Beetling through Berlin

There are very few cities like Berlin. Even in the chilly autumn rain, its streets shining silver from an endless drizzle, there's just something about the famous German capital that creeps right under your skin.

For no matter where you point your peepers, you're sure to come across some kind of artifact that chronicles the annals of the city's colourful past.

Seriously, one second you're gazing at gnarled old columns still scarred from the bullets of World War 2, and the next your hand is touching a segment of that infamous wall that once separated East from West when the Reds were still in town.

And then, if this is not enough, you've got architect Carl Langhans's Brandenburg Gate, the sinister remains of Checkpoint Charlie and the ever-present Fernsehturm TV tower; its giant spherical dome rumoured to be a subliminal nod to the Soviet's Sputnik satellite programme of the late '50s.

Yep, Berlin is a place with no shortage of history and today its mean streets are bearing witness to the making of even more. You see the darlings of Wolfsburg, Volkswagen, have arrived en masse to launch their most important new vehicle in years: The Beetle.

Now considering the last homage to the firm's spirited original, the so-called New Beetle, was something of a flop, the development team responsible for this second redesign has a hell of a lot resting upon their shoulders.

Get it wrong and their retro-penned creation will again be relegated to the wrong side of the cool wall, but get it right and this all-new Bug may well be giving the mighty Mini a run for its trendoid money. No pressure at all then.

Fortunately going on looks alone as most of us guys inevitably do, The Beetle (you'll notice the word "New" has now been dropped from the nomenclature) is already light years better than the model it replaces. For while its predecessor was shaped to win the approval of ditsy blondes and the sort of men who flock to Knysna every year for a certain Mardi Gras, this newbie comes loaded with a noticeable shot of testosterone.

Indeed, The Beetle of the 21st century is no longer a kitsch fashion accessory with a flower vase but a proper little sports coupé that sees people with the XY-chromosome stealing a second glance.

Especially when it comes all jazzed-up in "Sport" trim, which bolts on 18-inch alloy wheels, a big rear spoiler and two chrome-plated exhaust tailpipes.

Now officially lower, longer and wider than ever before, The Beetle is also much closer to its original forefather thanks to that steeply raked front windscreen and a roofline that plunges, uninterrupted, down towards that short rear overhang.

Complemented with some vast sections of clean sheet metal, bold wheel arches and a domed bonnet that somehow manages to tie in Volkswagen's new corporate face without losing any of that old-school charm and, well, you get a machine that is incredibly pleasing to ogle over in the flesh.

Swing open one of those two long doors, slink inside, and you'll find that the design DNA that makes the exterior so effective is coursing through the interior in almost equal amounts.

Sure, there are bits and pieces that smack of the current Golf and Scirocco but those areas reserved for stringing together the words "modern" and "throwback" do so with an unfussed ease.

Unlike the innards of the Mini, subtlety is the name of the game here and if you've ever sat inside an old Beetle then you'll certainly appreciate features like that upright dashboard or those loop strap handles sprouting out of the two B-pillars.

The hat-doffing doesn't end there because you also get an instrument cluster dominated by a large, centrally mounted speedometer and one of those top-hinged glove boxes built into the passenger side of the plastic fascia.

I know this doesn't sound like a lot on paper but in the real world it's just enough to rekindle memories of The Beetle's classic roots.

Fortunately, being fully aware that they need to pander to the pockets of the growing youth market, Volkswagen has also thrown in some wicked gadgetry; the most standout of which has to be the optional Fender sound system.

A brand synonymous with the axe grinding talents of Al Jardine, Jimmy Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, checking this box gives you nine beefy speakers and a 400-watt, 10-channel amplifier to stage your very own Woodstock revival.

Worth the extra dough? You're damn right it is. Crisp and detailed, this setup kicks like a nightclub on E with the sort of throbbing bass us young 'uns dig.

But as we all well know, clever packaging on its entirety does not a great car make. For although the fresh-faced Bug seems to make a real hard case for itself in terms of styling and inner substance, it has to right those final past wrongs with a driving experience that does the modern VW badge justice. You know, more-power-less-flower, so to speak.

Now I can't comment on the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI variants that are destined for South Africa in 2012, but the bright white 2.0 TSI model I'm chucking through the Berlin city limits is rather good. Sporting a 147kW turbocharged engine it's not GTI fast but there's more than enough zip to let it hang with some of the more buff members of the boutique hatch brigade. It sounds good too, that aforementioned exhaust system woofling a muted growl.

The optional six-speed DSG gearbox (smaller capacity engines get the seven) adds to the aural drama; each up-shift sending a satisfying "blip" through the plumbing. Largely based upon Golf VI underpinnings The Beetle can also lay claim to being the most dynamic bug to ever tear down the tarmac.

Though the lesser models make do with torsion beam rear suspension, my range-topping turbo scores a more advanced multi-link system for a little extra prowess through the kinky stuff.

It works well and despite the unrelenting rain and slippery German asphalt, it's clear that this Volkswagen has the handling abilities to keep enthusiastic drivers entertained.

The steering could be sharper and benefit from more weight but overall, there's not much else to find fault with here.

Ride quality is top-notch too; the tramlines and battle-scabbed back roads of suburbia having little effect on this car's impressive composure. Of course, if you're game for it, a sports suspension package has been made available, but personally, I wouldn't bother.

No, as it is The Beetle is a mighty fine offering; one that successfully buffs out that ill-conceived image of its '90s predecessor with a supersized serving of driving polish and aesthetic panache to match.

I'll admit that the Mini is still the more dynamic of the two, but in terms of space, maturity and everyday comfort, this bug reborn is at the top of its class.

Yeah it's quite a renaissance we're witnessing here; one that even cities like Berlin, a megalopolis no stranger to the act of re-invention, can no doubt appreciate.

THE SPECS:

The Beetle 2.0 TSI

Engine: 1984cc four cylinder turbo

Power: 147kW at 5100rpm

Torque: 280Nm at 1700 - 5000rpm

0-100km/h: 7.5 seconds

Top speed: 223km/h

Fuel consumption: 7.7l/100km (combined)

CO2: 179g/km

We like:

Styling finally does the original justice

Interior doesn't try too hard

A good all-round drive

We don't like:

Could be a little quicker

Steering was too light for me

Mini still more dynamic