The 2017 Volkswagen Beetle Dune convertible wears bold bodywork that writes a check that its run-of-the-mill powertrain can’t cash. While the Dune’s extra 0.2 inch of ground clearance, aggressive fascias, fender flares that widen the body by 0.6 inch, trim-specific 18-inch wheels, and rocker-panel-level “Dune” graphics present the posture of a Global Rallycross car, the front-wheel-drive convertible’s 170-hp 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission mean the Dune is little more than a Beetle 1.8T convertible on stilts. Really short stilts. We were more excited about this offering when we assumed that, like the concept car displayed at the Detroit auto show two years ago, it would be based on the more powerful Beetle R-Line with the turbocharged 2.0-liter rated at 210 horsepower. To really pay off on the styling’s promise, it also would need all-wheel drive, but even the concept car did without that hardware.
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