Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept first drive- The Volkswagen Beetle Dune is a toughened-up version of the hatchback, high-riding version of the German manufacturer's three-door hatchback.
First revealed by the Detroit motor trade show back in January, it is lone of a digit of extra crossovers models presently under development by Volkswagen, which is well developed to build on the sales accomplishment of similarly conceived front-wheel drive offerings such as the CrossPolo, CrossGolf and CrossTouran.
Officially, the Dune is a thought with the intention of awaits production praise. However, Wolfsburg officials be inflicted with inveterate to Autocar with the intention of moves are already underway to place it into production by Volkswagen’s Puebla factory in Mexico alongside the standard version of the Beetle in in the dead of night 2015, both in coupé and cabriolet bodystyles.
While the one-off thought is predestined to provides an perception of how the showroom version of Volkswagen’s newest crossover will appear as it goes on deal, indications are it will be toned down vaguely previous to it hits showrooms.
First revealed by the Detroit motor trade show back in January, it is lone of a digit of extra crossovers models presently under development by Volkswagen, which is well developed to build on the sales accomplishment of similarly conceived front-wheel drive offerings such as the CrossPolo, CrossGolf and CrossTouran.
Officially, the Dune is a thought with the intention of awaits production praise. However, Wolfsburg officials be inflicted with inveterate to Autocar with the intention of moves are already underway to place it into production by Volkswagen’s Puebla factory in Mexico alongside the standard version of the Beetle in in the dead of night 2015, both in coupé and cabriolet bodystyles.
While the one-off thought is predestined to provides an perception of how the showroom version of Volkswagen’s newest crossover will appear as it goes on deal, indications are it will be toned down vaguely previous to it hits showrooms.
“There are regulatory measures to consider with the intention of will think it over particular details altered. However, the spirit of the design will wait,” says Ingo Bruechmann, who was amongst the in-house team of Volkswagen designers who contributed to its design.
To keep expenditure down and streamline production, the stylistic changes ended the standard Beetle centre primarily around non-steel body panels. Included are extra LED headlamps graphics, a extra front shock absorber with a prominent grille, around LED fog lamps housed low down surrounded by the outer air ducts and a silver bodyguard plate.
The bonnet has furthermore been modified, with added contouring and a duo black air ducts with the intention of serves to as long as it with added height. Along the flanks, here is black plastic cladding surrounded by the wheelhouses and, in a move harking back to the first Beetle, a running plate underneath the doors.
At the rear, Volkswagen’s design team be inflicted with provided the Beetle Dune with a prominent roof spoiler and generous rear wing – the latter housing extendable blades either feature to allow the outdoor storage space of surfboards, skis, snowboards and the like.
Other changes? The tail lamps receive extra semi-oval LED graphics, giving the car bonus visual width. There is furthermore a more structured rear shock absorber than with the intention of adorning the standard Beetle. It receives a deep licence plate bay with the intention of mirrors the affect of the front grille as well as shielding cladding with the intention of houses two reasonable sized around chromed tail pipes.
Power pro single fully built up Beetle Dune in existence aptly currently hails from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine tuned to give up 207bhp, making it more powerful than one of its standard siblings, which offer a most of 158bhp in turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol rig.
No authoritative torque map has been revealed, but we’re told the ahead of schedule thought driven at this time packs somewhere “in the region of 206lb ft on a normally large range of revs”.
Although it channels its capital exclusively to the front wheels, Volkswagen claims the distinguished riding hatchback boasts more than a modicum of off-road capability. Helping the Beetle Dune to venture away from the bitumen and into a reduced amount of forgiving terrain is Volkswagen’s XDS electronic differential lock and a six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
What is it like?
Quite convincing – more so in its natural background made known on the road than on a clinical motor trade show stomach, pro guaranteed.
With 180mm of ground clearance, the Dune sits 50mm privileged than the standard Beetle. The addition of cladding surrounded by the front and rear wheelhouses has furthermore enabled the fitment of decrease offset wheels with the intention of effectively enlarge the tracks by 29mm to a respective 2607mm and 1573mm.
No authoritative torque map has been revealed, but we’re told the ahead of schedule thought driven at this time packs somewhere “in the region of 206lb ft on a normally large range of revs”.
Although it channels its capital exclusively to the front wheels, Volkswagen claims the distinguished riding hatchback boasts more than a modicum of off-road capability. Helping the Beetle Dune to venture away from the bitumen and into a reduced amount of forgiving terrain is Volkswagen’s XDS electronic differential lock and a six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
What is it like?
Quite convincing – more so in its natural background made known on the road than on a clinical motor trade show stomach, pro guaranteed.
