Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet Luna 1.6 | Road Test Review

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“Despite the name,
there’s nothing old
about Volkswagen’s
New Beetle. And in
Cabriolet guise, it’s
undeniably one of
the most distinctive
soft-tops you can
drive...”

'TIS THE SEASON TO RIP OFF YOUR TOP! And talk about being spoilt for choice. It's not much of an exaggeration to say that whatever make and model takes your eye, there's now a good chance that it's also available as a convertible, whether it's a folding steel roof or a traditional 'soft' top.

Fans of Volkswagen's New Beetle have enjoyed the option of going topless since the summer of 2003 when the first Cabriolet went on sale in the UK. The highly distinctive and unmistakable body styling — there really is nothing else like a Beetle Cabriolet! — was given a subtle makeover in 2006.

Essentially the Cabriolet is a Beetle with the steel roof replaced by a powered folding fabric top. It still has two doors and four seats and the interior is more or less identical, but gone are the B- and C-pillars and large boot lid-cum-tailgate. Rear passengers get fixed headrests that conceal pop-up rollover bars controlled by intelligent electronic sensors that, at the first sign of trouble, extend them within a quarter of a second to provide protection for all four passengers.

Pricing — never as important as it is today — kicks off at an affordable Ł15,015 (for the entry-level 1.4 model). Next up the Beetle Cabriolet ladder is the 1.6, at Ł16,455. Moving up in size, the 2.0-litre is available with either a five-speed manual gearbox (Ł19,615) or with a six-speed tiptronic auto (Ł21,070). Also breaking the Ł20K band, and the quickest of the pack, is the 1.8T with 148bhp — this model costs Ł20,070. If you're a diesel fan — not 'Vin' — then there's a Beetle Cabriolet for you too: the 1.9 TDI, at Ł19,580.

We tested the mid-range 1.6 model which offers a good balance between fuel economy and performance. Officially, the combined fuel consumption is 36.7mpg (extra-urban is 47.1 and urban 26.9mpg). During a full week's test, our Beetle managed an average of 34.3mpg. Power is 100bhp with 109lb ft of torque — sufficient to get it up to a top speed of 110mph with 0-62mph done and dusted in 12.3 seconds.

Top up, there's loads of headroom in the front; and, of course, top down the sky's your limit. Doors are big and getting in and out couldn't be easier. Both front seats adjust for height, and the sporty-looking three-spoke steering wheel adjusts both for reach and height. Foot, elbow and shoulder room are equally accommodating and in addition to the extending central sliding armrest there are fabric covered outer armrests built into the door trim. The front passenger gets a sturdy grab handle on the front of the fascia which, incidentally, was never needed even during fairly spirited driving although some passengers may find it handy when getting in and out.

“The seats are supportive
and comfy and the ride
accommodating —
perfect for ‘beetling’
around, in fact...”

There's ample internal storage space including a decent size glovebox, fair-sized door pockets and a lidded cubby under the sliding central armrest, along with double cup-holders in the central console. The deep sun visors incorporate vanity mirrors and lighting, plus there's a digital clock and external temperature read-out in the header rail.

The driving position is fine although the fascia seems to stretch out a long way to the base of the windscreen, which is the most forward piece of the Beetle you can physically see from the driver's seat. However, it is a neat and uncluttered design, with a single three-in-one main dial: a circular speedometer with two quite small analogue gauges inset in the lower section for fuel and revs. During the daytime the graphics are easy-to-read white on black; at night they're just as clear but the figures are coloured a restful and attractive blue.

Other neat touches include the custom-designed audio unit and bespoke control panel created especially for the Beetle, and the pixel-inlayed rim of the three-spoke aluminium-trimmed steering wheel. Owners who, for whatever reason, need to leave their Beetle top-down will appreciate the lockable switches for releasing the boot and filler flap set in the driver's door; the glovebox and load-through hatch between the rear seat backrests are also both lockable.

As with all Volkswagens, the quality of the Beetle's interior is first class with obvious attention to detail: trim plastics and materials and fit and finish are consistently of high quality. Some road-testers (not Motorbar's) have derided the fact that the Beetle has a bud vase on the dashboard. Little do they realise that this flippant nod to the Beetle's hippy-ish days is actually a perfectly-sited pen holder! And if you don't want to use it, it can be removed with a Twist.

