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July 5, 2008
A coupe worth waiting for
Volkswagen Scirocco is a hard-boiled hot hatch in sharp designer togs
By Edric Pan
HOWDY HANDSOME: The Scirocco is slightly longer than the Golf but sits closer to the ground. It has also done away with VW's trademark 'goatee' front trim. -- PHOTO: VOLKSWAGEN AG
LISBON, PORTUGAL - LIKE its 1970s namesake, the new Volkswagen Scirocco shares its platform and basic running gear with the Golf hatchback. But in proportion and form, it is like no other VW, present or past.
From its thrusting nose to its low, tapered glasshouse and voluptuous flanks, this car oozes attitude. It's not a big car (at 4.26m, it is just a bit longer than the Golf), but it is low and broad.
With a track which is 35mm wider than the Golf's in the front and 59mm wider at the rear, the Scirocco's stance is squat and purposeful.
Notably, the Scirocco has ditched VW's trademark 'goatee' front grille, and instead employs a slim black horizontal slatted opening to bridge the space between its wide-set headlamps. This visually lowers and broadens the front end, and is apparently VW's new corporate face.
There is less flair in the cabin though. The car shares the VW Eos convertible's upright, sober fascia. Perhaps a bespoke affair would have been more apt, given the visual drama of the exterior.
With its low, sloping roofline you would not expect the Scirocco to offer much cabin space but it is actually pretty accommodating. The rear seats are individually sculpted buckets so it's strictly a four-seater, but occupants will have more than enough room in every direction.
Two engines were available at launch: a 1.4-litre twin-charged (supercharged and turbocharged) unit putting out 160bhp, and the familiar 200bhp turbocharged 2-litre unit. Only the latter will be launched in Singapore.
Which is not a bad thing. In the Golf GTI, this engine has delighted us with its smooth, tuneful character, its effortless torque and its punchy, linear delivery. In fact, this engine must take most of the credit for the GTI's cult-car status among enthusiasts.
If anything, the engine performs even better in the Scirocco, which weighs about 50kg less than a three-door GTI. Coupled with VW's ever impressive dual-clutch DSG gearbox, it gives the car sparkling performance, with 100kmh being reached in 7.1 seconds and swift acceleration on tap from any speed.
While the Scirocco is adept at shrinking the straights, it also has a similar appetite for corners. The steering is light and could do with a tad more feel but the car responds keenly when the wheel is swivelled, darting into corners with little roll and remaining resolutely planted all the way around. Just like the GTI - but with even more poise and grip.
And if that's not enough, the Scirocco is available with an adaptive damping system as an option. Sensors assess the driving style and road conditions, and adjust damper stiffness to suit.
Apart from the default Normal setting, you can choose either Comfort or Sport mode. It is especially useful during hard driving, when the tighter body control and further resistance to roll in Sport mode impart a useful measure of additional agility to the car's behaviour.
Impressively, despite it being so driver-focused, the Scirocco's ride is decent - firm but comfortable - except in Sport mode, when things do get a bit jiggly.
The car will be here early next year and it's worth the wait. Germany may have lost the Euro 2008 final but its new coupe is a winner.
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While the Scirocco is adept at shrinking the straights, it also has a similar appetite for corners.
VW SCIROCCO 2.0 TSI
Price: To be announced
Engine: 1,984cc 16-valve inline-4 turbo
Transmission: Six-speed DSG with paddle shift
Power: 200bhp at 5,100rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,700-5,000rpm
0-100kmh: 7.1 seconds
Top speed: 235kmh
Fuel consumption: 7.6 litres/100km (city-highway)
Agent: Volkswagen Centre Singapore