Labelled “The Beetle”, Volkswagen’s latest cute design sees an attractive maturing of the roundness so quickly associated with the individual and cool looking VW Beetle. The VW Beetle has been around for a very long time, but in recent decades had a massive overhaul to bring it right up-to-date with modern safety and technological requirements and advancements. This year sees The Beetle somewhat grown-up and looking highly sophisticated in a Porsche 911 sort of way.

Smooth and prominent wheel arches attract approval, while the outline of the new beetle seems to be very much in-balance while gaining more length, more room and more sportiness. Exterior length has grown to almost 4.3 metres – which has had a great effect on the presented interior room especially for rear seat leg room. Front seat occupants enjoy plenty of space, while the retro design features of The Beetle dash are groovy and capture a hint of an era past. I can recall blasting along a B-road in my Grandad’s creamy white coloured VW Beetle 1302 S, and I remember enjoying, not only the engine’s sweet note and my fish’n’chips in the back seat, but the interior panelling which was the same colour as the exterior paintwork. This funky seventies looking interior look has been brought into the blueprint of the new 2013 Volkswagen Beetle cabin design and looks a superbly stylish – it’s one interior that you won’t find anywhere else.

Remember the old glovebox, the strap grab handles and instrument cluster on a 1302 S? The glovebox on The Beetle provides the classic looks of the old bygone models, while a large round instrument cluster and decent grip straps hark back to the VW Beetle classics.

Some things do change, however. And with The Beetle, Volkswagen has ensured that the best luxury features you find in modern cars were sure to find themselves present inside this latest VW Beetle model. Dual-zone climate control provides a relaxed atmosphere, and an awesome RCD510 touch-screen audio system pumps out all your favourite music tracks. Eight speakers, no less, are situated a roundabout The Beetle cabin.

Technology is always progressing, and car manufacturers have to keep up. The Beetle boasts a handy Hill Assist function for easy take-off on steep slopes. Steering The Beetle is fun, but unless you flicked through the spec list, you probably wouldn’t realise that The Beetle uses an advanced electro-mechanical power steering system that delivers precise, accurate control without losing any decent feedback from the road surface. Low-speed manoeuvring is effortless, so when it comes to parking up at the city car-park, it’s something you can take in your stride.

Venture out of the urban jungle, and the wide open spaces mean that you can give more head to the 1.4-litre TSI Twincharged engine. This is the most powerful engine that Volkswagen have used in a production VW Beetle in Australia, and the 118 kW petrol engine packs 240 Nm of torque. Twincharge refers to how the perky Volkswagen engine gains its power. Both supercharging and turbocharging are used. Twin powering The Beetle has ensured that the driver will enjoy plenty of pick-up for the fun-factor (0-100 km/h in 8.3 seconds), while improved fuel economy and a smooth, consistent power delivery adds to the car’s relaxed, low cost appeal. A six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission are the choices for the car’s gearbox.

The Beetle comes with daytime running lights and a huge list of Active and passive safety features, making it one of the most advanced and safe five-star ANCAP small cars on the market.

What a way to make a statement. There is a Beetle Fender Edition that adds even more glamour to The Beetle cabin, while placing a special powerful Fender sound system for the ultimate in sounds. Enjoy!

Current models for The Beetle include:

• The Beetle 1.4 TSI
• The Beetle 1.4 TSI Fender Edition

For any more information on The Beetle or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Volkswagen dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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