Driving a legend - the all new Scirocco (From Bournemouth Echo)

Driving a legend - the all new Scirocco

4:24pm Friday 17th April 2009

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IT was 16 years ago when the last of the Sciroccos rolled off the production line. These were some of the last truly affordable compact coupes.

The new Scirocco has rounded curves and a low ride height, with wide flared rear wheel arches. The thin front grille and cut twin headlamps give a mean look leaving the Scirocco standing out from the crowd. This is a real head-turner and perfect for the stylishly minded.

The Scirocco shares the underpinnings from the Golf, but VW has widened the track by 59mm at the rear and 35mm to the front giving a much fatter and distinctive look.

Entering the cabin the feel is contemporary and stylish. The low-slung leather seats are extremely comfortable and supportive. The Scirocco does use the dashboard and switches from the Golf, but while sitting in the driver’s seat you only have to look in the driver’s side mirror and see the rear flared arches to remind yourself you are in a coupe.

There is a wealth of standard features, which include dual zone electronic climate control, ACC (Adaptive Chassis Control), 18-inch alloy wheels, multi function leather steering wheel etc. The model tested was also fitted with cruise control, DVD navigation with Dynaudio six CD Multiplay with iPod connection and upgraded Dynaudio speakers, which give fantastic acoustic reproduction. Also fitted is a panoramic roof, which sets off the styling beautifully and lets the sunlight flood in.

The Scirocco has plenty of head and legroom, however space is limited to four and rear adult passengers may find space a little tight as with all coupes. Rear boot space is 293 litres with the rear seats in place or fold them down and get 755 litres, ideal when nipping to the tip or carrying a couple of sets of golf clubs. Still, when buying a coupe you expect to loose some practicality. Coupes are all about standing out and the Scirocco certainly does that.

The Scirocco’s suspension is pretty much the same as the Golf GTI, but some components have been made from aluminium to help reduce weight, while the wider track also improves the car’s dynamics. With these changes in place the Scirocco is a different beast on the road – there is very little body roll, the damping is excellent leaving the rear of the car well planted even when cornering hard. The ACC system can be set to Comfort, Normal or Sport mode, with the dampers automatically adjusting to the cornering load. Select the Sport setting, and the power steering and throttle response are sharpened even further. The Scirocco turns in well, and it stays true to its cornering line.The ride is firm, but thanks to ACC, you can change the ride as you wish. Motorway refinement is good, too. Crucially, the Scirocco is also fast. The turbo’s punchy nature means the VW is responsive and rapid on A-roads.

The 197bhp 2.0-litre unit is mated to a slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox, which never seems to miss a trick. Zero to 60mph is achieved in 7.2 seconds with a top speed of 146mph where the law allows. The Scirocco produces a sensible 179g of CO2 and a combined 37.2mpg.

VW has continued its strong emphasis on safety and given the Scirocco six airbags and ESP as standard on all models.

Overall the new Scirocco is well rounded and delivers good driver feedback, there is plenty of performance and no doubt reliability won’t be an issue. Residual values look like they will be stronger than the Golf leaving the new Scirocco a sensible and stylish option.

If you are in the market for a coupe I would suggest you test-drive the Scirocco before making your decision.

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