Reinventing an icon is never easy. That task becomes particularly daunting when the vehicle in question carries the historical cachet of VW's venerable Beetle, the fun runabout that stole the heart of a generation and became one of the top-selling cars of all time. Now VW has dug deep into its nostalgia bag and come up with the New Beetle to see if lightning can strike twice.
Due to join Volkswagen's U.S. lineup this spring, the New Beetle (yes, that's its name) has traveled an intriguing and somewhat circuitous development path en route to production status. Its basic shape remains true to the original, but, as one would expect after more than 20 years, old and new share precious little else. Unlike its conceptual progenitor, this modern iteration eschews the air-cooled rear-engine/rear drive configuration for a water-cooled front/front layout and boasts a far longer list of equipment.
The New Beetle saga began in mid-'93 at VW's U.S. design studio in Simi Valley, California. Ostensibly seeking to create a unique 21st-century low-emissions hybrid-powertrain car, a team led by Americans J. Mays (he's now Ford's head of styling) and Freeman Thomas opted to resurrect a truly historic form. When it was presented to VW Chairman Ferdinand Pich, the top man liked what he saw in concept and pushed to expand on the theme with the goal of developing a vehicle that embodied the character, philosophy-and perhaps appeal-of the original Beetle. The main caveat: It needed to be based on an existing VW platform.
The first showing of this revolutionary offering took place in January 1994 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Public response was a clear case of love at first sight.
Fast forward to the '95 Tokyo Motor Show, where the genesis of the production New Beetle made its debut. Unlike the Concept 1, which featured a hybrid powertrain and was based on the smaller Polo platform, the second-generation show car used the chassis pan, suspension bits, and powertrain elements from the new Golf.
Some might find the interior trappings a tad minimalist, but it offers a fairly good combination of utility and comfort. While it's not supposed to be a sports car, the firm front seats could use a bit more lateral support, though the height-adjustable buckets and a tilt/telescoping steering column make it easy to dial up the proper driving position. A thick-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel frames the central instrument pod, which carries a large, easy-to-read speedometer flanked by a tach and gas gauge, while the central dash module sports finger-friendly switchgear for the sound and ventilation systems.
Although the New Beetle's forward cabin can easily accommodate six-foot-plus occupants, the rear quarters are far better suited to kids. Legroom is more than adequate, but headroom definitely is at a premium. On the plus side, flipping forward the lower cushion and flopping down the single-piece seatback opens up the entire aft section of the car, nearly quadrupling the 12.0-cubic-foot trunk capacity.
In sharp contrast to the rather Spartan character of the original, every New Beetle will arrive with a bounty of standard features, including air conditioning, AM/FM/cassette sound system, power locks, keyless remote, anti-theft system, and, as the ultimate salute to the past, a plastic bud vase mounted on the dash (daisy optional). Top options include leather/leatherette upholstery, power windows, cruise control, alloy wheels, and a CD player.
Passenger safety considerations were equally well addressed. Along with formidable structural integrity, the New Beetle benefits from dual front airbags plus front-side impact bags and seatbelt retractors/pretensioners.
Even though our driving was confined to portions of the handling course at VW's sprawling Ehralessien proving ground, the New Beetle's impressive dynamic qualities quickly appeared. Not surprisingly, this Golf-based variant has a good bit of the basic feel of VW's hatchback, due in the States as a '99 model.