First Look

The Beetle is finally coming back to India this year. Volkswagen is set to launch the third-generation model of the iconic brand here, three years after its global debut in 2012.The Beetle has come a long way from its humble start in 1938 as a people’s car to being a lifestyle icon; here are our first impressions of the soon to be launched three-door hatchback.

Over the years, the Beetle has grown in size and this third-generation model is much larger than the previous two models. The car still retains the famous bug-eyed look at the front, but the overall car now looks more muscular and bigger. There are projector headlamps with LED DRLs at the front and the design elements are limited. The front grille is part of a rectangular front bumper which also houses the fog lamps.

The massive rounded wheel arches give the Beetle its retro look. The side profile showcases the sloping roof and the two-door styling. There is a bolt-on spoiler at the back, which makes the Beetle look sporty. At the rear, the tailgate is small and the rectangular tail lamps seem ordinary.

The Beetle’s interior is different from the rest of the Volkswagen cars. The round shape does have a prominent place. The AC Vents, console, front speakers and the three-pod instrument cluster are all circular in shape. Also, unlike the beige and black theme on rest of the models, this one has sporty black get up. For safety, the car is equipped with ABS-EBD and six airbags. The features list includes a top-screen music system with navigation, auto-dimming ORVMs, panoramic sunroof and push button start.

Volkswagen is using the 1.4-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder petrol engine to power the Beetle in India. The unit is good to produce 148bhp and 250Nm of torque and is coupled with the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox powering the front wheels. The hatchback will be available in India in a single variant, fully loaded with all the features.

The Beetle is a lifestyle product and will be launched in India to compete with the luxury hatchbacks like the Mini three-door, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series. Volkswagen is already accepting bookings for the hatchback for a token amount of Rs 1 lakh. The hatchback will be imported to India as a CBU and will be available in four colours – habanero orange, oryx white, tornado red, blue silk.