By Shereen Shabnam

The Beetle Cabriolet retains the classic Beetle shape while enhancing the iconic design with an elongated, sweeping soft-top hood giving the model a wider appearance and a flatter roof and a more dynamic and sporty appearance.

The head turner during my drive was of course the soft-top, fully automatic hood, which can be closed in just 9.5 seconds, with minimal noise, even while the vehicle is moving at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

It was certainly a fun, comfortable and yet a dynamic drive and I enjoyed the classic Fender sound system during school runs as the car comes with 400 watts of pure power, a digital 10-channel amplifier, nine speakers and a subwoofer to produce the exclusive Fender sound.

There was ample space, with the four-seater model offering a boot capacity of an impressive 225 liters. The Cabriolet is available in three trim levels – SE, SEL, and ‘Exclusive’.

I took the car to some car enthusiast friends and they all took their phones out to capture the stylish exterior trims including air intake grills, door handles and protective side trim – the red model I drove was eye catching and a car photographers delight.

The SEL trim level is available with an impressive range of additional features including keyless entry, “Vienna” leather sports seats front, navigation system with Discover Media and striking 19-inch “Tornado” alloy wheels.

The next trim level, aptly named ‘Exclusive’, features stylish interior details including “Beetle Exclusive” leather for the driver and front passenger sports seats, a leather seat mid-section and sides; and carpet floor mats with colourful edging in both the front and rear. The “Exclusive” trim also features scuff plates in door apertures and is equipped with 20-inch “Monterey” alloy wheels.

According to Thomas Milz, Managing Director Volkswagen Middle East, the Beetle Cabriolet is an affordable and sporty convertible and, with a 2.0 liter TSI engine, the new model can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds making it the most powerful Beetle Cabriolet ever.”

The Beetle Cabriolet is available in bright new colours, including “Habanero Orange”, and “Blue Silk”. The soft-tops will be available in two colours – Nutria Beige and Black Canvas. My teenager has already put this car on her wish list for graduation.