P704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:11:06 ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - (O DATE) The new Beetle has been one of the style icon successes of the last five years, and along with the new Mini, they have stormed the roads. First arriving on these shores in February 1999 in left-hand drive form only, the Beetle was an immediate success^ Around 800 "official" left-hand drive models were sold in the UK before the right-hand drive models appeared. ——————————————————————————————————1/7—— by Andy Insight ACCIDENT ADVICE HELPLINE ITV1 p385 Used Index News Micra Car IndexP704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:14:29 ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - TO DATE) Late 1999 saw the introduction of official right-hand drive Beetles. Despite promises of a wider engine range, it warn't until the summer of 2000 that Volkswagen introduced a 1.6- litre. A 2.3-litre V5 and 1.8T engines were subsequently added to the range alongside a 100bhp SDI diesel. In early 2003 a 1.4-litre engine had been added to both saloon and cabriolet versions. ——————————————————————————————————2/7—— Where's Hot Now? 178 ITV1 FRANK PILKINGTON'S LOVESTARS ] ON YOUR MOBILE - p108 Used Index News Micra Car IndexP704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:13:22 ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - TO DATE) If anything, the Beetle interior is even more of a shock than the outside. What greets you are stylish touches like a big central circular instrument cluster with its huge numbers and cute little built-in rev counter. Plus, of course, the vase (yes, you read that right), ready for you to fill with flower power. More macho buyers can pretend it's a penholder or something. ——————————————————————————————————3/7—— European roadworks 168 ITV1 HAD AN ACCIDENT IN THE LAST 3 YEARS SEE ITV1 p385 Used Index News Micra Car IndexP704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:14:03 ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - TO DATE) You'll want to check on the history of your prospective purchase. Many cars were imported from continental Europe or the USA, and these had inferior specifications to UK cars. The Beetle mechanicals have been proven over the years in Golfs and Passats, so there are no great surprises there. Ignition coils on the Volkswagen 1.8- litre engines have been a notable weak link. ——————————————————————————————————4/7—— Motoring news 701 NEED A HELPING HAND TRY TELETEXT LIFESTYLE ALERTS - p108 Used Index News Micra Car IndexP704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:24:5y ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - TO DATE) For a car so closely based on the Volkswagen Golf, it would perhaps be surprising if the Beetle were to feel significantly different to drive. But it does. The enormous windscreen pillars restrict visibility and the car feels a lot bigger than any Golf. Performance ism't startling though. The 2.0-litre car has a 0-60 figure of 11.5 seconds before its aerodynamics limit it to a 112mph top speed. ——————————————————————————————————5/7—— Check the holiday sun 177 ITV1 NEED CHEAP CAR INSURANCE? SEE p618 Used Index News Micra Car IndexP704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:11:14 ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - TO DATE) The Beetle driving experience is, on the whole, favourable. Stability feels better than a car of this shape has any right to^ Handling is surprisingly good, with little body roll and a fair degree of t{re grip^ The manual gearboxes are a much nicer proposition than the automatic, helping to wring the available performance from the venerable 2.0-litre engine. ——————————————————————————————————6/7—— News headlines 300 ITV1 NEED CHEAP CAR INSURANCE? SEE p618 Used Index News Micra Car IndexP704 Teletext 704 Jul18 23:17:12 ——— Review ———————————————————————————— VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1999 - TO DATE) VERDICT Dump the historical baggage, forget the '60s ever existed and the "new" Beetle suddenly seems worth it for the fun car that it is. WHAT YOU PAY A 1999 (-registered Beetle will be worth around £5,000. The 1.6-litre models are good value used, with £6,400 netting you a 2000 W plated car. The 1.8T and V5 versions have been slow seller - an '01 1.8T starts at £8,300. ——————————————————————————————————7/7—— Flight arrivals 180 NEED CHEAP CAR INSURANCE? SEE p618 Used Index News Micra Car Index