Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TSI GT 200PS | Road Test Review

“You don’t have to believe in Santa
Claus for good things to come your
way — and there’s no need to walk in
the Winter Wonderland this Chrismas
if you have the keys to a glistening,
monstrously enjoyable and brilliant
to drive Volkswagen Scirocco...”

IT'S COOL, IT'S SEXY AND IT DOESN'T END THERE. Because Volkswagen has produced a sporting hunk of kit that drives as good as it looks. We're talking, of course, about the new Scirocco. Driving one, as we quickly found, attracts immediate and intense interest — much like the impact the original Audi TT generated when it first appeared in the UK. Only more so. For maximum impact go for Candy White — finished in this coolest of colours, the Scirocco almost leaps off the road!

A classily-styled, three-door sports coupé with more than a passing nod to family car practicality. Yes, really. With four individual seats and a fair-sized boot, the Scirocco can be family-friendly — a gift everyone can enjoy. If you're one of those drivers who must know where every nut, bolt and switch has been sourced, you'll be happier for knowing that the Scirocco is based on the underpinnings from next year's (2009) Golf Mk VI. If, however, you prefer to judge solely on the basis of how it performs, the Scirocco will impress you. Very much indeed.

And if you're a person whose head and heart need to be reassured, then the Scirocco will also satisfy on both those counts. Our test car was the range-topping 2.0 TSI GT, priced at what seems an unbelievably keen Ł20,499. Not only is that a powerfully persuasive price for a competent 198bhp sporting coupé that runs to 146mph and hits 62mph from standstill in 7.2 seconds but, given the sporty performance, CO2 is a fairly-green 179g.

Fuel consumption is unexpectedly good too: 37.2, 26.6 and 47.9mpg respectively for combined, urban and extra-urban. Our test average didn't drop below 31.8mpg and we have to admit that we weren't trying to save petrol — and our test miles included mainly town driving.

Visually it's striking, with palpable street presence. But you have to see it in the metal to really appreciate its charisma. A wide two-tier grille with a honeycomb-style lower 'mouth' dominates the sculpted body, the strong face flowing symmetrically backwards into hugely muscular rear flanks that are dramatically emphasised by the roofline tapering into the rear side windows ahead of the tailgate — styling elements that give the Scirocco a sporty and deeply purposeful stance.

Sharp-eyed Volkswagen fans will spot the new position of the VW roundel on the bonnet — usually, on VWs, it's on the grille. Clever design flourishes include the two subtle roof blisters that cover the tailgate hinges — fitted externally to maximise headroom in the rear cabin — at the end of the roof and running purposefully into the tailgate's roof spoiler.

In measurement terms, the proportions are classic coupé — short, low and wide. In millimetres, that's 4,256 long, 1,404mm high and 1,810mm wide. And, thanks to a long wheelbase (measuring 2,578mm) it's physically bigger inside than you would imagine when first seen from outside.

The interior is light and airy; made even more so by the optional electric tilting panoramic sunroof (Ł630) fitted to our test car. How about this for attention to detail: the sunblind for the sunroof even has side 'bellows' that make sure no glare (or draught) intrudes from the sides when the roof is in the tilt position. Cabin ergonomics are fine — after all, it's a Volkswagen and it's impossible to go wrong with a VW interior. The dials and switchgear are all clear, situated exactly where you expect to find them and foolproof in use. The dash is smart and a single cowl caps the main instrument pack housing a large speedometer and rev-counter, two smaller secondary gauges — all of which are elegantly finished with slim chrome bezels — and a driver's information digital display.

Lots of satin chrome highlights and first class build quality everywhere you look adds to a cabin that's easy to live with. A nice touch is being able to customise the settings for, among other things, automatic door locking, convenience lights and automatic mirror adjustment (when reversing). Also indispensable during the summer months is the chilled glovebox.

The cabin is fitted with four individual and terrific low-slung well-shaped sports seats to ensure that the driver (and three passengers) are comfortably located when the Scirocco is being driven as its designers fully intended. Standard upholstery is cloth; but leather is a Ł1,535 option that includes ribbed heated front sports seats with electrically adjustable driver's seat lumbar support (that is particularly good) and front passenger lumbar adjustment along with the 'Vienna' grade leather.

There's generous space for front seat occupants but, due to the sweeping roofline, rear space is fine only if you're under six feet tall. That said, you can seat two adults of average build with relative comfort in the back seats for fairly long trips. Rear passengers over six foot will find the roof rather too close for comfort. Wide opening doors and easy entry sliding seats provide straightforward access to the rear seats. Yet another admirable example of attention to detail: the easy-entry seats always returned to their original position. Although not obvious from outside, the rear windows are fixed; the front windows are electric and have auto one-shot up/down operation.

Quality seating is not just reserved for the driver and front passenger; the contoured rear seats offer plenty of support and, like the front seats, have integrated headrests. However, even with their cut-out centre sections, these do somewhat impede the driver's rearward vision and we very much appreciated the rear parking sensors when parking up in busy superstore car parks. Talking of which, forward and front-side visibility is very good, and the Scirocco is very easy to place accurately on the road.

Definitely worth a mention is the amazingly easy to use touchscreen SatNav that also, when you're stationary, plays DVDs. A Ł1,180 option, it comes with a 6.5-inch colour screen, 30GB hard drive, SD card reader, MP3, WMA and DVD video files compatibility, with AUX-in socket for connection to external multimedia source. And it's worth every penny. Touch the screen and the view jumps from aerial to close-up — so close you can almost see the net curtains twitching. And directional commands are always perfectly timed (even in central London) and clear-cut. Also due some praise is the excellent on-screen display for the optical parking system. Brilliant. And we quite liked the single warning 'beep' when reverse gear is initially engaged.

While the rear headrests are fixed, the rear seatbacks (split 50:50) aren't — fold them down and the boot's 292 litres of luggage space is converted into a useful 755-litre load bay loadable through a reasonably wide boot aperture. For the record, four people's luggage will fit easily into what is a surprisingly big boot for such a compact sized sports coupé.

Belted-up in the low-set, highly-supportive front seat, with a grippy, contoured flat-bottomed sports steering wheel that feels just great to hold (it also has generous reach and rake adjustment), the driver feels a core component of the Scirocco. Like the front passenger's seat, the driver's has five-stage heating and it is a great place to change gear from, too — the six-speed manual 'box is slick-changing whether you're going up or coming down the gears. Cabin ambience is also refined, especially so at the legal limit when cruising motorways.

Okay, so that about does the due diligence on everything — apart from how it drives. The finest part, so they say, is best savoured last. And it is. But before we get to the dynamics, a word about the powerplant under the Scirocco's broad bonnet. The 2.0 TSI model tested here is powered by a derivative of the four-cylinder, 16-valve unit used in the Golf GTI and features direct injection technology with a turbocharger and intercooler. The smooth-revving, 1,984cc engine pumps out 198bhp and 207lb ft between 1,700 and 5,000rpm.

Pull away and give it some stick and you're instantly aware of the torque as the rev-counter needle zips cleanly round to 6,000rpm and you fast forward to 62mph in 7.2 seconds. Hot stuff, and enough to remind you that the Scirocco is named after a North African wind. Another reminder: power reaches the road through the front wheels via a six-speed manual 'box.

Although the engine is red-lined at 6,500rpm, the muscular 'grunt' is such that you feel more than satisfied changing up as much as 1,000rpm short of that. And while the engine lets you know its there when it's being worked hard, the mechanical sounds that do make it into the otherwise quiet cabin (and the throaty tones of the exhaust) are pleasurable, but never intrusive.

Dynamically, the front-wheel drive Scirocco is as good as its looks promise. Particularly in 2.0 TSI GT guise, the performance and handling combination is well-judged and will be sure to please everyone who gets behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel. The question on most people's lips is: With Golf underpinnings, does the Scirocco drive just like the Golf GTI? Well, in some respects Yes. But there's not the slightest thing wrong with that. However, the Scirocco has an ace up its sleeve — an ace called 'Adaptive Chassis Control'.

ACC alters the dynamics of the car depending on the road and driver's driving style. And it does so in such a way as to provide impressive poise and grip without harming ride comfort. Left in Standard mode, the system works to deliver the optimum mix of chassis agility and comfort at all times. Select Sport mode and the steering assistance is reduced, the damping is hardened and the throttle responses are sharpened — perfect for either twisty roads or track driving. In Comfort mode, the damping is softened and the steering assistance increased — but still fairly well weighted — to provide a smooth and controlled ride best suited to motorway driving, where it proved itself to be utterly stable and tracked totally true.

Behind the ACC's four electrically-adjustable dampers is a chassis set up to provide a keenly-judged blend of comfort and beautifully balanced handling. Body control is well managed and the Scirocco is satisfyingly agile, grips superbly in corners, is swift across country and can be punted along twisting B-roads with real verve. While we tried all three ACC settings, we found Comfort gave a very smooth ride and was also the best suited to the poorly-maintained surfaces that make up the bulk of Britain's roads — and with no degradation in sharpness or driveability.

The Scirocco also comes with a set of powerful brakes that haul down your speed with minimal drama. A tad over-sharp at first acquaintance, you quickly adjust and from then on in they're very good indeed. All of which make the Scirocco a very easy car to drive rapidly and safely.

Not only is the Scirocco GT model well priced, it's also well specc'd with very elegant 10-turbine-blade 'Interlagos' 18-wheels shod with 235/40 rubber, front sports seats, 2Zone electronic climate control, touchscreen radio/dash-mounted MP3 compatible six-disc CD autochanger (with eight speakers and AUX-in socket plus a multi Device Interface with USB and iPod connection cables), 'squared-off' multifunction sports leather steering wheel, multifunction computer, cooled glovebox, heat-insulated tinted glass from the B-pillar back, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, automatic lights and rain-sensing wipers, power-assisted speed-sensitive steering, heated and electrically-adjustable door mirrors, electric front windows and front fog lights.

In addition there's a complete set of safety features that includes whiplash-optimised front head restraints, six airbags (driver's and front passenger's airbags with passenger's airbag deactivation switch, curtain airbag system for front and rear passengers and front side airbags), Electronic Stabilisation Programme with Electronic Differential Lock and ASR (Traction Control) and ABS with Hydraulic Brake Assist, height adjustable front seat belts and, of course, the Adaptive Chassis Control.

Volkswagen has really hit the spot with this new Scirocco. Not only will lucky owners love driving it but — pre-Scirocco — if you wanted a really-good-to-drive set of wheels around the Ł20K mark your only option was a hot hatch. Now you not only have a choice; but a superb choice that delivers stand-out looks with an entertaining driving experience at a tantalisingly appealing price. Thank you, Santa — sorry… Volkswagen! — MotorBar

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