New Beetle gets the conversions

Y'know, I was prepared not to like the new VW Beetle. Simply because of all the saccharine hype that has surrounded the car since it was first launched in the US. I mean, I don't even take sugar in my coffee.

Now I'm taking the saccharine in the Bug. Because it's all true. More than true, really ... this sequel car is much more than nostalgia. It is a car in its own right.

Not a big car, inside, mind. I haven't taken out the tape measure, but I rather suspect there's even less room in the new version than the old.

But let's stay outside for the moment, and look at the beast. And when you do that, you find that while the general shape is based on the original Beetle, it is a lot more sophisticated now. In fact, I'd suggest that the styling is out ahead of its time (again!). You really see it in the windscreen line, which is 'cab-forward' right out over what would have been halfway down the bonnet of the old car.

The smoothness of the curves are reflected in the styling of stuff like the lights, both fore and aft. And very quickly I decided that the new Beetle is really more of a sports coupe than the saloon it's supposed to be. (In fact, I've mistaken it for an Audi TT at a quick glance on more than one occasion!)

From the front there's a smiling look, but at the same time a low wide profile that suggests 'I'm coming for you'. The really deep rear window, definitely not old Beetle, also adds to the lines, and the whole effect is complemented by a very close set of build tolerances. Interestingly, there's quite a lot of plastic bodywork, including the rear wings.

Sitting in, the first impression is of a lot of dashboard ahead, and it's actually there, with a deep expanse of plastic stretching to that aforementioned cab-forward scuttle line. We wondered (she who shares the miles with me) what use it could be put to, and given that a vase (and plastic flower) comes free with every Beetle, we figured that a trip to the garden centre could have us incorporating a window box on the passenger side at least!

Still, one got used to it. The rest of the dash layout reflects the old somewhat, for those who remember the grab-strap that passengers could avail of when being driven by a vet (I was ... hairy, man). The instruments are in a little cowl right in front, and incorporate a tiny rev-counter that would be better not there and leave room for a clock where it should be ... the one set at the top of the windscreen is not safety-friendly, as a turn of the head is needed to view.

The climate controls are in the usual place, in a centre console that protrudes rather more into the cabin than we're used to. The steering wheel is super, and good-looking too with aluminium finish to match that on the gearshift and handbrake.

The seats for those in front are very comfortable, and the driving position excellent. Forget about the back, except for the size-challenged. Another reason for thinking of the car as a sports coupe.

From a drivability and handling point of view, the car is a Golf in Beetle clothing, so we're pretty familiar with the running gear. The press car was a North American spec left-hooker, so the suspension reflected the softer requirements of that part of the world, and I must say I liked it too. So far, as the car is built in Mexico only, and US demand takes as much as it can get, only a 2-litre engine is available, and with a price tag of £19,000 and the extra insurance and road tax costs that entails, I don't believe we'll see very big sales in this country. Until a 1.6-litre becomes available, and that has been mooted.

Also, the 115bhp engine is not the same 2-litre as used in the latest Golf, so performance is mild enough at an 11sec 0-62mph. It returns an MPG of around 33.

All the safety features are there, including dual and side-impact airbags, ABS, crumple zones, and an electronic stability programme.

I was prepared, as I said, not to like this car. I ended up loving it.

I'd buy one if I wanted an individual personal transportation that didn't require me to carry more than one other person. So, for somebody who was never a Beetle nut, that says much.