Jeremy After admiring the design of the latest Beetle when it arrived yesterday, today it was time to put our Sport model to work. First, it really is a lot better than the last model. The 1.4 TSI engine is used in a whole range of sporty VW cars and it gives the Beetle just enough get up and go to be entertaining.

Only just enough mind, for real thrills, you need to seek out the 2.0 TSI. One of the problems with this 1.4 version is that you have to work the six-speed gearbox very hard indeed  to coax any excitement from the power unit.

The Beetle’s high revving engine is awkward to drive around town, feels a bit better on winding A-roads, then comes into its own at higher speed. That said, you will struggle to get anywhere near the 42mpg VW claim in the combined cycle – the engine needs to be worked too hard for that.

I found the Sport mildly entertaining to drive at speed. It does go around corners a lot better than you might imagine but the steering and ride is nowhere near as good as an equally chic Mini Cooper or the Peugeot RCZ we tested last week.