Volkswagen Beetle 53 Edition, test drive (Equipment, price and assessment)

After several days talking about the Volkswagen Beetle special edition “53 Edition” we now come to the third part of the test. The star of our test had under the bonnet a 1.6 TDI diesel engine with 105 CV paired with a manual gearbox. You can read about the engine and performance in the first part of the test.

In the second part we analysed everything related to the design, both of this special edition and the interior space of the Beetle, as well as the quality of the finishes and the boot. And now in the third part we review the equipment, prices and assessment of the car.

Equipment

As usual, we start by reviewing the safety equipment fitted as standard on a Volkswagen Beetle. Standard equipment highlights include front, side and curtain airbags, stability control, ABS with emergency brake assist, front fog lights and active head restraints that protect against whiplash.

In the EuroNCAP crash tests it achieved five stars, with adult occupant protection of 92% (a good figure) and child protection of 90%, meaning it is a car with a high level of safety.

The equipment is structured in several trim levels: Beetlemania, Design, Sport and R-Line. Even the base trim already comes with 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, RCD310 sound system with USB port and eight speakers, cruise control, among other features.

The “53 Edition” trim comes as standard with all of the above plus 17-inch alloy wheels, parking assistant and tyre pressure sensor, in addition to its distinctive exterior design.

Although the equipment is complete, the light and rain sensors are missing, and the quality of the speakers has room for improvement, since at medium volume they already lose power, which clashes in a car at this price.

Prices

The Volkswagen Beetle is available from 16,300 euros for the 105 CV petrol engine, once the brand discounts and the Plan PIVE are included. The price list for the “53 Edition” is as follows:

• 1.2 TSI 105 CV 53 Edition 22,090 euros
• 1.6 TDI 105 CV 53 Edition 23,770 euros
• 2.0 TDI 140 CV 53 Edition 26,150 euros
• 2.0 TDI 140 CV 53 Edition DSG 27,980 euros

General Assessment

With this special edition we can have a Beetle that is different from the rest, and Volkswagen makes the most of a very personal model that catches the eye wherever it goes. In terms of engines, the 1.6 TDI with 105 CV has won us over, although those looking for sportiness may find it short, for the vast majority it is more than sufficient and offers very low consumption.

In terms of dynamics, the Beetle has improved a lot over the previous generation, they seem like completely different cars. It is now more stable, more agile and allows some sporty liberties, compared with the New Beetle, which was heavy and not very agile.

That said, the interior has room for improvement in terms of quality, it is surprising that they use better materials in the Golf than in the Beetle, and that it also loses habitability and practical solutions compared with the previous generation. Still, the fit and finish have seemed correct to us. And the dashboard is now much more traditional, something that will surely appeal to more people.

As for equipment, taking advantage of the PIVE offers and the brand discounts, you can have a car equipped with the essentials at a good price, and although all trim levels carry a high price, at least they come well equipped.

This has been our first contact with the new Beetle, a peculiar version, but it has generally pleased us and the evolution of the model is surprising.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira