Watch out, more VW Beetles about!

The revised Volkswagen Beetle has divided opinions over the years but regardless of what the naysayers and old school Beetle purists might think of it, it has been a success for VW. As such, the latest Beetle is now available for order and deliveries are expected sharpish.

There are two new engines to choose from - a 2.0-litre 138bhp turbodiesel (with a 0-62mph dash of 9.5 seconds) and a 2.0-litre 197bhp turbo petrol (does the same dash in just 7.5 seconds). Top speed for the diesel is 123mph and for the petrol, 139mph. VW is also claiming some nice combined fuel economy and CO2 emissions stats at 57.6mpg and 129g/km respectively. As well as the two engines, there's the choice of the six-speed manual and six-speed DSG gearboxes.

If you opt for the diesel, there are two levels of trim – the mid-level Design and the top-level Sport trim. Meanwhile, the petrol model is available in Sport and special edition Turbo Black or Turno Silver specs. These trims include "Turbo" decals in silver or black, wing mirrors in silver or black, the door rubbing strip in the body colour and 19-inch alloy wheels.

The Design level of trim comes with 17-inch alloys in a choice of two styles, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, digital CD/radio, front fog lights, alarm, manual air conditioning, multi-function leather steering wheel, body coloured door and dashboard panels and Isofix preparation so you can strap in the sprogs.

Meanwhile, the Sport spec offers 18-inch alloys to the mix as well as tinted glass, cruise control, sports seats, parking sensors, gloss black wing mirrors, dashboard and door panels and dual-zone air conditioning. At the very top of the range, the 2.0-litre TSI Sport adds four-link rear suspension, twin chrome exhaust pipes, red brake calipers and a body-coloured rear diffuser.

There also options aplenty available across the whole line-up - keyless entry, sat-nav, bi-xenon headlights, different alloy wheel designs and the Fender sound pack. Yes, named after the famous guitar firm, Beetle drivers have the choice of rocking out to a 400Watt system with sub-woofer and switchable three-colour illumination around the front speakers - this will add £500 to the price.

Prices start at £20,085 for the 2.0-litre models, while the base model with the 1.2-litre petrol engine and, excellent seven-speed DSG, is on for £16,600. At the top of the range, the 2.0-litre petrol model with Turbo Black or Turno Silver trim and a six-speed DGS box comes in at £24,505. 


By Georgia Lewis

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