Volkswagen Beetle review

The Beetle, like its pointier two-door relative, the Scirocco, is one of those cars that has been left behind by the relentless march of progress elsewhere in the brand. Unfortunately, unlike the Scirocco, it was never much cop to drive anyway. The low speed ride is a bit firm, but there’s not a hint of adjustability or chuckablity to the chassis. It’s actually quite dull. The car’s looks drip with character but once you’re behind the wheel, everything’s a bit plain when you get going.

That’s fine in itself, or at least it would be if VW hadn’t tried to kid us into believing it was sporty by dialing in armfuls of steering heft and a recalcitrant, notchy gearshift. Even the zestiest petrol engine, the 148bhp 1.4-litre TSI, feels less eager in this application than in other VWs and Audis. It’s a bit of a hotchpotch, so despite the sound driving position and surprisingly decent visibility, there’s little to enjoy driving the Beetle. Like a Fiat 500 – and very much opposite to a Mini Cooper – this is a machine that you can tell had the money spent on the design details and not on driving satisfaction. That’s left to the Golf GTIs.

On the up side, it’s not a bad cruiser if you’ve got distance to cover. The bulbous shape appears to cut through the air fairly smoothly because wind and road noise are well suppressed, and the seats and adjustable steering column make even drivers over six feet in height comfortable.