RAGTOP REVOLUTION
2013 Volkswagen Beetle a more manly Bug
When Volkswagen revived the Beetle as the New Beetle in 1998, it caught on thanks to its retro cool looks and solid Jettasourced underpinnings. However, the styling was a little too cutesy for the He-Man among us. In fact, by the end of its run more than 70 percent of new Beetles were purchased by women.
Volkswagen introduced a redesigned coupe last year, changing the name simply to Beetle and giving it a look that reads “more masculine.” Now it’s the Beetle convertible’s turn, and changes from the last model are quite noticeable. The 2013 Beetle convertible is six inches longer and 3.3 inches wider, and it sits 1.1 inches lower. The windshield is further back and more upright. The result is a more aggressive-looking car.
More power and a diesel engine also add to its “mascu- linity.” VW now offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel for 2013.
The base 2.5-liter engine is fairly smooth and quiet for a five-cylinder, but not fast or fuel- efficient. Zero to 60 miles per hour takes nine seconds, and Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy ratings are 21 mpg city/27 highway.
Buyers who choose the other engines likely will be happier. The TDI model’s 140 horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, which has a hefty 236 pound-feet of torque, is about as quick as the 2.5, but it delivers very thrifty fuel economy ratings as high as 28/41 mpg. It has good power off the line, but it only revs up to about 4,500 revolutions per minute and isn’t that strong at higher speeds.
The 200 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine is the heart of the Turbo model. It offers quite a bit more pep, with zero to 60 mph arriving in about 6.5 seconds. There is no appreciable turbo lag, and it is quite responsive throughout the rev range. The Turbo is pretty efficient, too, with fuel economy ratings as high as 21/30 mpg.
The Turbo is offered with an easy-shifting manual transmission or dual-clutch automated manual. This “direct shift gearbox” DSG works well with the 2.0-liter turbo engine, downshifting quickly in automatic mode for ready passing response, and offering manual shift capability through steering wheel controls.
VW engineers did a lot of work to make the convertible’s body more rigid, which aids ride and handling. They added a central plate in the front roof crossmember, sheet metal in the lower body side-members, and an extra rear panel made of high strength steel (which also houses the pop-up roll bars). They also outfitted the front pillars with thicker internal bars, and made greater use of highstrength steel throughout. As a result, body stiffness increases by 20 percent over the last car.
On the road, the Beetle convertible exhibits very little cowl shake or body quake over bumps, and it rides and handles almost as well as the coupe thanks to a multilink independent rear suspension.
Our test drive took us to the foothills of Southern California, and we found the Beetle convertible quite fun to drive. It stuck to the road in tight switchbacks, responded quickly to driver inputs, and tracked predictably through turns, especially the Turbo model with its sport-tuned suspension. The steering in the 2.5 model is traditional hydraulic assist; the other engines get electric assist power steering. Both types are nicely weighted, predictable and reasonably quick.
Top-down driving is part of the fun. The Beetle’s convertible soft-top is power operated, and can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph. It has a tight fit, though.