Volkswagen Beetle Dune: The ‘Butch Beetle’ arrives in production guise

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The Volkswagen Beetle Dune – a more rugged take on the Beetle – arrives in production guise in Los Angeles as a coupe and cabriolet. On sale UK early 2016.

Early last year, we had the VW Beetle Dune Concept arrive at the Detroit Motor Show as a (visually) rugged take on the venerable Beetle, and now we get the production version – the 2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune – debuting at the Los Angeles Motor Show and due to go on sale in the UK in early 2016.

Nothing very much seems to have changed from the Dune Concept, so we get a Beetle with raised ride height, bigger wheels, new bumpers, fog lights, a spoiler on the back, silver scuff plates and some black cladding to make it look more rugged.

It’s not the most convincing take on an all-road car, although if you like the slightly raised ride height and the bolt-on rugged bits, it may suit.

But before you get excited about flying round the beaches of Wales in your Dune (either as a coupe or cabriolet) you need to realise that VW hasn’t endowed the Beetle with 4WD – it’s still resolutely FWD.

Still, even though you can’t choose a proper drivetrain option for the butch Beetle, you will get a choice of of manual or auto gearboxes and of a range of VW’s Beetle engines – from the 103bhp 1.2 litre to the 217bhp 2.0 litre (and a pair of diesels too).

The VW Beetle Dune will go on sale in the UK in early 2016, although so far we have no prices. But expect it to start around £18k.