It’s nice to see petrol making a comeback along with the current motor sales in Ireland. Granted, sales of petrol are still in the minority counting for less than 27% overall, but consumers are beginning to see the light again and choosing petrol over diesel once again. It is always a real pleasure however, when your test car happens to pack a 220bhp 2.0 litre Turbo powered petrol engine and just happens to be wrapped in a particularly striking coupe body in the shape of the Volkswagen Scirocco.
The Scirocco has quite the heritage. The first generation of this Golf based coupe arrived in the mid 1970’s and was designed by none other than Giorgetto Guigiaro. A man that also penned the likes of the Ferrari 250 Berlinetta and original Maserati Ghibli.
Finished in ‘Pure White’ and sitting on 18 inch ‘Lisboa’ diamond cut alloys complete with contrast black tinted panoramic sunroof, it looks every inch of its performance credentials. It’s also the latest facelift model which receives a revised front and rear end with a sharper light design (LED rear lights now as standard), a more contoured boot line and a race style honeycomb grille. All of these subtle modifications combine to give the sporty coupe an even more aggressive appearance.
On the road, dynamics remain strong. Despite being built on the old Golf platform, the Scirocco feels as poised and agile as ever showing its true hot hatch colours. The 350Nm of torque is delivered with a thump lending itself to quite an intense driving experience, making entering and exiting corners a particularly swift and fun experience. Putting its driving credentials aside for a moment, the Scirocco remains a truly usable coupe. The sloping roofline means it lacks a little in head space in the rear but legroom is ample. It still packs a 312 litre boot which will happily take the kids buggy and weekly shopping with no drama. If required, you can still drop the rear seats to create an impressive 1006 litre of space.
Even before the most recent facelift, the Scirocco had aged exceptionally well and is still a car that demands the odd head to be turned. That said, its interior has remained largely unchanged over time. While it still pack the quality interior you expect from a Volkswagen, despite a new infotainment system with touch screen, a sporty new instrument cluster that sits at the top of the centre console and a new steering wheel design taken straight from the Golf 7 in an attempt to lift the cabin, its design is still feels like it lacks the modernity and more premium feel that you get from a Golf 7’s interior.
Starting with on OTR (on the road) price of €27,720 for the entry level 1.4 TSI with 125bhp, the Scirocco represents good value for money. If you want the true performance to match its style however, I would highly recommend stretching to 2.0 TSI with 220bhp for €32,990. The tax is only an additional €80 per annum and it’s not as thirsty as you would think consuming just 6.0l/100km (or returning 47mpg). Yes the Golf GTI does represent as a more rounded practical choice, but if you really don’t require the space, the Scirocco offers a sporty edge that makes it a very appealing option.
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