Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio 2.0 TDI, road test and review

Summer may be over, but many of us are still reluctant to accept it. A convertible is usually a good bet, isn’t it?

In our road test section this week we bring you one of the most attractive and distinctive convertibles on the market today: the VW Beetle Cabrio in its diesel 2.0 TDI 110 hp version.

Exterior design

The design of the current generation Beetle is one of the most successful on the market today. With a strong retro trend, this Beetle has a much better-defined character than its predecessor which, let’s be honest, was not the best-looking car. Too round, too “soft”.

By contrast, this current Beetle shows more attractive lines thanks to a redesign that finally makes it a modern replica of the original Beetle, the first Beetle from 60 years ago. The front has a lot of personality thanks to round headlights which, as in our case, offer a very distinctive light signature thanks to LED and xenon lighting technology.

The bumper is better finished, integrating the fog lights and indicators in its lower part, set between several chrome slats that give it, once again, a retro touch. This unit was fitted with optional 17″ “Type One Design” alloy wheels with a chrome finish which, without a doubt, “really suit it”, as well as a very appropriate metallic brown colour.

Whether with the roof folded or up, the Beetle Cabrio is always recognisable as a Beetle, no matter the angle from which you look at it. Elements such as the flush-fitting rear lights or the four large, widened wings help reinforce the personality of the great Beetle.

Interior design

The interior design of the current generation Beetle has completely broken with the trend of the first reissue of the Beetle. That bulging dashboard, full of rounded lines, has given way to a much more formal dashboard, very similar to that of the original Beetle.

Your eyes go straight to the dashboard, with a plastic trim painted in the body colour. This trend also carries over to the steering wheel, with painted spokes, and to the side door panels, also with the upper part painted. The seats are simple, with no pronounced shapes and, while comfortable, they do not hold the body particularly well.

The feel of the materials used in the interior does not match the price, since, although the fit between parts is well executed, the Beetle’s cabin is built entirely from hard plastics. The only concessions to “luxury” are found on the steering wheel, gear lever knob and handbrake grip, all covered in leather.

The steering wheel rim -flattened at the bottom, as has been the trend in recent times- feels good and does not obstruct the view of the instrument cluster, which consists of three rings. A coolant temperature gauge is missing, although this data can be checked on the on-board computer display.

The position of the climate control module is somewhat low and on certain occasions you will bump into the gear lever. Regarding the climate control, although the feel of its controls is not entirely pleasant, its operation is very satisfactory, automatically adapting different settings depending on whether you are driving with the roof up or down.

There are plenty of storage compartments, both in the centre console and in the dashboard, with a practical additional glovebox in front of the passenger. The door pockets, on the other hand, are not really pockets as such, as they are delimited by a sort of elastic rubber that sometimes fails to hold objects in place with sufficient force, especially if they are small or narrow.

The interior is approved to seat four occupants, where the two in the front row will never have any space problems thanks to generous dimensions whatever your size. In the rear row, space problems are evident, especially when it comes to legroom and width.

The boot of the Beetle Cabrio has reduced capacity compared with the hard-top version, offering a capacity of 225 litres, which can be expanded thanks to the ability to fold down both rear seat backs using the pulls located on the walls of the boot. Our version had a few litres less capacity due to the presence of a subwoofer signed by Fender, which is part of the optional sound system fitted to our unit and which, by the way, sounds fantastic. The loading opening is more awkward due to its noticeably smaller size.

The Beetle’s roof is made of soft fabric, of good quality. Its insulation is good in any situation, it is watertight and there are no noticeable aerodynamic noises. It does not reduce boot capacity, since when stowed it simply folds down behind the rear seats. Electrically operated, it takes around 15 seconds to complete the operation, and it can be raised and lowered on the move at speeds up to 50 km/h.

Time to get behind the wheel of the German convertible. Our unit is fitted with a 2.0 TDI diesel engine, a four-cylinder inline unit mounted transversely. It produces 110 hp and 250 Nm, and is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. This engine replaces, from MY2016 models onwards (like the one in the photos), the previous 1.6 TDI with 105 hp. It improves on its predecessor in every way: it is a fuller engine, with lower noise levels and even more refined, high praise considering that the previous 1.6 TDI already stood out in that respect.

