Volkswagen Beetle

Volkswagen Beetle

Average. The latest Beetle couldn't help but improve on the last model, but there's still not much to recommend Volkswagen's biggest name

The Volkswagen Beetle barely requires an introduction. The original model's infamous pre-war birth, prolonged production run and unprecedented sales figures is a familiar story to anyone with even a passing interest in cars. Its iconic shape left an impression on several generations, but its remarkable success cast an even longer shadow over Volkswagen.

In 1998, a full sixty years after the introduction of the first model, the manufacturer launched the New Beetle, a modern interpretation of the thirties pioneer. Now, after a further 12 years of middling sales, Volkswagen has revisited the name which it insists remains at the heart of its brand.

Like its predecessor, the latest car is based on the Golf, although changes to that model's ubiquitous platform mean that the Beetle grows substantially. The car is significantly longer and wider, which makes for more space in the back and a noticeably fatter footprint on the road.

The increased track width is the foundation for a tempered design rethink. The domed silhouette cannot be too diluted, but the Beetle has been honed and flattened in a concerted effort to make its shape more purposeful. It's been rethought inside too, where the infamous vase-carrying dash has been replaced with a more masculine effort whose quirkiness is limited to colour coordination and a second, upward opening glovebox in the dash that pays homage to the air-cooled car.

While the inside might be paying tribute to the past, the current engine line-up has predictably little to do with car's air-cooled past. From launch the Beetle will be available with Volkswagen's 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol motors, mated to a seven-speed DSG and six-speed manual, respectively. A 2.0-litre TSI will follow later, along with the 1.6-litre diesel engine which is likely to be key to UK sales.

Only the larger engine model was made available to drive, and its wide, throaty torque band makes the Beetle appropriately punchy. Nevertheless, even with the most powerful engine the car feels heavy and ponderous. There's plenty of grip, but little fun to be had hustling it round corners thanks to nondescript steering and an unsettled ride which fidgets and floats unnecessarily.

The Beetle's shortcomings are surprising considering how much of the running gear is shared with the unimpeachable Golf, but it's arguable to what extent prospective buyers will care about the comparison. Previous owners will certainly be impressed (the new version is light years ahead of the 1998 model) and others may well be seduced by the reasonable starting price Volkswagen is asking, but most will likely impulse buy on name recognition.

Nonetheless, Volkswagen insists that the latest Beetle is not a niche product, and that its increased practicality and value for money are evidence enough of its mainstream credentials. But while it may be an improvement on almost every quantifiable level, there's still no real reason to buy the Beetle other than for an appreciation of its willfully 'retro' reheated appearance. And Volkswagen might just find that that audience is shrinking faster than ever.