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Video: 2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune

02:31 min
By Cars.com Editors
June 6, 2016

About the video

If you Google "Dune Buggy," what will likely pop up is Volkswagen's charming, '60s-era roadster: the knobby-tired, fender-flared sand-crawler. VW is trying to evoke a little bit of nostalgia with the Dune version. Watch the video for more.

Transcript

(car engine starting) Google dune buggy, and what will likely pop up is Volkswagen's charming sixties-era roadster, the knobby-tired, fender flared sand crawler. This isn't it.
But Volkswagen's trying to evoke a little bit of that nostalgia with the beetle dune. This dune is much more at home on the pavement, but it still turns heads and looks like nothing else on the road. The dunes got a much bolder look than the regular beetle, and you know it when you see it, thanks to these giant graphics and this exclusive paint color in sandstorm yellow. (soft upbeat music) The mustard color really pops against the black wheels and arch extensions, as well as black honeycomb accents on the grille. The dune theme carries to the profile with black trim stripes along the side of the doors and side mirrors, as well as on those dune decals. In back, there's a large rear spoiler and standard LED tail lights. If you can't quite get enough of this yellow outside, don't worry, there's much more inside. There's more mustard than on a Chicago hotdog in here. It is everywhere. It's on the dashboard. It's around the control panel. It's on the door panels. It's even on the seats with some piping and some contrast stitching. It's also on the steering wheel and on the shifter. It's a bit overkill. These seats, however, I love. They're standard sports seats, and they're very comfortable. They're bolstered for a nice, snug fit. A highlight of this cabin is Volkswagen's updated multimedia system. It's got really crisp, clear graphics, and it's very responsive. The touchscreen has a really natural feeling swiping action, and it has a very straightforward menu, so everything is easy to find and use. Even better, it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. So plugging in your smartphone and seeing its display on the screen is a snap. The base beetle starts at about $20,000. The dune trim level adds around $4,000 to that price. I think it's worth it. It's really cool to look at. It's fun to drive. But I'd take mine in one of the other available colors. I'm more of a ketchup girl. (soft slow music)

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