VW Beetle – The Most Iconic Small Car

•Mark MusutuThe Beetle first saw the gates of production in 1945. As early as 1932, the Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler contracted Ferdinand Porsche to mass produce a car for the people, but it only saw mass production some 13 years later.

VW Beetle stands as one of the oldest cars in history. With more than 21,5 million units that have rolled off production lines, the Beetle is the longest running and most manufactured car of a single platform ever made.

It’s impossible to talk automotive history and not include the VW Beetle. The Beetle also led to the birth of other icons such as the Kombi and later the Golf.

For many years, the Beetle went into hibernation, but it got a new lease of life at the turn of the new millennium when it was reintroduced to cater for other markets rather than its original ‘motorising the masses intent’.

It belongs to a niche of small compact cars and a further sub niche of small iconic compact cars which comprises of the VW Beetle, the Fiat F500 and the Mini.

This is a car you will either love or hate but more often you will love it, it’s a historic design with a string of awards too numerous to mention or list. We can call it a retro design, a shape that was once the norm, a shape from which most cars evolved. The Beetle has been a design bench mark for decades and has inspired many shapes like that of the Porsches, Audi TT and a lot more other concepts and production cars.

A conservative design, a celebration of the very first crop, I can’t imagine the Beetle in any other form and its name would not even permit any bold departure from its core concept. As a result of this bold conservative design, the Beetle is a very unique, stand-out car and is arguably the sweetest looking thing on four wheels.

The Beetle has a strong girl appeal due to its Alice in Wonderland aura, also thanks to a flower on the dashboard. For some reason, the old Beetle had a masculine appeal, perhaps because it was a louder car. I grew up surrounded by garages and all the Beetles seemed to have constant mechanical attention or were driven by mechanics usually in their work attire and on a test drive. Perhaps this gave me a more masculine perception of it.

VW is looking for ways to reconnect the new Beetle to the male folk and so the latest Beetle is more masculine; it has seen a wider profile, a lower roof which is flatter, a more upright wind shied. It has a modern look, though not in line with trends of today. The R-Line spec will not be ignored by the X generation of boys, it comes with 18 or 19 inch wheels, sport suspension, unique bumpers, fog lights, gloss black exterior trim, red brake calipers, sport seats and aluminum pedals.

The interior of the Beetle is one that has a clean inside with flowing lines having rectangles and circles as the major themes; it’s smart and basic in styling. Notably, it has some panels of same color as the exterior; I last saw this feature on the Fiat 500, another little legend. This feature doesn’t give the best psychological feeling because it makes you feel a little too connected to the exterior, nevertheless it’s only a cosmetic feature.

For a small flashy car, it makes sense to have an interior that echoes mushroom land or giant land. The Beetle is a bold work of design and it indeed deserves a corresponding bold interior. With a higher than average roofline and large windows, it’s airy and bright which goes well with its theme. Like many small cars, the Beetle is roomy in the front but most passengers will find the rear to be a little cramped, though not a problem when it comes to ferrying the adorable folk to a nursery school, birthday party or fun park.

For infotainment, the Beetle has an MIB II infotainment package with 5,0 or 6,3 touch-screens, Bluetooth, USB and VW car-net connectivity – this is the same technology found in siblings such as the Golf. It is available as a coupe and convertible both powered by 1,8 litre turbo that churns out 170 hp. For our more power hungry brothers and sisters, there is a 2,0 litre turbo-charged R-Line 4 that churns out 210 horse power. The R-Line model replaces the Beetle Turbo. Beetles come with five- or six-gear auto transmission with a dual or traditional clutch, and manual version is also available. The Beetle 1,8T models now come in S, SE, and SEL trims.

VW is not blind to the SUV frenzy, they have added the Dune line up which is taller, wider, sportier and even chunkier. This is not new to the Beetle, it’s a throwback to the earlier Baja Bugs. The Dune comes in coupe and convertible form. Taking a look across its competition, you will see the same type of new offerings from Mini and Fiat.

When it comes to safety, the Beetle doesn’t have a host of active safety aids, though it has all the basics such as ABS, it also has an auto emergency brake that engages on impact to avoid a second impact. It also has hazards lighting up under hard braking. It has a five star safety rating from NHTSA.

Though not much of a practical car, the Beetle is more of a collector’s item. Owning one is owning a piece of history, it has VW basics such as ride and handling and generally it’s above average. The Beetle is a stunner in a way and a prized possession to any owner, it’s not the best car moving around but it’s definitely the sweetest and a must-have.