THE Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic car that needs no introduction.
The original Beetle was the most-manufactured car of a single platform ever made. Designed in the 1930s, the Beetle was produced in significant numbers only from 1945 and marketed as the Volkswagen, or People’s Car.
In 1968, Walt Disney first introduced Herbie the Love Bug. It was an anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, a character that was featured in the 1968 feature film “The Love Bug”.
Herbie was undefeatable, superfast and could do all sorts of manoeuvres, with a trademark racing-style number “53” on the car, which was capable of driving itself long before we had thought of autonomous driving.
We took the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle Sport for a spin, and in the real world, the new Beetle is as charming as it was on the silver screen.
The Beetle Sport runs on a 1.2-litre TSI turbocharged engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission. It produces 104hp and 175Nm of torque from 1,400rpm to 4,000rpm.
Standing at 4,278mm in length, 1,808mm in width, 1,486mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2,537mm, the Beetle weighs 1,307kg and has an approximately 55 litres of fuel tank capacity, as well as 310 litres of boot space.
Volkswagen claims that the Beetle Sport can sprint from standstill to 100kph in 10.9 seconds. It has a top speed of 180kph and a combined fuel consumption of 5.5 litres per 100km.
It is equipped with electronic folding heated side mirrors, fog lamps with cornering function, 16-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped multi-function steering, body-coloured interior trims, 6.5-inch touchscreen head unit, an eight speaker sound system, leather front sports seats with height adjustment and lumbar support, bi-Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights, cruise control, paddle shifters and “Climatronic” dual-zone air-conditioning system.
Safety features include an anti-theft alarm system with electronic immobiliser, safety-optimised front headrests, four airbags, an anti-lock braking system, brake assist, electronic stability control, hill-hold control, park distance control and Isofix child seat anchor points. It was awarded the Euro NCAP 5-start rating.
The CBU imported Beetle Sport is priced at RM148,620 without insurance but inclusive of six per cent goods and services tax. It comes with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty and five years of free roadside assistance.
THE DRIVE
There aren’t that many cars out there that have a laid-back attitude yet comes out as sporty and confident. The Beetle is one of the rare breeds. It is fast and responsive, but is still a comfortable ride.
We managed to drive the Beetle Sport for nearly 1,000km, through cities, highways, and urban and rural road conditions. The Beetle Sport was comfortable and brilliant to drive on all road conditions.
The dashboard and door panels are finished with the same glossy car body colour. It adds a unique, sporty and stylish element to the car.
Its 1.2-litre TSI turbocharged engine works well on the highway, and is economical in traffic jams. It has plenty of power to overtake on the highway, and had no issue to tackling the steep hills of Genting Highlands.
The Beetle Sport grips well on high speed corners and smoothens out most rough road conditions. Only the bigger and sharper road bumps are felt. The steering wheel has the proper weighting and accuracy, but is a bit short on feedback.
Noise insulation is good at most speeds. There is minimal wind and engine noise, and the tyre noise was only noticeable when driven above the legal speed limit.
The iconic hatchback has plenty of headroom and legroom in the front, but it lacks legroom for the rear passenger if a tall adult is occupying the front seats. Nonetheless, it is a perfect car for a small family, especially those with active kids, as the space for the rear passengers are ideal to keep the kids in place.
We managed to clock 6.2 to 7.1 litres per 100km while cruising on the highway within legal speed limit. The instrument cluster showed that it consumed 7.8 to 8.9 litres per 100km after a mixture of everyday city and highway driving. After some heavy footed driving, it recorded 10.2 to 11.4 litres per 100km.
Overall, we find the Beetle Sport a good-looking car that offers extensive performance with great handling, but there is still some room for improvement.
It should improve the steering wheel feedback, and it would be great if the Beetle Sport is equipped with lane departure warning or even a blindspot indicator system to enhance the safety features of the car.