Celebrating the Volkswagen Beetle’s association with surfing and coastal heritage, the new 2018 Beetle Coast Special Edition will get you to the seashore or pretty much anywhere else with a modern twist on its long heritage – if only our weather wasn’t so humid and the air wasn’t so dusty.
Equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine, it packs 174 hp and 250 Nm of torque coupled with a 6-speed Tiptronic transmission, sending drive to the front-wheels.
Although not entirely lightweight, at around 1,400 kg, we reckon there’s still enough grunt to have a little fun in the modern interpretation of a favourite classic. That said, the standard Electronic Differential Locking should allow the Beetle to offer all the tingly sensations around the bends.
To expect this Coast Edition Beetle to be a Nurburging lap record setter would be silly, it’s more about the lifestyle with this convertible. What really stood out to us was the 17-inch Heritage alloy wheels that brings back all the memories from the chrome wheel/white tyre wall combination of the classic Beetle. Why they’re still offering Halogen headlamps when even the new Myvi has LED units, is beyond us.
Inside as you’d notice, isn’t too foreign from the local-spec Beetle we have in Malaysia save for a few notable difference, eye-catching differences. True to its Coast Edition nature, the dashboard projects a surfboard-inspired look, complemented by Pepita cloth upholstery.
Safety wise, it comes with the standard ABS, ESC, Anti-slip Regulation (ASR), Engine Brake Assist (EBA) and the Intelligent Crash Response System.
IMAGE GALLERY
