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Volkswagen Beetle 1.2L TSI Coupe




Let's be honest. You either love this car or you loathe it. There is no compromise. We had polarizing opinions when Volkswagen gave us their most iconic car for a weekend to shoot. One of us is a big fan while the other, well... not quite. However, things are about to change and we will find out at the end.

The Volkswagen Beetle is a car with a rich heritage, so rich it traces it's roots to the original Porsche engineer. We will not conduct any history lessons here. Just do a search online and results showing the number of bug stories are already good indicators. Volkswagen calls the new Beetle "the iconic original", a title that is both fitting and genuine to begin with.

The third generation Beetle has stepped out of her predecessor's flowery look and adopted a meaner and wider stance. Volkswagen has sliced her top, streamlined the profile and engineered a sportier genome in her DNA. The result is nothing like the old Beetle but a less than cuter "Porsche" that carries that happy look of her ancestors. Throw in that spoiler, up that rim size, and we would safely say she is starting to appeal to a wider audience with that man-up quotient!

Our shoot starts upon the first light of a Sunday morning. With a sense of country side lifestyle persona running deep within, we brought the Beetle to the suburb to strut its stuff. Without hesitation, the Beetle blends into the surroundings effortlessly like a duck takes to water.

A combination of stationary compositions and still shots were applied to accentuate it's curves and exemplify its details. The Beetle is then brought for a ride around the suburb against the backdrop of the sunrise.

As it negotiates the turns and straights, we executed our signature rolling shots, capturing the finer details of its movements and to a certain extend, the speed. Yes, the speed! As the ride progresses, the nagging urge of the beetle raring to go keeps getting stronger. We decided the environment of the suburb could no longer contain the spirit of the new Beetle and with that, we released it on the highway and found some friends along the way.

Surprisingly, the tiny yet punchy 1.2L TSI engine powering the Beetle was more than sufficient to tackle Singapore roads. In fact, it drives like a 1.6L because of the turbocharging. Buttery smooth gearing also plays a part in delivering a holistic driving experience. The fuel gauge needle seemed to be stuck forever at the full tank (1/1) mark despite us revving most of the time in Sports mode. Sorry Volkswagen! After covering almost 100 km, the needle finally moved. Just one bar. It was both disturbing and amazing at the same time as we were usually not used to such phenomenon. Good on the wallet we say!  Drawing our attention back to the interior, the one who initially disagreed with the Beetle finally found his comfort with her. Gauges are purposeful and clear, two of them even display the turbo boost and oil temperature on the dashboard, performance car style. Neat chrome trimmings and high quality plastic finishing swathed the original-bug-inspired cabin. Someone has been secretly converted. The new Beetle is truly a modern classic and catches the attention of the young, the hipster and the old alike!
You may consider renting the bug from Volkswagen Singapore for special occasions. Find out here: www.volkswagen.com.sg/en/promotions/wedding-beetle.html


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