Name: Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet
Brand: Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet is stylish and feels surefooted to drive. It doesn’t have the character of an Italian roadster but should serve you well

wowscore

6/10

This score is awarded by our team of after extensive testing of the car

What's good

Distinctive looks
Good range of engines
Much better than the old car

What's not so good

Can be a bit pricey
Not that practical
Isn’t great to drive

Find out more about the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet

Is the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet a good car?

As with the hardtop, it’s a noticeably more enjoyable car to drive than its predecessor, along with the improved practicality and good range of engines on offer.

However, some issues such as limited rear space that plague the regular Beetle have been carried over and, in some cases, emphasised by the Cabriolet’s nature as a soft-top convertible.

The Beetle is a safe choice for a stylish convertible and will rarely annoy

Mat Watson

carwow expert

Overall, the Beetle Cabriolet certainly has its merits, especially when compared with the similarly style-conscious cars it competes with. Decent ride and handling, useable practicality and some pretty capable powertrains help make a convincing case. Dynamically, the soft-top Beetle does lose some ground to the best rivals, but almost all Beetle buyers will be focused more on the car’s styling.

All in all, if you’re in the market for an affordable, stylish convertible that isn’t too compromised when it comes to practicality, we reckon it’s worth considering the Beetle Cabriolet.

What's it like to drive?

One of the ever-present problems when turning a hard-top into a convertible is the penalty in rigidity caused by the loss of the roof.

The joy that roofless motoring brings easily offsets the middling handing

Mat Watson

carwow expert

Performance and Economy

The Beetle Cabriolet shares the same engine range – three petrols, two diesels – that you’ll find in the equivalent hatchback Beetle, and they’re all decent powerplants.

Whilst the larger engines, in particular, the 197hp 2.0 TSI petrol offer the best performance in the range, it’s the smaller engines that are the pick of the range. For instance, all engines bar the aforementioned 2.0 petrol can manage at least 40mpg on the combined cycle, with the 1.6 TDI diesel managing a very impressive 65mpg.

All the engines appear to be very smooth and refined, as you’d expect from a VW engine. However, it is worth pointing out that the smallest engines in the range aren’t exactly what you’d call punchy…

Whilst all cars come with either a five or six-speed manual transmission, some critics are inclined to recommend the automatic DSG gearboxes over the manual, given that they suit the car’s more relaxed character. However, they do cost a fair bit of money to buy, and they do hamper the running costs slightly, so we’ll let you decide as to whether ease of use justifies slightly more frequent stops at the pumps.

Driving

Extra bracing has been added, and all models come with the clever rear suspension that was usually the preserve of the top spec hard-top Beetles. The overall dynamics aren’t too shabby and the ride quality appears to be fairly good.

Overall refinement also seems to be pretty good thanks to the sound insulation of the fabric roof – which takes 9.5 seconds to be raised or lowered at speeds of up to 30mph.

Whilst it’s by no means awful to drive, and noticeably better than the previous Beetle Cabriolet, it’s not that rewarding if you drive it enthusiastically. Rear visibility is also compromised when the roof is up, so it may be worth to spec the parking sensors if you’re definitely going to buy a Beetle Cab.

What's it like inside?

The VW Beetle Cabriolet is spacious up front but quite cramped in the back. The interior design is simple and easy to use but the build quality isn’t quite up to VW standards

Next Read full interior review