At this point, the Beetle had gone from being a hit on the auto-show circuit to languishing on dealers' lots.
Despite a heart transplant in the form of a new turbocharged engine, the Beetle devolved into being merely a statement . While it drives reasonably well, the car suffers inherent deficiencies. Ride is unsettled and moves about with body flex over most bumpy surfaces. Further, wind noise is horrendous, even at modest speeds. Fuel economy of 27 mpg is nothing special. Emergency handling could be scary.
Built-in limitations of the two-door body style and lousy visibility compound the problems.