It offers performance figures that, while not brilliant (11.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 180 km/h), are sufficient for everyday driving. The Beetle is, in fact, a heavy car –1.5 tonnes of “German metal”-, a characteristic that does not help when it comes to battling the stopwatch.

The transmission is one of VW’s classics. We are talking about a 5-speed manual gearbox, well spaced, which makes it easy to tap into the potential of the powertrain. With rather long gear ratios, the engine feels comfortable when cruising on motorways at legal speeds, although in town you sometimes feel like you are in “no man’s land”, since one gear is too short while the next is too long.

That said, the Beetle’s dynamics are not exceptionally brilliant. The current Beetle uses the Golf VI platform -itself based on that of the Golf V-, so it does not use the modular MQB architecture of the German group’s current compacts. At the front there is a McPherson strut layout, while the rear axle uses a multi-link system. The suspension is rather soft, necessary to avoid transmitting too many irregularities to a chassis that is less rigid than that of a hard-top model, which, combined with the generous tyre profile (215/55 R17), causes a certain amount of “wobble” or “float” when you push the pace slightly. It is clear that this Beetle is not built for racing. The braking system (ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the rear) does its job, but nothing more.

The electro-hydraulic power steering is light when manoeuvring or moving at low speeds. Its assistance varies with vehicle speed and, although it feels pleasant in any situation, it is not particularly communicative, a trait also attributable to the aforementioned large tyres. The gearbox offers smooth and precise shifts, with a typically VW feel.

The official fuel consumption figures for the Beetle Cabrio with this engine are 4.9 litres per 100 km in the urban cycle, 3.9 litres in the extra-urban cycle, and 4.3 litres per 100 km combined. As we all know, these figures are not real and are practically impossible to replicate. Nevertheless, the Beetle rewarded us with an average consumption over our 1,000 km test of 5.7 litres/100 km, getting close to 1,000 km of range thanks to its 55-litre tank. It includes, of course, the Start&Stop system, which works well. It is quick to restart and even quicker to switch off, an operation the system performs even at low speeds, since above 5 km/h, if conditions allow, Start&Stop will shut the engine down.

The Beetle Cabrio is on sale in our market in three different trim levels, Beetlemania, Design and Sport. In addition, two special editions, named Karmann and 70’s, are currently available. Our unit has the intermediate trim (Design) with a few extras.

Standard equipment on the Design version includes, in addition to the basic kit of any new vehicle today, the Climatronic two-zone climate control, ParkPilot parking sensors, 17″ alloy wheels, rain and light sensors, the premium on-board computer and Tempomat cruise control.

In addition, the following options were fitted to our unit: 17″ “Type One Design” alloy wheels (€215), bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and manual height adjustment (€755), the Music&Sound Fender package with iPod connection and ambient interior lighting (€655), the Discovery Media navigation system (€615), electrically folding mirrors (€120), the specific badge on the boot lid (€50), the Side Assist blind-spot detection system (€350) and metallic paint (€495).

With a base price for this version of €29,200, our unit comes to €32,455 including taxes and before discounts. As figures go, this is quite steep for what is essentially a compact convertible with a 110 hp diesel engine. The Beetle Cabrio range starts at €25,540 for the 1.2 TSI 105 hp Beetlemania, reaching a maximum of €36,750 for the 2.0 TSI 220 hp DSG 6-speed R-Line version.

Two 2.0 TDI diesel engines are available in two power levels, 110 hp and 150 hp, as well as three petrol engines: the entry-level one (1.2 TSI 105 hp), the intermediate step (1.4 TSI 150 hp) and the most powerful variant, a 2.0 TSI of 220 hp, the same engine fitted to models such as the current Golf GTI. In addition to the 5- and 6-speed manual gearboxes, a 6-speed DSG transmission is available for the 150 hp diesel and the 220 hp petrol, as well as another DSG, this time with 7 ratios, for the 150 hp 1.4 TSI.

As final conclusions, the positive points are the good image achieved, the low consumption of the engine, the customisation options and the standard equipment. As negative aspects, the poor engine response below 1,500 rpm, the materials used in the interior and the final price, which can climb quickly once you get carried away.

Photography | Daniel Valdivielso