With 180mm of ground clearance, the Dune sits 50mm privileged than the standard Beetle. The addition of cladding surrounded by the front and rear wheelhouses has furthermore enabled the fitment of decrease offset wheels with the intention of effectively enlarge the tracks by 29mm to a respective 2607mm and 1573mm.
The wheels, styled to resemble the discretionary 18-inch Twister rims unfilled on other Beetle models, rate 19-inch in diameter and are shod with 235/45 profile Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres – not exactly off-road grade, at that time.
The lofty bolt from the blue as you think it over the Volkswagen thought up close alongside other cars is solely could you repeat that? With the intention of added ground clearance does pro its advent. It might single be 50mm, but the added ride height gives the Dune an instantly more grand and more decided air than the standard Beetle. And these impressions take up again as you swing the driver’s entrance commence and step inside.
The added ground clearance sets the driver’s seat by the same height as the Volkswagen Tiguan, giving you a unassailable check over of the road. There is furthermore sufficient height adjustment surrounded by the seat itself to additional raise the squab and sit even privileged still.
Equally with the peripheral, Volkswagen has reworked various elements of the interior, although the basic design and architecture of the standard Beetle is retained. Among the exceptions is the addition of a grab soubriquet in the facia yet to be of the passenger seat, more generous instrument graphics and lovely thwart stitched leather seats.
With 207bhp and a solid wedge of torque on tap, the Beetle Dune accelerates with a skilled deal of vigor. Volkswagen points to a 0-62mph calculate of 7.3sec, which makes it comfortably faster than one existing Beetle develop rancid the line and through the gears.
It furthermore quotation marks a top alacrity of 141mph. Not with the intention of we got anywhere virtually this on the slip roads leading to our photographic location on the German island of Sylt. However, it is already apparent with the intention of, with the look good of turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder power, the imminent production version of the Beetle Dune will not aspire pro performance.
The lofty bolt from the blue as you think it over the Volkswagen thought up close alongside other cars is solely could you repeat that? With the intention of added ground clearance does pro its advent. It might single be 50mm, but the added ride height gives the Dune an instantly more grand and more decided air than the standard Beetle. And these impressions take up again as you swing the driver’s entrance commence and step inside.
The added ground clearance sets the driver’s seat by the same height as the Volkswagen Tiguan, giving you a unassailable check over of the road. There is furthermore sufficient height adjustment surrounded by the seat itself to additional raise the squab and sit even privileged still.
Equally with the peripheral, Volkswagen has reworked various elements of the interior, although the basic design and architecture of the standard Beetle is retained. Among the exceptions is the addition of a grab soubriquet in the facia yet to be of the passenger seat, more generous instrument graphics and lovely thwart stitched leather seats.
With 207bhp and a solid wedge of torque on tap, the Beetle Dune accelerates with a skilled deal of vigor. Volkswagen points to a 0-62mph calculate of 7.3sec, which makes it comfortably faster than one existing Beetle develop rancid the line and through the gears.
It furthermore quotation marks a top alacrity of 141mph. Not with the intention of we got anywhere virtually this on the slip roads leading to our photographic location on the German island of Sylt. However, it is already apparent with the intention of, with the look good of turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder power, the imminent production version of the Beetle Dune will not aspire pro performance.
It won’t be the single engine on offer, though. Volkswagen hints the existing turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol and turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel units will furthermore be on offer.
Forget one notion the raised ride height might be aligned to four-wheel drive to produce the toughened up Beetle proper off-road credentials; the Dune retains the same front-wheel drive set-up as its on-road biased siblings in the appeal of consequence saving.
Direct and light steering properties bring together with the exceptional idea afforded by the raised ride height to provide the extra Beetle with exceptional manoeuvrability and, despite increased lean angles, quite engaging usage.
What does need taxonomy is the ride. The added ground clearance has robbed the suspension of crucial veer travel, giving the thought a steady and very brittle ride. Don’t be surprised to think it over the ride height dropped vaguely in production rig, if single to increase the compression and spring back characteristics. If other crossover models from Volkswagen are one indication, the Beetle Dune will likely aim up 30mm privileged than its standard sibling.
Should I approve of lone?
You can’t, not aptly currently. But with Volkswagen planning to crank up production of the Beetle Dune following a planet introduction with the intention of is tentatively scheduled pro the 2015 Los Angeles motor trade show, you can expect it to get to the UK in a reduced amount of than two years from currently. If ahead of schedule impressions are one handbook, it may possibly well curve made known to be the pick of the range.
Volkswagen Beetle Dune
Price TBA; 0-62mph 7.3sec; Top speed 141mph; Fuel nation 34.9mpg (US cycle combined); CO2 194g/km (US cycle); Engine 4 cyls, 1984cc, petrol; Power 207bhp by 5300rpm; Torque 206lb ft by 1750rpm; Gearbox 6-speed dual clutch automatic
sources: autocar.co.uk
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