Four large air vents ensure you're kept as cooled (or warmed) as you desire — if you want to chill out then the manual air conditioning (Ł885 on the 1.4 and 1.6 but standard on the 1.8T, 1.9 and 2.0-litre models) does a superb job of chillin'… Roof up, and thanks to the multi-layered textile hood, the cabin is refined; noises outside can barely be heard. And it's tough enough, and well fitted enough, to take through a car wash.

Releasing the thoroughly engineered roof is straightforward: push and twist the central handle on the windscreen header rail to unlock, then press and hold the switch behind the traditional handbrake. It's quick, too: just 13 seconds to open or close. All four windows are electric — the front pair one-shot auto up/down. A separate switch raises or lowers all four windows at the same time.

“Roof down, the Beetle
Cabriolet is one
of the most distinctive
drop-tops
you can buy...”

With all four windows raised and the top neatly stacked like a tea-tray spoiler behind the rear seats (it doesn't fold away out of sight but looks good nevertheless), the open cabin is commendably free of buffeting. The rear seats will take two adults although with two near-six-footers up front, rear legroom is compromised — two children will be fine or one adult with the front passenger sitting closer to the dash. For maximum protection against turbulence you'll need the optional (Ł255) wind-deflector.

This mesh panel is actually very easy to use: it folds to a quarter of its size when not in use, and takes only seconds to install when required. And it does a commendable job of blocking out unwelcome buffeting or draughts. The only downside is that when fitted it covers the rear seats, thus halving the seating capacity from four down to two. On the other hand, if there's just you and your front passenger this won't be a problem.

Due to the smallish boot (an irregularly-shaped but still usable 201 litres), the wind blocker serves another practical purpose. Because it can be left in-situ with the roof raised, it does a very good job of hiding anything placed on the rear seats from prying eyes. And the excellent and simple-to-use tilt 'n' slide 'easy entry' front seats make the rear seats the ideal place to carry shopping.

Standard equipment on the mid-range 1.6 Luna is pretty good — the only grumble being the A/C and wind deflector that really should be standard fitment. Apart from the electric windows and electro-hydraulic power roof already mentioned, other standard kit includes power steering, heat-insulating tinted glass, a heated glass rear window, radio/CD player with RDS and ten speakers (and with multimedia socket for an external audio source), front centre armrest with storage compartment, load-through hatch, rain sensing wipers, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, leather-trimmed steering wheel, quality cloth upholstery, electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors and 16-inch alloy wheels running on 205/55 rubber.

Standard safety equipment is also comprehensive with driver and front passenger active head restraints, an automatic rollover protection system, six airbags (driver and front passenger airbags and front seat-mounted side impact bags and curtain airbag system), passenger's airbag deactivation switch, ABS and an electronic stabilisation programme that includes an electronic differential lock and traction control.

Driving in the Beetle Cabriolet is a pleasantly laid-back experience. The suspension, biased towards comfort and cruising (which is good!), soaks up lumps and bumps and even speed humps. Too many drop-tops miss the point of being 'convertible' and think they're hot hatches and can, consequently, be a tad wearing to drive on longer journeys. Not so the Beetle.

The 1.6-litre unit is eager enough and clearly doesn't mind being worked although if you want real get up and go you'll want the turbocharged 1.8T. That's not to say you can't have some fun in the 1.6 which, top down, sounds good when pressing on. We liked the fact that the tailpipes are not visible from behind the car, so nobody can guess the size of your engine. When the time comes to stop you'll find the brakes to be reassuringly meaty (discs all round; ventilated at the front) with good progression through the pedal. The five-speed 'box's ratios are well matched to the powerplant, and the shift action is accurate and nicely free-moving.

The seats are supportive and comfy and the ride accommodating — perfect for 'beetling' around, in fact. The steering is fine and even quite spirited driving is fun, reminding you that at heart it's a skilfully repackaged Golf. And talking of the 'hippy-hippy-shakes' — there are none! The Cabriolet Beetle feels very solid on the road; none of our road-testers reported any hint of flex or scuttle-shake — particularly impressive given the size of the roof section removed from the standard Beetle bodyshell.

Roof down, and helped by those big, flared wings and sexy polished alloy wheels, the Beetle Cabriolet is one of the most distinctive drop-tops you can buy. It certainly draws a lot of friendly looks — even more if you choose one finished in the luscious Salsa Red of our test car. Add to that the comprehensive safety kit, the roomy and pleasant cabin and easy and enjoyable driveability, along with all-year-round usability, and it's easy to understand this 'new' Beetle Cabriolet's perennial appeal. — lfs+mw

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