My Highline tester is equipped with the optional Fender sound system – which is actually a Panasonic unit that capitalizes on the reputation of the renowned guitar builders. However – it’s really quite good for a car in this segment, with eight speakers in the cabin and a subwoofer nestled in the trunk.
Standard safety equipment includes dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, side impact airbags, traction control and electronic stability control. The Beetle has received high crash test ratings for side impact and rollover, and good ratings for front and rear impact.
    2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Diesel. Click image to enlarge |
The highly supportive seats are all-day comfortable and have plenty of leg and headroom. Rear bucket seats are merely adequate, roomy enough for children, only really suitable for adults you don’t like very much. They do, however, fold flat enough to provide 847 L of cargo space – which is more than retro competitors like Mini Cooper, but less than hatchbacks such as the Mazda3.
   2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Diesel. Click image to enlarge |
Under the Beetle’s snub little nose lies a 2.0L, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine producing 140 hp with 236 lb-ft of torque – an increase of 40 horsepower and 50 more lb-ft than the previous model’s diesel variant. It fires up with a bit of telltale diesel clatter, but it’s far from annoying. Although that sounds like a modest output, the Beetle TDI’s respectable amount of torque gives it frisky character and it moves quickly from a standstill. I’d driven the 2.0L TDI Beetle Convertible with a six-speed manual, and it was, to borrow a phrase – “sweet”.
However, the six-speed dual clutch automatic in my tester provided snappy clean shifts that didn’t leave me lamenting the inability to row my own gears. What’s even better is that this powertrain delivered a really impressive 6.0 L/100 km overall fuel economy during a week of mixed driving. Compelled to drive more frugally in an effort to see just how miserly the Beetle’s fuel consumption could be, I achieved a low of 5.2 L/100 km during 80 km of mostly highway travel.
Steering is quick and accurate, if not as communicative as your average Porsche. Still, it’s more responsive than I’d expected, given my distaste for the previous generation.
It’s a nicely balanced little car – and without getting too anthropomorphic – seems to work hard at being likeable. I found myself wishing it had the stiffer, independent rear suspension and bigger sway bars as did the Turbo Convertible I’d driven in the California hills – unfortunately the Coupe had the humble torsion beam rear axle. Sure, the TDI variant is shopped primarily by the demographic concentrating on fuel economy – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun too.
Surprisingly, I liked the Beetle far more than competitors Hyundai Veloster or Fiat 500. With the suspension package of the Turbo model, the TDI would be as fun to drive as the Mini Cooper.
Still, the Beetle’s handling combined with abundant bottom-end power result in a lively overall driving character that’s hard not to like.
Pricing: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Highline
Base price (TDI Highline): $28,025
Options: Technology Package – $1,290
Freight and PDI: $1,395
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $30,810
Competitors:
Fiat 500
Hyundai Veloster
Mazda3
Mini Cooper
Toyota Prius C
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
