Volkswagen Beetle Dune and Denim Cabrio revealed

Volkswagen has previewed the Beetle Dune and Denim Cabrio just ahead of its premiere at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. These are special editions of the Beetle, which will debut this month at the show.

The Dune variant of the new Volkswagen Beetle borrows traits from the Baja California dune buggies. It boasts of an off-road character in its latest avatar. With a higher ride height than the regular model, the Dune model rides on 18-inch alloys and gets a higher ground clearance by 10mm. Cosmetic changes include a large central air intake with black honeycomb pattern surrounded by a silver frame. At the back, a large rear spoiler, new LED tail lamps and a new bumper can be seen. The black and silver wheels are in contrast to the black wheel arches and black side decals with 'Dune' badging. There is an additional open-top version of the Beetle Dune that comes with a black soft top.

The cabin also gets sporty elements in line with its exterior and features a dual tone treatment. The dashboard comes in the same paint scheme as the exterior, while the seats, roof pillars, headlining and door trim panels are finished in black. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is in line with the sports seats with contrast stitching. Depending on the car model, infotainment options can be customised by adding a DAB+ digital radio receiver or a second Bluetooth phone interface. A Fender sound system can also be opted for along with Composition Media and Discover Media systems.

On the other hand, Volkswagen has developed the other Beetle special edition, the Denim Convertible, paying homage to the 70s Jeans Bug. Only 2,000 units of this trim will be made. This open-top car sports a fabric top finished in dark blue texture. The interior boasts of a MIB II infotainment system that works in conjunction with a five-inch touch screen. The dual tone dashboard is finished in light blue and silver colour and the seats feature jeans-inspired pockets.

All these special editions will be powered by the same 1.8-litre TSI turbocharged petrol mill that delivers 170bhp of power and 250Nm of torque. This unit comes mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Though the special editions will debut in a couple of days, they will only reach the US dealerships in 2016. Bookings will soon start in Germany with the Coupe version costing 23,625 euros (Rs 16.62 lakh), while the Cabriolet version is priced at 27,800 euros (Rs 19.55lakh). The Beetle Denim edition will be offered in pure white and stonewashed blue colour. Apart from the standard colour options from the Beetle, the Dune variant gets sandstorm yellow metallic and dark bronze metallic as new paint schemes, taking the total count to nine colour options.