2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune Drive: Far From Baja
Its shape is among the most distinctive on
the road; surprisingly, the Beetle is as fun to drive as it looks. Offered as a
coupe or convertible, a 170-hp turbo four has a standard five-speed manual for
peppy performance; a six-speed automatic is optional. The Beetle Dune gets the
automatic only and sits 0.4 inch higher. The 210-hp turbo four R-Line is the
hot-rod, with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. 2015 and 2016
TDI diesels have been stop-saled due to EPA violations.
Volkswagen wants all of us to remember the good
ol’ days. You know, any time prior to September 2015, when the EPA dropped its
NOx-hammer on the company’s dirty-breathing diesels. If you can’t bring
yourself to forgive and forget so readily, VW is happy to guide you further
down memory lane to the 1960s, when the pollution was hazier and the love
flowed freely. After the Microbus-inspired BUDD-e concept—an all-electric mea
culpa—VW appears eager to tap the nostalgia ATM again with this new Beetle
Dune.
The Beetle Dune, a midrange trim level in
special-edition guise, is meant to evoke Baja Bugs. Those modified Type 1
Beetles, created in the image of the Meyers Manx, could be anything from a
recreational dune buggy to a bona fide desert racer. While there wasn’t a
single blueprint, a Baja Bug was instantly recognizable by the trimmed-back
bodywork and swollen tires.
Of course, there’s a reason the throwback is
called Beetle Dune and not Beetle Baja. Actually, two reasons: Compared with
standard Beetles, the Dune’s rear track width grows by 0.2 inch (the result of
wheels with a smaller offset) and its suspension lifts the floor 0.4 inch
higher. That’s the extent of the Dune’s mechanical changes. Beaches will not be
invaded, sand dunes will not be crested, and deserts will not be skimmed.
We deviated from VW’s prescribed
pavement-only route in our Dune, driving down a gravelly access road and making
it 50 yards before a drainage gully threatened to tear off the front fascia.
While the Dune’s front and rear clips give the false impression that the car is
equipped with skid plates, we resisted the temptation to call Volkswagen’s
bluff.
The Dune is a car playing dress-up and
angling for a starring role in Mad Max: Sesame Street. It will sell on its
black wheel-arch extensions and the long, flat spoiler that appears to be
inspired by that other rear-engined German icon. The Dune follows the same
insincere formula that turns an Audi wagon into an Allroad or a Volvo wagon
into a Cross Country—only without all-wheel drive. It exists because we live in
a time when automakers believe everything can and should be a crossover.
It may be a disingenuous car, but the Dune is
not a bad car. Its virtues are the same as those of any other Beetle. Massive
slabs of glass make for an airy cabin and excellent visibility. It steers and
rides with typical VW competence. You can choose between coupe or convertible
and black, white, or sandstorm yellow paint, but you always get a turbocharged
1.8-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic. Our only serious beef: the
brake pedal requires an unusually firm and long press before the binders bite
hard.
Rather than a Baja Bug, the Dune follows in
the recent footsteps of flimsy special editions such as the Beetle Denim, the
Fender Edition, and the Classic. That gives us an idea for the next model. If
Volkswagen can’t figure out how to sell TDI cars in the U.S. again, maybe it
can pay tribute to those torque-rich, high-mpg glory days with the Beetle
Diesel Edition, propelled by a zero-emissions battery-electric powertrain, of
course.
Full
Specs:
Pricing
• MSRP $19,595.00
• Invoice $18,811.00
Fuel
• Fuel Gasoline Fuel
• MPG 28 MPG
Basics
• Engine 4 Cylinder Engine, Turbocharged
• Drivetrain Front Wheel Drive
• Transmission A/T, Transmission w/Dual
Shift Mode, 6-Speed A/T
Body
• Body style Coupes
Braking
& Handling
• Brakes 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, ABS
• Steering Power Steering
• Tires Tire Pressure Monitor
• Wheels Aluminum Wheels, Wheel Covers,
Wheel Locks
Technology
Features
• Audio MP3 Player, AM/FM Stereo, CD
Player, Hard Disk Drive Media Storage, Rear Seat Audio Controls, Auxiliary
Audio Input
• Locks Keyless Entry, Power Door Locks
• Mirrors Heated Mirrors, Power
Mirror(s), Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror, Driver Illuminated Vanity Mirror,
Driver Vanity Mirror, Passenger Illuminated Visor Mirror, Passenger Vanity
Mirror, Mirror Memory
• Tech Intermittent Wipers, Rain Sensing
Wipers, Variable Speed Intermittent Wipers, Automatic Headlights, Steering
Wheel Audio Controls, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Cruise Control, Cargo Shade,
Trip Computer, Engine Immobilizer
Safety
• Safety Features Brake Assist, Tow
Hooks, Integrated Turn Signal Mirrors, Daytime Running Lights,
Headlights-Auto-Leveling, Stability Control, Traction Control
• Air Bags Passenger Air Bag Sensor,
Driver Air Bag, Passenger Air Bag, Front Side Air Bag
Cabin
• Air Conditioning A/C
• Seat Trim Premium Synthetic Seats
• Windows Rear Defrost, Power Windows
• Seats Bucket Seats, Driver Adjustable
Lumbar, Heated Front Seat(s), Pass-Through Rear Seat, Rear Bench Seat, Power
Passenger Seat, Seat Memory, Power Driver Seat
Dimensions
• Wheelbase (in) 100 in
• Length,Overall (in) 168.4 in
• Height,Overall (in) 58.5 in
• Base Curb Weight (lbs) 3012 lbs
Other
Details
• Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx (gal) 14.5
• Spare Tire Size Compact
• EPA Classification Compact Cars
Source: caranddriver.com
Via: cnetautos
