Volkswagen BEETLE CABRIOLET TDI
With Cute Old-School Looks Married To Reassuringly Modern Mechanicals, Volkswagens Beetle Cabriolet TDI Has Plenty Going For It. Steve Walker Reports
Volkswagen arent renowned for producing vehicles at which one glance will leave you hopelessly smitten. The German marques designs tend to major on quality and subtlety rather than attempting to blow onlookers into next week with jaw-dropping styling. The Beetle, however, is that rare thing - a Volkswagen that is defined by the way it looks. The 1960s flower power connotations of the iconic retro lines are such that Beetle buyers often know they want one before theyve even sat inside the car.
If anything, this effect is stronger still with the Cabriolet version. The drop-top roof is a further concession to style in the face of practicality but at least the fitting of a sensible TDi diesel engine can help to redress the balance.
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It seems to make sense, a modern take on the 1960s Love Bug with a folding roof for really getting back to nature and a salt of the earth oil-burning engine chugging away under the bonnet. You certainly get low emissions and good fuel economy with the TDI powerplant so buyers can paint daisies all over the bodywork safe in the knowledge theyre doing less to poison the local fauna and flora than many other motorists. Yes, the Beetle Cabriolet TDI is fairly clean but theres nothing especially environmentally friendly about it, just as theres nothing old-fashioned or retro about its construction or underlying technology. Visually the car might evoke the old hippys favourite VW Beetle convertible (which would be classed as a very dirty car by todays standards) but its actually a MkIV Golf with a trendy topless body to seduce the dewy-eyed nostalgists among us.
The Beetles TDI engine actually churns out 151g/km of carbon dioxide which is the lowest of all the units offered in the Beetle Cabriolet and with a claimed average economy figure of 50mpg, its also by far the most economical: even the smallest petrol unit can only manage 39mpg. Performance is fairly brisk too, with only the 1.8-litre petrol turbocharged engine giving significantly more forward thrust than the 100bhp TDI unit.
"A folding roof for really getting back to nature and a salt of the earth oil-burning engine chugging away under the bonnet."
The normally aspirated 2.0-litre engine and the 1.9-litre TDI diesel are well-matched adversaries in terms of performance. The petrol unit can reach 60mph in 11.
7s from a standing start before eventually running out of steam at 115mph, whereas the TDI does the 0-60mph sprint in 12.4s and has a 110mph top speed. Look beyond these figures, however, and the TDI edges ahead. 240Nm of torque at just 1,800rpm translates to a forceful punch of acceleration thats easily accessible early in the rev range.
Its delivered in quite a raucous and aggressive fashion, so buyers wanting a smoother driving experience from their Beetle Cabriolet may favour a petrol unit but the diesel definitely has greater flexibility to offer at the engine speeds where most people do most of their driving. On top of this, theres the TDIs 50mpg economy compared to the petrols 32mpg. The price being asked for the petrol is £100 more than the £18,125 youll need to secure a TDI model but the 2.0-litre car does come with alloy wheels.
The 1.9-litre TDI engine makes a solid case for itself in the Beetle Cabriolet but how does the rest of the car measure up? The roof is always going to be a key issue with convertible cars and true to form,
Volkswagen have done a thorough job of engineering the one youll find on the Beetle. Raising or lowering the hood will only take 13 seconds thanks to a slick electrohydraulic system. All youll need to do is release a pair of latches on the windscreen header rail and press a button.
The hood itself is a cloth-lined three-layer construction that does a surprisingly good job of cutting down on wind noise when in the upright position and includes a proper heated glass rear window. With the hood up, the car looses its trademark domed roof profile to some extent but fold it away and it perches above the boot opening in an attractive manner thats reminiscent of the original Beetle. The roof may not come to rest in the boot but dont expect much space in there for luggage. The repackaging of the Beetle into Cabriolet form has left little room for anything more than a few shopping bags.
The suspension on the Beetle Cabriolet is biased towards comfort rather than sporty dynamism and the result is some body roll through corners but there seems to be very little flex in the chassis caused by the absence of a roof. The car feels very solid on the road, just as weve come to expect from Volkswagens over the years, but lets not lose sight of the fact that this is a remarkable achievement in a convertible car. The Beetle Cabriolet has an interior design thats far less extrovert than the exterior lines but its hard not to be impressed by the quality of the construction and there are a few nice details spread around the cabin. The lovely blue instrument lighting which illuminates only the figures on the speedometer is very attractive, as is the beautifully designed unique-fit stereo and theres even a flower vase on the dashboard where you can keep your daisy in water.
All Beetle Cabriolet TDI models come with electric windows, heated door mirrors, a CD stereo with 10 speakers, air-conditioning, ABS brakes, twin front airbags and ESP stability control. The TDI diesel is substantially more expensive than the entry-level 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol options and even with the fuel economy advantage the oil-burner gives you, it will take years of motoring for the engine to pay for itself.
Likewise, if you want a Beetle Cabriolet with a real turn of speed, the 1.8T is the only viable option. Where the TDI unit comes into its own is as a compromise between pace and price. It gives respectable performance with that characteristic low-end grunt while returning the best fuel consumption figures of any model in the range.
The Beetle Cabriolet itself is a well-conceived and well-executed product in typical Volkswagen style but its the retro look and that degree of quirkiness that will do most to snare buyers in the highly image-conscious small convertible sector.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet TDI
PRICE: £18,125 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 151g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 12.4s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 50.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4081/1836/1498
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