PRICE RANGE: $23,400 - 27,000
CONFIGURATION: Engine - 2.0 liter, 180 hp, turbocharged I4, Front Engine/Front Drive
FUEL ECONOMY: MPG (city/hwy) - 23/30
SAFETY FEATURES: Airbags - DP + ABS - std.
IMPRESSION: The Beetle brought VW to America, and the New Beetle is bringing it back - The Turbo S reminds us of the Go-Go days of the 60s . . . in many ways.
(Scottsdale, AZ) The VW Beetle never has been a mainstream car in the United States. When the first two Bugs arrived in 1949 they could only be considered curiosities, and while first servicemen, then flower children embraced them in the 50s and 60s, they were decidedly secondary transportation. The performance possibilities got a boost from creative Californians and a Disney movie, mostly shown in the rough and tumble off road racing and a sports car racing formula series. But by 1968 when the parent company had reached the plateau of 423,000 sales, the Beetle was ready to be replaced by the Rabbit and all but the Latin Americans considered the curious rounded car to be passé.
Curiously, despite leading the small car market into the 70s, VW lost their spark, and lost the sales race to the Japanese and Koreans. Finally, in the 90s they set out on a course to differentiate themselves with better handling, refinement and quality feel. The Golf, Jetta, Passat, and soon the megabuck Phaeton have and will cement their claims to those achievements.
Since a '94 unveiling, reaction to a cute, retro concept at the Detroit auto show showed VW nostalgia was in vogue, at least in the US, and the New Beetle was built against the opinion of the German board. True, it has not been well received in Europe, which does not seem to have the same fondness for melancholy, but thousands of American children have gained a sense of their parent's youth. The New Beetle enabled VW to put some lean years behind them, and the funky car has moved from modest sales to the 60K unit range.
The New Beetle has become the emotional magnet for the brand, getting Americans to think of VW once again. They recently got sales above 400K for first time since '73. Once they looked beyond the cuteness, people discovered good safety with a 5 star crash rating, convenient hatch storage, and big front seat.
They had previously offered a turbo, but now the "Turbo S" sees the engine enlarged from 1.8 to 2.0 liters and the 150hp raised to 180hp. Now with its new brawn, the Turbo S can accelerate with the best and employs a speed activated rear spoiler to help maintain rear-end stability at very high speeds.
It's kind of like Disney's Herbie on steroids.
Unique wheels, special badging, a subtle aero packages (mit der spoiler!) and a new six speed manual highlight the Turbo S performance character. There will be a limited number available, with 5000 Turbo S annual sales projected. Intend on attracting driver enthusiast to VW, the Turbo S becomes the fourth different engine in the New Beetle, joining the base four cylinder, the diesel Tdi and the smaller turbo.
The Turbo S further demonstrates Volkswagen's value-for-the-money equation with a very long list of standard features. This New Beetle is the first Volkswagen passenger car to include the Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) system. ESP recognizes when the car is in danger of skidding and uses the Turbo S's engine power, braking, and the transmission to compensate for driver overreaction.
Inside, the driver and passenger finds tastefully sculpted high-quality textured plastics and textiles. The Turbo S is capped with standard special leather seating surface sports seats (heated in front) with gray inserts highlighted with gray stitching. It is this extreme attention to detail and use of top quality materials that give all Volkswagen's a one-of-a-kind touch and feel that other car companies try to imitate. With 93 cubic feet of total interior space and the convenience of a hatchback with one piece folding seats, the Turbo S has practicality but don't get caught too long in the back seat, designed more for fashion and cargo than long distance rides.
Other special Turbo S features include stainless steel pedals with fashionable but functional grip holes. This brushed alloy look is found in the shift knob, glove box handle, on three spokes of the leather wrapped sport steering wheel and door lock sticks . . . even n the famous New Beetle bud vase. The New Beetle's round instrument gauges use white on black illumination that stands in stark, competent contrast.
Central locking with remote, auto locking, A/C, power windows and heated outside mirrors further differentiate the Turbo S and justifies its higher price. Among the few options are a power sunroof and a superb Monsoon sound system. But the performance is bound to be the main attraction.
With 180hp and 173 lbs. ft. of torque all the way from 1,950 to 5,000 rpm- providing plenty of pulling power from the low end through the top, the Turbo S has plenty of passing and merging zip, underlined with fun. This year, a turbo noise filter has been added for even less turbo noise intrusion. Volkswagen's first-ever six-speed manual transmission is built for ultimate driver control, allowing the driver to pick the perfect gear and rpm range. Look for a clutch-less sequential shifter and manual automatic transmission to be the next step.
All New Beetles use a front-wheel-drive layout and a transverse front engine design. With an extra rigid body structure, four-wheel independent suspension system and the resulting rock-solid feel, the Turbo S fully expresses the German engineering passion of designing and building cars with exceptional road-holding qualities.
In addition to front and side impact airbags for front passengers, the New Beetle uses a safety belt pre-tensioning system. Also standard is the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) System in the rear outboard seating positions. This System makes it possible to install a special child seat designed to fit directly in anchors located between the upper and lower car seat cushions.
Exterior colors for this special model include Reflex Silver metallic (no extra charge), and traditional Black and Red. Early next year, Platinum Gray will be added to the color palette. Look for fresh limited edition colors such as Snap Orange, Double Yellow, Cyber Green, and a multi-tone black/red interior. Exotic hue changing chroma colors are likely as well.
For 2002 all new Volkswagen vehicles will come standard with an increased four-year/50,000 mile (whichever occurs first) bumper-to-bumper warranty, up from two years/24,000 miles. The warranty covers wear-and-tear items and adjustments during the initial 12 months or 12,000 miles of ownership. In addition, Volkswagen will offer a fully transferable limited powertrain warranty that covers five years or 60,000 miles (previously 10 years/100,000 miles, but transferable only from the original retail owner to a family member). Volkswagen's new warranty plan also includes the added security of a four-year/50,000 mile, 24-hour roadside assistance program (increased from 2001's two-year term).
