There are no sand dunes in Minnesota where I live.
Actually, I lied. There is a place called the Sand Dunes, a park situated near a state wildlife refuge that has walking trails, a pleasant outcropping of trees, and small bit of sand. You won’t be filming any scenes from Star Wars there, and I didn’t get a chance to drive the 2016 VW Beetle Dune over massive hills like I was in the Sahara. That’s probably a good thing, since the Beetle Dune is mainly a statement car and not exactly designed for rough conditions.
I’m wholly impressed by the styling, though. It has a wider, taller stance than the typical Beetle, which was redesigned in 2013. The word “Dune” is imprinted on the doors. VW calls the color Sandstorm Yellow but it seems to have a hint of gold. When you approach the car, you almost have to laugh at how much it stands out from the crowd, in a good way. After testing cars for so many years, there are only a handful that, when I’m driving them around, I get a “thumbs up” and a smile from people in other cars and when I pull out of a parking space at Walmart.
Inside, there’s even more to love. That yellow-gold color isn’t “shield your eyes” bright as much as a calming and subdued hue, complimented with a liberal use of black on the seats and dash with some subtle red accents. It’s cocooning, not irritating. VW did a good job making this a statement car, and the statement is: I also use an iPhone and wear designer shoes. It’s a step up for the Beetle brand overall because it has a sporty, rugged look. I didn’t get the sense this was a commuter car for a 17 year old girl who listens to K-Pop and works at Caribou.
