There's a great affection in Ireland for the old Volkswagen Beetle, which for many of a certain generation was their first car, writes Brian Byrne. And it's fair to say that when the 'New Beetle' was introduced in 1997, it wasn't going to be for them. Or indeed, for the generations who had only heard of the original but only knew the first of the 'New Beetle'.
It was too cuddly. Too feminine for the male cohort of original Beetle lovers. It didn't have the rear air-cooled engine, either, but that wasn't going to be an issue for any new generation buyers happily raised on the FWD Golf that succeeded the Beetle as the modern icon of the brand.
Now, though, the latest iteration of the Beetle might just make it a cool alternative for a new generation, regardless of gender. I first drove it in Germany over a year ago, but in recent months it has begun to come visible in Ireland.
The most immediate reaction is that it's very much closer to the original styling concept that was developed in 1938 and continued right through to 2003, overlapping the New Beetle by a number of years.
It has a much more masculine look, with certainly nothing of the 'toy' ethos which many would feel the immediate predecessor displayed, and the extra length improves it too. Even without the spoiler which is part of the specification of the review car, it has a sporty coupe style that is more likely to prompt admiration.
There's more space inside, thanks to a longer wheelbase, and rear seat room, albeit requiring a bit of maneuvering because of the 2-door configuration, is no longer a place to be avoided for any trip further than the local cinema. The platform is shared with the current Jetta.The design details outside and in reflect current Volkswagen themes, and they're all positive. For a driver, there's a good position, fairly OK visibility, and good clean presenting of essential information.
There's a boot, of course, because that's no longer where the engine used to be. And it offers up to 905 litres of capacity with rear seats folded. Even with them up, the boot space is increased by more than a third.
It can be easily customised from its entry level, with options that include sunroof, high level sound system, Bluetooth, leather, and high-tech Xenon lights.
There are good choices of powertrains too, including a 1.2 and dual-charged 1.4 petrols, a new 1.6 diesel and the option of a 2.0 diesel too. The 1.6 has a quite extraordinary range of almost 1,300km, operating at a CO2 emissions level of 113g/km.
The review car was the 160hp 1.4 TSI, which provides a zesty 8.3 seconds to 100km/h at the slightly extra cost of tipping into the C band for Car Tax rating. It is, like the others, available with a DSG automatic gearbox, but I found the 6-speed manual shifter a sweet cogs mover.
Given its platform pedigree, the car handled as well as I expected it to, with in fact a little more panache maybe than the Jetta saloon. Not, though, to the level which those buying the Mk 7 Golf will experience when it gets here next month.
It might be a bit fanciful to expect that a nation will 'fall in love in three seconds' with this one, as the local subsidiary of Volkswagen suggests. Rather, I suspect this is one that will drive gently back into the motoring public consciousness.
If times were better, this would become more quickly a winner as a good mix of interesting and practicality. As things are, it'll take a little longer.
You can get behind the wheel for €20,000 plus showroom trimmings. My review car tipped out at €26,320 plus a couple of extra treats. The 1.6 diesel starts at €21,995. None of that is over the top.
If I was a normal motorist even a decade younger than I am, it would be there in my reckoning. And as I write this, I still have it out there to enjoy for a couple more days. I will too.
