Volkswagen Beetle 53 Edition, road test (Exterior design, interior and boot)

These days the star of our tests has a name of its own: Mr. Herbie, a Beetle with its own name thanks to this special edition called “53 Edition”. In the first part of the test we looked at the engine, in this case a 1.6 TDI with 105 CV, an entry-level diesel in the range but sufficient for almost any situation.

Now we come to the second part of the test of the Volkswagen Beetle, and we need to talk about the design. As I also have a New Beetle in the family, I’ll take the opportunity to analyse the differences between the two generations. And I can already tell you that there are positive changes and others not so much…

Exterior design

The New Beetle was very aimed at the female market, that was one of its stigmas from the moment it was born, and its rounded shapes did not help at all. But things have changed with the new Beetle: its shapes are now straighter, and it features a front end that keeps historic nods such as the round headlights and the rounded bonnet, while introducing new bumpers reminiscent of the Golf.

The very pronounced wheel arches are still present, but now the retro wheels on our unit stand out, measuring 17 inches. Furthermore, along the lower part of the large doors there is a skirt that gives it a sporty touch.

At the rear the lights change (previously round) and the bumper has straighter shapes, while the design of the tailgate still reflects the retro style of earlier generations. That said, it has lost height: the raised roof typical of the New Beetle has given way to a lower car with a flat roof and a more sporty look.

The peculiar boot closing mechanism of the New Beetle has been lost, you had to turn the Volkswagen logo to open the boot; now it is simpler. The side indicators are incorporated into the mirrors (as on the New Beetle Phase II) but with straighter shapes once again.

The daytime running lights can be LED (circular and associated with the xenon headlights) or bulb-type as on our unit. Meanwhile the indicators are separated from the main headlight, in the lower part of the bumper.

As it is the “53 Edition”, it has stripes on the front, the number 53 on the bonnet (though not on the doors or at the rear), and stripes along the lower part of the doors and rear, as well as on the wheels.

Interior design, finishes and interior space

The Beetle’s dashboard is now much more traditional than that of the New Beetle: simple, with the central band in white to match the bodywork colour, as well as the upper part of the doors. We liked the instrumentation a lot; it is simple but provides all kinds of information.

The quality is correct, without great flourishes and somewhat improvable for a car that costs more than a Golf, and it is curious that the Golf has a greater presence of soft plastics than the Beetle. That said, the fit and finish are good.

The seats are comfortable, with good lateral support, and the driving position is low, with a windscreen that feels narrow until we get used to it. The firm padding of the seats is ideal for long journeys.

It has lost practicality compared with the New Beetle. Some storage spaces have disappeared, and the front seats have less mobility than the previous generation. Before, in addition to folding and sliding forward, they could also be raised, leaving more space to access the rear seats; now they only fold and slide, nothing more, leaving a tighter space. Another inexplicable detail is that the courtesy light in the sun visor mirrors has disappeared, a detail that looks poor on a car costing over 20,000 euros.

At the back there is more than enough space for the two adults who can travel, provided they are not very tall, because the legroom and headroom are not generous. In the rear seats there are several side pockets and even armrests.

Storage spaces and boot

In the storage spaces section the peculiar door pocket is still present, with a simple strap (on the New Beetle it was a net). It is a design detail, but it makes the pocket not very practical. It has two main glovebox compartments, a good touch for storing different items.

The boot has a capacity of 310 litres, it is smaller than in a Golf and has regular shapes that are fairly usable. It also has several hooks for hanging bags in the boot. That said, compared with other compacts, there are models with better boots.

In the third part of the test we will analyse the equipment, reviewing what comes as standard on this special edition as well as the prices, along with our overall assessment of the car.

More photos…

Photos | Diego G. Moreira