What's the news?
Looks like Volkswagen is going crossover crazy, presenting this off-road-style version of its style icon. This is called the Beetle Dune and it's designed to evoke the Baja California buggies of decades gone by. Although we can't ever recall a Baja Buggy with a 1.6-litre turbodiesel...
Exterior
No, your eyes are not deceiving you: there's an open-top version of the Beetle Dune as well. Whichever body style you pick, the Dune features a whopping great silver-framed central air inlet in the lower bumper, which also has a honeycomb mesh. Like any self-respecting 'soft-roader', this Beetle has black body cladding on the wheel arches, some black plastic side strips that Volkswagen has grandly titled 'Beetle running boards' and a 'Dune' graphic on its flanks. It's in profile where you'll probably best notice the Dune's 10mm increase in ride height over a regular model, while the newbie sits on some 18-inch alloys of a rough 'n' tumble design.
At the back is a redesigned bumper with a silver diffuser and there's a spoiler perched on the boot, which has its top surface painted glossy black and the underside finished in body colour. Speaking of which, there are nine colours on offer - new hues include Sandstorm Yellow and Dark Bronze, both metallic - and the hard-top model can have its roof painted contrast black if you so wish; all the soft-top Dunes have a black hood. LED rear lights are also standard fit on the Beetle Dune.
Interior
A panel on the centre console which is finished in the exterior body colour is called the Dash Pad by Volkswagen, and as seems to be the way with all of these rugged versions of regular road cars, contrast stitching abounds within. The Dune benefits from sport seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel, while it also gets the latest Volkswagen 'Composition' and 'Discover' infotainment systems. Options (depending on the specification selected) will include a DAB+ radio, a second Bluetooth phone interface and a 400-watt high-end sound system from US manufacturer Fender.
Mechanicals
Volkswagen has been a bit coy here, not stating whether the Beetle Dune has four-wheel drive either as standard or as an option, or what gearboxes will be offered. It also simply states that there will be an entirely turbocharged engine range, made up of three petrols and two diesels, before only going on to talk about their outputs in horsepower.
However, inferring from other Volkswagen Group products, the choices will be a 1.2-litre TSI with 105hp (5.2 litres/100km, or 54.3mpg, 122g/km CO2), a 1.4-litre TSI with 150hp (5.5 litres/100km, or 51.4mpg, 126g/km) and the 2.0-litre EA888 TSI from the Golf GTI, delivering 220hp, 6.6 litres/100km (42.8mpg) and 153g/km. Over on the TDIs front, pick from a 1.6 with 110hp, 4.3 litres/100km (65.7mpg) and 112g/km CO2, or a 2.0 with 150hp, 4.5 litres/100km (62.8mpg) and 118g/km. If four-wheel drive is to be made available, it would most likely be on the 2.0-litre TSI and TDI variants only.
Anything else?
The Beetle Dune and its Cabriolet sibling were given their world debuts at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.