality than the A class. I presume it shares a large part of the parts bin with other VW cars. If VW can come up with a good value proposition on maintenance et al, it should see good traction (pun intended)

[Aniruddha_Ch]

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[Vik0728]

Though I have never been the biggest fan or critic of the VW Beetle, this iteration seems to have given 'THE BUG', much needed update

I have never had an opportunity to drive one myself, but I have driven the Volvo V40 and it oozes quality & engineering

if I were in the market today to buy a premium hatchback, Volvo V40 Cross Country would have been my first pick.

Link

[.anshuman]

Not a car aimed at enthusiasts, the Cooper S and Abarth 595 are for those seeking fun to drive. VW Beetle is tuned towards laid back, easy to drive driving style. Good car for the Ladies!

Good part is, they have finally offered a TSI engine mated to a DSG transmission, earlier Beetle in India had a 2.0 MPFI with old Torque Convertor transmission. Personally I like the styling of the new bug.

[coolvenk]

From the pictures, the interiors and doors look rather plain and plasticky for this kind of price-point, in my opinion. Perhaps the official Team-BHP review will offer a clearer picture (in more ways than one).

[nik_kapur]

Interesting price i feel.
Some of the rich daddy's girls will want one now !!
I don't see many guys buying one just as yet.

[dark.knight]

Just two words - massively overpriced. The Beetle was expensive even with an earlier on-road price of approx 20L, now the on-road is what about 34-35?! This one is off by atleast 33% (is it a full import or knock-down?).

Though it targets Mini Cooper in terms of brand value the Mini is 2 leagues above to say the least. The interiors look like a bad mish-mash of metallic-finish centre and gloss-plasticky dashboard and all for a 2-seater.

If one can afford cars in that price range why not go for a practical Mini Cooper 5 Door which is hardly 6-7 lacs more expensive yet has the practicality of 5 seats, a useful boot, under 4m in length and has the precise steering feel and surge that Mini's are known for.. several leagues above any VW Group car anyway. I love Mini's fun ads as well :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbDgiJ8aHxA

[reignofchaos]

Seriously seriously overpriced and comes with a suspect gearbox.

The interiors look rather barren and low quality as well. The plastic quality appears to be identical to a polo.

Also no self respecting man would want to be seen inside one of these . At this price, might as well buy the Fiat 595.

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Seriously seriously overpriced and comes with a suspect gearbox.

The interiors look rather barren and low quality as well. The plastic quality appears to be identical to a polo.

Also no self respecting man would want to be seen inside one of these . At this price, might as well buy the Fiat 595.

The price one pays for a Beetle is for the cool retro looks and not for its power figures or its level of equipment.
The latest Mini also retains its retro looks but it is purely the choice of the buyer to decide what he wants.
If someone is ready to put in about 35L of his dear money, it is not for any utilitarian purpose, but there is something in this car which satisfies his ego, which must be respected. Of course, if I have 35L spare to purchase a D2 sedan such as a Toyota Camry instead Of this one

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by hybridpetrol

The price one pays for a Beetle is for the cool retro looks and not for its power figures or its level of equipment.
The latest Mini also retains its retro looks but it is purely the choice of the buyer to decide what he wants.
If someone is ready to put in about 35L of his dear money, it is not for any utilitarian purpose, but there is something in this car which satisfies his ego, which must be respected. Of course, if I have 35L spare to purchase a D2 sedan such as a Toyota Camry instead Of this one

Mate people plonking down 35l on a small hatch would desire something more than retro looks. Practicality and performance matters to all - unless you are a teen or tween girl with a rich dad looking for a ride to go to college. I just went through the whole motley of premium hatchbacks before booking mine last week. The mini has some redeeming factors - fantastic handling and a great 1.6 liter power unit. Unfortunately for the Beetle, it has neither.

[vb-saan]

I like the way it looks, and most importantly finally we have the 1.4 TSI with the 7-speed DSG. It is overpriced, but not so much when compared to the other models in the same space; looks like a nice alternate option to the likes of the Cooper D.