Volkswagen is calling the new drop-top Beetle a ‘convertible without compromise’, which is a bit of a stretch because the sheer fact the vehicle has to haul around its convertible roof is a compromise in itself. But at least it sits on top of the rear section of the car just like all Convertible Beetles have throughout its history. This allows far fewer compromises in rear seat room and trunk space, which helps make the Beetle more practical. For the record, the trunk has a capacity of 201 L and the added benefit of split-folding rear seats to allow longer items to pass through into the passenger compartment. There is also a special built-in tray in the trunk to hold the collapsible wind blocker.
   2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. Click image to enlarge |
Rear seat volume is bigger than that of either the MINI Cooper Convertible or the Ford Mustang Convertible. Even with the top up, the rear seat is semi-usable by regular-sized people just like in the Beetle Coupe. Up front, the seats are very comfortable and thanks to the Beetle’s unique roofline, headroom is very generous with the top up.
But the real standout feature of the 2013 Beetle Convertible is the retractable roof. Volkswagen states it can open in roughly 9.5 seconds and close in 11 seconds. The top can also be operated at speeds up to 50 km/h, which is a huge plus for convertible owners. Needing to put these claims to the test, I lowered the roof while travelling at 40 km/h and then raised it again at the same speed. Not only did it work flawlessly, it was also fast as promised—handy during a day of on and off rain. Actually, speaking of rain, with all the windows raised, roof down and wind blocker in place, the vehicle keeps light rain out of the cabin assuming speeds remain around 60 km/h. The full-power top requires no manual latches and will open and close with the touch of one button.
Since the top of the otherwise coupe-designed Beetle is missing, Volkswagen made sure to beef up the chassis so it would not flex over bumps. The A-pillar, front roof cross member, side member and lower B-pillars have all been reinforced. These improvements have worked as the Beetle is indeed a solid structure. On the back roads of Malibu, California, there was not a lot of noticeable flex in the chassis on broken roads. Volkswagen claims the Beetle’s rollover protection is also very strong as it was autobahn designed, meaning it was designed to be safe at 200 km/h (but not actually crash tested at that speed).
This added reinforcement causes the Beetle to tip the scales at 1,454 kg, about 100 kg heavier than its coupe counterpart. This hasn’t really affected handling, though, as the regular 2.5L five-cylinder Beetle Convertible handles decently, while turbocharged vehicles with their sports suspension are slightly more planted to the road. Like the Beetle Coupe with the 2.0L turbocharged engine I drove a month ago, this convertible is not a sports car, but more a decent handler that is confident and sporty.
