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2006 Volkswagen New Beetle 2.5 & TDI Road Test

New Technology and Minor Upgrades Give Beetle a New Lease On Life

This is the new New Beetle. Its kinda hard to tell, isnt it? But the bug has evolved. The issue of updating a retro niche model, as Chrysler, MINI and Ford have all discovered, is that once it has been established, its often difficult to create change while keeping the vehicles overall look the same. So, until the day when designers and stylists come up with a new way to represent the Beetles trademark big-eyed, curvy-fender, round-roofed look, we continue on with a mildly updated version of the well-established vehicle, which will carry the iconic VW into 2006 and beyond.
 
Working off 2005s Ragster sports concept, the production New Beetle has adapted a host of changes from the Californian-designed showcar to help it stay fresh in the years to come. New, more ovoid headlamps with main projector beam lenses provide better night-time vision, while the front and rear fascias with new intakes and foglamps, plus new rectangular reverse lights mark the majority of the visible differences. And while the car is still very round, very curvy, and distinctively beetle-like, the new elongated bumpers (which add 0.4 inches to the overall length) and

The king of retro gets an update, new motor and new technology. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

new flat-faced wheel arches give the bug a softer, more flowing look.

With the only major real giveaway being the tail lamps, which now sport clear turn signal indicators, the updated Beetle wont have people doing double takes in the same way that the first did upon its release. Curious glances, do, however come from current Beetle owners, able to distinguish these minor differences, showing awareness to this new species. Aside from a set of painted six-spoke alloy wheels, the New Beetle offers three new colors for the 3-door hatchback. My Gecko Green TDI and Salsa Red 2.5 represent two of the three new hues available, while the third, Shadow Blue, replaces Galactic Blue.

Inside, Volkswagen has switched up the cabin to make it more practical. VW has listened to what its buyers liked - better cupholders, more storage cubbies - little things that seem to make all the difference. As such, we get two very

New, more ovoid headlamps are just one of about a dozen exterior changes. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

good cupholders up front, under the larger armrest, one in back, and a decent sized cubby under the console for storing sunglasses, packets of gum, cell phones and other knick-knacks. Visually, there are now different needles on the instruments, the round vents receive chrome trim rings, and the stereo has been upgraded from an AM/FM cassette deck to a single-slot CD-MP3 player with auxiliary input for iPods and MP3 players - my personal favorite addition.
Its odd being inside the New Beetle. Not only does its interior styling divide opinions, but its use of cabin space does as well: while its round shape provides plenty of headroom for front occupants, its a different story for those who ride in back. You sit low, the desk-like dashboard stretching to the horizon, making you wonder how else the space could have been used. Then, theres the center console which nonsensically juts out forward. Unfortunately, its also at knee-height, making it a bruise-hazard for taller drivers. Unusually,

Nothing to get excited about. Unless you get excited about cupholders and storage bins. MP3-compatable stereo is a welcomed addition. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

theres an abundance of shinier, harder plastics - something were not quite used to seeing from Volkswagen, but theyre durable, as is the beaded texture of the dashboard. Body-colored caps on the door-frames add color, as does the pretty red and blue instrumentation.

The ultra-round shape of the Beetle also affects those who ride in back. For starters, the roofline prevents anyone older than 12 from riding in the rear seats, while the plastic-lined rear pillars intrude on space. Taller occupants often find themselves canting their bodies towards the centre of the cabin to prevent knocking against the pillars. Kudos, however, go to the engineers who designed the double-hinged seat-tilt mechanism: it frees up so much space, making entry and exit for the rear seat a breeze. Trunk space remains small, but the hatchs tiny, oddly-shaped trunk is further improved by folding the seats down.

The biggest changes take place under the hood. While VW has been basking in the spotlight with its 134-hp 2.0 TDI motor in the Passat and
unparalleled

Good grunt, amazing fuel economy. If you must have a New Beetle, the TDI is the one to get. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

5.0 V10 TDI for the Touareg, the main seller and sole diesel available in the Beetle is the 1.9 TDI. Using Pump Düse technology, Volkswagen has steadily modified the engine from the early 90s to its current state, at the 100-hp mark it may seem vastly underpowered, particularly for a car of this size, but the diesels forte is its near constant supply of 177 lb-ft of torque. Capable of reaching 60 mph in ten and a half seconds, the New Beetle TDI may not be the fastest bug out of the starter blocks, but its more than confident when passing on steep, uphill grades.

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