Great to drive but still not as good as
the cheaper Golf
The Third-generation Scirocco is five years
old, so Volkswagen has given it a mid-life face-lift to help it take the fight
to newer rivals such as the BMW 2 Series and Seat Leon Sc.
While
the Scirocco traditionally was a fastback coupe, the current generation is a
three-door hatch, and more of a shooting brake. More than 200,000 examples have
been sold since the third-gen Scirocco arrived for 2009, but the vehicle is a
bit unloved by the senior management in Wolfsburg, as it is one of the last
remnants of the somewhat baroque school of design practiced under exiled former
chief designer Murat Günak.
What’s it like to drive?
We drove the 182bhp 2.0-litre diesel and
the 276bhp r, both with the six-speed manual gearbox (a DSG auto is optional).
There’s a hint of diesel dirge on start-up and at lower revs, but refinement is
generally good.
Any engine drone at middling revs is masked
by a pleasant routines that is generated by an actuator between the engine bay
and the cabin.
The diesel engine is also a joy to rev to
the 5250rpm redline – it pulls hard all the way round the dial, while the slick
gear change adds to the driving enjoyment.
As you’d expect, the r’s engine is smoother
and acceleration is nothing short of brutal, although the power is delivered in
a linear fashion. Floor the pedal and there’s a pronounced turbo whoosh, while
the crisp rasp of the twin exhausts remind you to shift up a gear before the
engine hits the rev-limiter.
The
top-of-the-line Scirocco R receives a power boost from 261 to 276 horsepower. A
six-speed manual is standard with all engines, while dual-clutch automatics are
optional. And all models, with the exception of the R, are fitted with an
engine stop-start system.
Body control in both cars is good, with
responsive steering, plenty of grip and predictable handling on twisty B-roads.
The r has an electronic differential and lower suspension (as before), which
gives it supreme abilities when you’re pressing on, although it’s not quite as
planted as the latest Golf R.
What’s it like inside?
The dashboard is neater than before, with
new-look dials and a cluster of instruments above the centre console consisting
of stopwatch, turbo pressure and oil temperature gauges.
There are four trim levels - Scirocco, GT,
r-Line and r. The entry-level model comes with a touch-screen infotainment
system with DAB digital radio, Bluetooth and iPod and USB connections,
automatic lights and wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels, height-adjustable sports
seats and a leather-clad steering wheel.
Higher specs add sat-nav, larger wheels, parking
sensors and get different seats, while the r version has a bespoke body kit,
chrome-look door mirrors, bi-xenon headlights, 19-inch alloys, and Dynamic
Chassis Control.
The
Scirocco's front-wheel-drive chassis carries over unchanged, and this means
buyers still get the old but excellent PQ35 platform that sat under the MkVI
Golf and its kin. The bones are heavier overall than the latest MQB
architecture, but the Scirocco won't adopt that platform until the next full
redesign.
Interior space remains the same, which
means there’s plenty of space up front, but getting into either one of the two
individual rear seats can be tricky. Once there, though, space is good.
Should I buy one?
The lower-powered diesel (there are two)
will account for half of all Sciroccos sold in the UK, but it may struggle
against newer rivals. The Seat Leon SC, for example, is cheaper and quicker.
The Scirocco r has always been a convincing
package; it comes with plenty of kit as standard, and is thrilling to drive.
However the golf r is cheaper, cleaner, and faster still, so unless you prefer
the design of the Scirocco, it’s hard to recommend over its more powerful
hatchback sibling.
