Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet safety levels are high. When tested by Euro NCAP the coupe version received a five star rating and we expect this Cabriolet version to fare just as well. Standard safety kit includes ESP including brake assist and hill hold features.

There are front airbags, side head-thorax airbags and roll-over protection. If the system detects you are going to roll, rollover bars will pop up from behind the rear head restraints protecting the driver and passenger.

Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet practicality levels are reasonably good considering that it is a 2+2 convertible. The exterior length has been extended by 152mm over the previous model, which means that there is an additional 12mm of headroom for front and rear passengers.

Space is still limited in the rear – small children may fit in but adults will struggle.

Thanks to the increase in size the Beetle gets more load space. There is an increase of 24 litres taking carrying capacity up to a maximum boot space of 225 litres.

The designers have even added a foldable wind deflector as an option. When the deflector is in use the rear most seats act as additional storage space. You get two glove compartments – an upper one designed to stow maps or smaller items and a lower one which has more depth and can carry more substantial items. The lower glovebox is also where the iPod connection is hidden.

The canvas hood slides open at the flick of a button. It opens in 9.5 seconds and closes in 11, working at speeds up to 31mph. Handy if it starts to rain and you need to close the roof while on the move.