After making an unscheduled appearance at the showroom, the Volkswagen Beetle Dune is now officially available for purchase after being introduced alongside the all-new Passat B8. Just one trim will be made available, and it’s based on the Beetle 1.4 TSI.
Dubbed “the most rugged Beetle of all time”, the Dune gets finished in a special shade of paint called Sandstorm Yellow (this colour extends to the dashboard and door trims) and sits on swanky 18-inch ‘Canyon’ alloy wheels. All four corners are shod with 235/45 profile tyres, and the car is raised by 10mm for better ground clearance.
The four-cylinder turbocharged 1.4-litre engine produces 148 horsepower at 5,000 to 6,000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 3,500 rpm. It is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic driving the front wheels. From standstill, the Beetle Dune sprints to the 100km/h mark in 8.8 seconds, and on the combined cycle it will consume 5.5 litres of fuel per 100km.
Externally, the Dune gets bi-xenon headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights, LED tail lamps and front fog lamps that function as cornering lights. The front and rear bumper are both redesigned, with the tail now fitted with a large jutted spoiler. But if these cues aren’t shouty enough, both sides of the car come with Dune stripes and plastic mouldings.
Only 50 units of the Beetle Dune will be brought into Malaysia, and they are all fully imported from Mexico. Priced at RM179,990 (excludes registration and insurance), each purchase of the Beetle Dune, like all other Volkswagen cars today, will come with a 5-Year unlimited mileage with manufacturer’s warranty.
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