The new-new VW Beetle, which debuted in 2012, is a big improvement over the first gen car.
It’s much more masculine in its appearance, features a wider range of engines, including the one from the Golf GTI, and it’s really not a bad car to drive.
However, as CNET found out, in its sportiest guise, the top-spec R-Line, with the 2.0-liter turbo from the GTI, the car isn’t really that much of a pleasure to drive.
Reviewer Brian Cooley says that while the engine is as good as you’d expect, it’s not suited to the suspension setup and the two kind of clash at times, not delivering a fluid driving experience throughout.
Even so, there’s not that much else to moan about aside from the teeny-weeny touchscreen which has a display smaller than on some smartphones – no, really…
By Andrei Nedelea