New Beetle isn’t new, but design still delights

New Beetle isn’t new, but design still delights

2007 VW New Beetle Convertible
By: Lorne Drury

When you think about it, Volkswagen’s New Beetle really isn’t that new anymore. Believe it or not, it was almost a decade ago that the New Beetle was introduced as a 1998 model.

And while the New Beetle Convertible hasn’t been around quite so long, it was launched in 2003 and has undergone relatively few changes (at least on the design side) since then.

So, when I booked a 2007 convertible for a week-long test drive earlier this spring, I fully expected to come away with the impression that it was a dated design that was beginning to show its age.

Well, I did get that feeling somewhat because the New Beetle Convertible really is getting a bit long in the tooth. And it does show its age when compared with, say, the new breed of retractable hardtops on the market like its Volkswagen sibling, the Eos.

But that doesn’t make it a bad or uninteresting car – far from it.

First off, old design or not, the 2007 New Beetle Convertible is still a cute looking car. Top up or top down, there’s no mistaking what it is and many people still have a love affair with the iconic ‘bubble’ design even after all these years.

My wife, for example, has long pined for a New Beetle, saying it would be the perfect car for her upcoming retirement.

And this is from someone who has little interest in anything automotive and who usually replies when asked what her husband is driving this week, “Oh, it’s a silver car!”

Well, our New Beetle Convertible tester sure wasn’t silver, and for that week, at least, my wife had no trouble remembering what kind of car we were driving.

In fact, it was hard not to notice what was parked in the driveway because the tester was a striking Salsa Red with a cream convertible top and matching interior. A nice colour combination, I thought.

Good looks alone, though, aren’t enough these days with the competition in the marketplace. So, what’s it like on the road?

Well, it’s simply a fun car to drive. It’s certainly not the fastest or the best handling, but there’s just something that gives it that ‘fun factor’ which I feel is important.

For many of us, price is the major factor that gives one model the edge over another. So, when it comes to the entry-level convertible market, the New Beetle is among the least expensive out there. It starts at $27,790 for the five-speed manual model. Even with a $1,475 luxury package and a six-speed automatic transmission added on, our tester priced out at $30,665.

Power comes from a 2.5L in-line five-cylinder engine that makes 150 hp and 170 lb/ft. or torque. It can be mated with either the five-speed manual or six-speed automatic (with Tiptronic) transmissions.

Standard features include a premium in-dash CD stereo system with auxiliary input jack, cruise control, air conditioning, power windows/doorlocks, rearview mirror with integrated clock and temperature display, telescoping and height adjustable steering column, power heated side mirrors, heated seats and manually operated convertible cloth soft top with rear glass window.

On the safety front, the New Beetle Convertible features four-wheel ABS, driver and front passenger front and side airbags, rollover protection system, anti-theft alarm system, electronic stabilization program and an immobilizer system to prevent the use of unauthorized keys.

Options include the six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic ($1,400), the Luxury Package with the semi-automatic convertible roof, 16-inch alloy wheels and fog lights ($1,475) or the Luxury Leather Package, which has all the luxury features plus leather seating, steering wheel etc. ($2,995). Also available is Sirius Satellite Radio for $450.

With seating for four, front-seat passengers have plenty of legroom. Rear seating is cramped, however, but the seats are usable. The front seats have what VW calls an ‘easy entry system’ and they move forward for easy access to the rear. The cabin is nicely finished and all knobs and buttons are easily accessed. The huge round speedometer is front and centre and can be read at a glance.

On the road, the 2.5L engine runs smooth and quiet and provides decent acceleration through the front wheels. The suspension is on the soft side, but makes for a comfortable ride, top up or down. There is little of the cowl shake you often get in convertibles thanks to the heavy reinforcement VW has added throughout the vehicle.

The semi-automatic option makes using the cloth top a snap. Simply turn a handle, press the button, and voila, the roof lowers to its home on top of the deck lid.

The roof kind of sticks out like a sore thumb sitting on top the deck lid, but I’m sure VW engineers were forced to design it that way to provide even a semblance of a trunk area. And, of course, staying with the retro theme of the New Beetle, the original Beetle convertible had a similar look with its top in the down position.

These days, retractable hardtops are the in-thing and may soon make soft tops a thing of the past, particularly up here north of the 49th, where winter weather takes a lot of the fun out of convertible ownership.

So if you’ve always longed for a rag top and don’t want to spend a fortune on one, the 2007 New Beetle Convertible is a fun little runabout.
 

2007 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: four-seat convertible.

DRIVE METHOD: front engine, front-wheel drive

ENGINE: 2.5L inline five-cylinder (150 hp and 170 lb /ft torque)

FUEL ECONOMY: five-speed manual, 10.8L/100 km city, 7.2L/100 km highway; six-speed automatic, 11.L/100 km city, 7.2L/100 km highway

PRICE: $27,790, AS TESTED $30,665

WEB: www.vw.ca

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