Good Job To Them Then
VW Malaysia is really investing in Malaysia. I say this because they've launched the all-new New Volkswagen Beetle with a whole lot of fanfare and hoohaa. The reason I say this is that the launch isn't just limited to members of the media but to the general public too. Last weekend VW did hourly presentations to media as well as members of the public who had bothered to register their attendance for the event titled 'The Icon is back'. It was a big thing as VW started with a video presentation showing the original Bug and then interviewed local celebrities as well as VW Beetle owners. The curtains was then raised to reveal the all-new New Beetle together with some dancers and some lady singer belting out some number stating that 'the icon is back'. And what do I think about the new Bug then? The only other issue is that the painted dashboard and door trim which matches the exterior would mean that if you bought a pink Beetle, you will also have to stare at a pink interior. Aside from that one should remember that the Beetle is still a niche car, and not a bread and butter model like the Polo. And for that I have to give a pat on the back to VW for spending a ton of cash on its launching. I suppose brand awareness is what they're really after. The launch was just an excuse for getting the VW brand totally embedded in the Malaysian public's psyche. Good job to them then. I believe they've accomplished what they set out to do with the launch.
There is nothing ol鈥?skool about the Swift Sport in my opinion. It is a current variation of the hot hatch theme so prevalent nowadays; i.e mini MPV looks (Golf GTI again) and mini MPV seating position. I am sorry, but I drove around in a 1981 Honda Civic when I was 18 and it didn鈥檛 feel like a VW Combi Bus. Now back to driving front wheel drive cars that actually make me feel good. I drove the new Audi TT2.0 recently and it is a very well put together car. I鈥檇 buy a car just by looking at the dash and feeling the tactile feel of the switch gear and steering. It鈥檚 an Audi, therefore very well put together. The DSG gearbox is a marvel of technology and was so much smarter than I was when it came to changing gears to match the corners and engine speed on my first attempt.
It鈥檚 like you waking up in the morning and the maid and butler has everything prepared for you in advance. It鈥?s that good. The engine is typical VW-Audi Group FSI in that is sounds like a diesel on idle. It pulls good with very little lag from the turbo and coupled with that gearbox鈥檚 sweet gearing and the chassis鈥?low weight make the car one of the nicer front wheel drive cars that I have driven. If you have RM368,000 to blow on a car that has 200bhp, Porsche like looks this is the car to get. If you have RM200,000 to blow on a car and want the DSG gearbox, there is a van called the VW GTI. So don鈥檛. Buy the stripped out Civic Type R instead. There is purity of design in that car which the golf does not have. Unless you鈥檙e already feeling old at the age of 30 and would still like the van which would mean your next car could be a boring MPV.
One other thing good about buying a 200bhp front wheel drive car is that it is safe to most Malaysian drivers. I mean, imagine this, if you were a guy who is around 30, it could safely mean that your first few cars were 1990s Protons and Hondas. These are front wheel drive cars and the only problem about them is that they will understeer. Which means you will see the roundabout you are crashing into and if you are slow enough, a little lift off will pull you back into line. Most Malaysian drivers are instinctively like that nowadays. They wouldn鈥檛 know what to do if suddenly the tail stepped out and it is the tail which happens to be oversteering into the roundabout. So graduating to a 200bhp front wheel driver is actually good sense as it won鈥檛 get you killed. But the question you might ask is that is it fun? Yes it is. The TT is a fun car, up to a limit.
