VW cashes in on nostalgia with 2016 Beetle Dune special edition
The handsome Dune, which should reach showrooms in a few weeks, is distinguished by its own bumpers, wheels, a large central air intake integrated with the bumper and various black exterior trim items.
Bold black wheel arch extensions accentuate the Dune's raised ride height and are a nice styling touch, but we also like the practical benefit - they'll help prevent or minimize the havoc caused by careless people who swing doors open or let shopping carts run astray.
"The new Dune successfully captures the iconic spirit of Baja Beetles, with a more rugged feel and amenities never before offered on the third-generation Beetle," said Joerg Sommer, Volkswagen of America's vice president of product marketing and strategy.
A rearview camera, park-distance warning system, USB port and Bluetooth connectivity are standard on coupe versions of the Dune.
Propulsion comes from the mainstream Beetle's turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder, which makes 170 horsepower and is bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The driver will discover a flat-bottomed, leather-wrapped sport steering wheel with a "Dune" badge inset at the bottom and sport seats with contrasting stitching.
If you're into trendy lights, the lighting package ($795) gets you Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED lighting for the rear license plate.
Unlike Volkswagen's Golf and GTI four-doors much newer architecture and optional front-crash protection, the Beetle missed out on a "top safety pick" award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety due to the IIHS's challenging small-overlap crash test.