Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet - Wind Insect

Volkswagen’s designer hatchback is even more fun in soft-top form

When I landed in Nice, the weather wasn’t very nice – a cold 6 deg C, with a light drizzle. At the product presentation, they played Sunny by Bobby Hebb – a happy song for a cheery car, but the cheerless French weather was a wet blanket. Thankfully, by the time I was ready to roll out in one of the Beetle Cabriolets parked outside, the rain had stopped and sunshine began to peek through the clouds. I put on my shades, the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun played in my head, and here comes the fun in the Beetles…

Beetle Cabriolets

The alfresco version of the newer-than- New Beetle essentially does everything the current Golf Cabriolet can do, but with more attitude and greater cheekiness. It’s also a little cheaper than the topless Golf in W Europe and the US, but when it comes to Singapore in the second half of this year, it’s likely to cost more than the equivalent Golf (with the same 1.4-litre Twin charged drivetrain), but with better equipment and classier accoutrements.

Chic frills for the cute newcomer include a choice of two roof colors (black or beige), an integral rear spoiler as standard, and retrospective “Circle” alloy rims with either white enamel finish or bright chrome plating. Other pretty wheel designs for the Beetle include “Whirl”, “Rotor”, “Turbine” and “Twister”.

Heart hat: You’ll love how quickly and quietly the soft-top works, but remote operation isn’t possible

The hood is made of multi-layered, weatherproof fabric that folds/unfolds tightly and doesn’t eat into the 225-litre, split-fold boot space (25 liters smaller than the Golf Cabrio’s). Without its tonneau cover, the soft-top looks slightly untidy, but what’s more important is the time its electric motor takes to “convert” the vehicle at the press of a button – opened in 9.5 seconds and closed in 11 seconds (the longer time is for the front edge of the roof to lock onto the windscreen frame).

Dropping the top is slightly slower than in the Golf Cabriolet (which does it in nine seconds flat), but the Beetle can be converted on the move at speeds of up to 50km/h, versus the Golf’s more restrictive 30km/h. The Beetle’s roof operation is impressively quiet, too.

Dropping the top is slightly slower than in the Golf Cabriolet, but the Beetle can be converted on the move at speeds of up to 50km/h, versus the Golf’s more restrictive 30km/h

That canopy also provides good cabin insulation against wind noise, traffic din, downtown goings-on and the patter of raindrops. With the roof down, everything seems much nearer and sounds a lot louder, but there’s less buffeting of the occupants than expected.

You could eliminate it altogether by deploying the wind deflector (only for two-up travel though, because it attaches over the rear seats, which then become extra space for luggage and such). The “windbreaker” is stored in its own, compact compartment within the boot. But even with the wind deflector deployed, either of the front seat belts can still get caught in the slipstream occasionally and flutter a little, which is rather irritating.

If nature’s “wind instrument” isn’t quite your thing, there’s always the Beetle’s optional Fender hi-fi system. Everything it plays is a powerful performance, from French radio tunes to English ballads by the Beatles (Here Comes the Sun would be most appropriate, of course). The “open-air concert ticket” includes adjustable ambient lighting (white, red or blue) for the “front-row seats” and a funky ring of light around each speaker in the doors.

The beetle Cabrio makes the golf Cabrio look boring

Powering the Beetle Cabriolet is Volkswagen’s usual range of TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines. I spent the most time behind the wheel of the Twin charged 160bhp 1.4-litre model, hooked up to a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. This configuration is more energetic than the turbocharged 105bhp 1.2-litre (which can feel rather lethargic on an upslope), more efficient than the range-topping 200bhp 2-litre (a detuned Mk 6 Golf GTI unit), and probably the best-balanced of the bunch.

The dashboard is the same as that of the Beetle coupe – equipped with a delightfully skinny steering wheel, Golf-derived switches and systems, plus a throwback top-hinged second glove box and, if specified, a sporty set of dash-top auxiliary instruments (oil temperature, stopwatch, turbo boost). The driving position is comfortable, the driver’s seat is supportive yet supple, and over-the-shoulder visibility with the roof up is no worse than in the Golf Cabrio.

Of course, with the roof down, outward visibility is great in every direction, although the rear view is partially blocked by that folded hood. The back seats are upright and “squeezed” on either side, just like in the Golf Cabrio, but legroom is decent. In alfresco cabin mode, the sky’s the limit for heads and headgear, while in non-alfresco cabin mode; the limited headroom is still adequate for anyone up to 1.8m tall. While seated in the back, looking out the side windows is enjoyable, thanks to their height and shape, stylishly framed by the fabric roof.

Powering the Beetle Cabriolet is Volkswagen’s usual range of TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines

On the move, the 1.4-litre engine dispenses its ample 160bhp in a lively manner, assisted by the responsive 7-speed gearbox. Even though it’s less fluid than the 6-speed “wet” dual-clutch in the 2L 200bhp Beetle, the 7-speeder does a good job otherwise, changing gears promptly and smoothly, especially when downshifting. Pick-up is immediate and feels faster “in the open”, but the sound of the 4-cylinder working hard is not quite as interesting as the Mediterranean scenery zooming by.

The ride is much gentler on 17-inch wheels than on 18s – with less steering kickback over rough tarmac patches, and a reduction in road noise, which is particularly noticeable from the rear seat.

With the Beetle Cabriolet weighing 114kg more than the coupe, due to body shell reinforcements (to compensate for the rigidity lost by “chopping” the roof) and a rollover protection system, it doesn’t handle as happily as its coupe sibling.

Nevertheless, being happy behind the wheel of the new VW Beetle Cabriolet comes naturally. Drop the top, and the car’s “happiness quotient” rises even higher. The only problem, perhaps, is that it makes the closely related Golf Cabriolet seem so boring now.

Specifications