Volkswagen New Beetle

First launched in 2009, the Beetle never took off in the Indian market. Though being hailed as a design icon all over these years, the Beetle was deemed too expensive at Rs 25 lakhs. There was some competition for it in terms of the Fiat 500 but the Beetle was a bit old to fight its new rivals. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle changes all that and it was one of the stars of the Auto Expo 2012. 

The 3rd gen Beetle has been built around the Golf platform and is longer and wider than the previous gen Beetle. But the most talked about point of the new Beetle is its radical styling, it looks completely different than the previous one. The car has a lower profile, the front bonnet is longer and the front windscreen is shifted further back. There is also bi-xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights. All this results in more muscular styling and though the design has changed it will still be recognised as a Beetle.

In the interior you will find three round instruments arranged in front of the driver and cabin has all the bells and whistles that you need.. The new Beetle has a top end entertainment system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, DVD player, voice control, SD card slot and 30 Gigabyte hard drive. 

Locking of the Volkswagen is from the outside, also activated by touching one of the two door handles; in this case, however, a specially marked surface is used. When it comes to safety there is ESP or electronic stabilisation programme and there are six airbags, so you can be sure the new VW Beetle will keep you safe no matter what. When it comes to space there is more legroom and more boot space though headroom has been reduced slightly.

Among engine options there is the 140 bhp diesel which makes the most sense since the market is heavily tilted towards diesels. The old Beetle could not set the sales chart on fire and with the introduction of the Mini brand it would get even more tough. Both the Mini and Beetle are iconic brands which are loved by people all over the world. The new Beetle then is a massive improvement over the earlier generation as it betters its predecessor in every possible way. The design is now more youthful, the interior is now more luxurious and it drives better too. Looks like the new Beetle is ready for the Indian market.