First Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Most don’t consider vehicles like the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible to be anything more than toys – cute, but ultimately impractical cars that can’t stand up to the rigors of real world driving. After spending time with the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible in the rainy hills of Malibu, however, we can assure you that the latest iteration of this top-down cruiser is anything but a plaything.
Let’s start with the fact that the Beetle Convertible offers a turbodiesel, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as its mid-tier drivetrain option. The only diesel drop-top available in Canada, this engine returns an exceptional 11.2 l/100 km in city driving and 5.7 l/100 km on the highway. On top of that, its 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque allow it to effortless surge forward from a stop.
Not enough? How about the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that can be had on top-spec editions of the redesigned Beetle Convertible? Yes, this is the same drivetrain that is found in the VW GTI and the Jetta GLI, making 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque in all three models. Like the Beetle Convertible TDI, the turbo can be matched with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission, and the passing power and almost instant boost provided by the engine’s turbocharger had us snick-snicking our way through the forward gears with rapidity during our test drive.
Even the base Volkswagen Beetle Convertible is no joke, coming with 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine. A six-speed automatic is the only gearbox available with the entry-level model.
More Mature Styling
The bubble-top looks of the previous generation Beetle Convertible are history, as the 2013 model adopts the same flat roof looks as the coupe – as well as its extended snout, and bigger, more macho sheet metal. There’s no doubt that current Beetle styling is more universal than ever before, and while classic cues abound they no longer dominate the vehicle’s design language.
The passenger compartment of the Beetle Convertible has additionally been improved for 2013, carrying over the entirety of the Coupe’s upgraded materials and layout. Snug, but not small – even with the top in place – the two front positions are a great place to eat up some miles. The rear two seats are a different story, with little top-up headroom and a dearth of space for occupants to situate their legs. Base models come across as featuring a few concessions to cost-cutting, but moving to the mid-range edition of the car (the sweet spot, as far as we are concerned) alleviates these concerns. The vehicle’s cabin is bereft of wind noise with the roof down, due to careful attention paid to buffeting and windshield design, and the automated top can be lowered in under ten seconds while traveling at speeds of up to 48 km/h.
An All-Around Winner
The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle looks a lot more like a modern four-seat convertible and a lot less like the throwback-themed fashion accessory that it once was. You can drive the 2013 Beetle Convertible every day, and with the powerful turbo engine and the frugal TDI drivetrain available there’s a strong chance that you will actually want to do this, too. This applies even with the top up during the winter months. Let’s hope that the next redesign of the Beetle doesn’t take as long as the last one did, and that the Convertible will be able to build and maintain the sales momentum it now deserves.
