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Volkswagen Scirocco review by Top Gear

You know how we love the Golf GTI. Now imagine a car that drives a little better, looks far better, and hardly costs more

  • Comfort

    A firm chassis of course, but the adaptive dampers and low-slung seats mean the Scirocco’s ride doesn’t feel too turbulent. The seats are terrific, but there’s a headroom shortage in the back. There’s also a fair bit of wind and road noise at speed, especially with the optional glass roof.

    Rated 7 out of 10
  • Performance

    There's a 1.4-litre TSI, two two-litre turbo four-pots with either 197bhp (as seen in the Golf GTI) or 260bhp in the R, plus a 2.0-litre TDI. While the 197bhp 2.0T engine might be broadly the same as the GTI's, the torque arrives earlier, making it seem quicker (though it hits 62mph in 7.2s, the same as the Golf). It's a bit inert when you really start to go mental, but you still come away with the sense that if you had to have a car that spans a multitude of situations, the Scirocco would be it. Since the 1.4TSI comes with Volkswagen's 'Twincharger' system (meaning it boasts both a supercharger and turbocharger), it's lively and responsive despite it's diminutive size. The 2.0TDI is fast-revving and punchy and sounds pretty rorty too. Not as clean and sweet as the petrol, but not rattly and never strained either. The 260bhp 2.0 in the R feels punchier than the 197bhp You can feel the extra oomph, and yes, it is empirically really very quick indeed (0-62mph in 6s and 155mph) but most of the time, the noise and the power delivery is lacking that little extra something. And that something is joy.

    Rated 7 out of 10
  • Cool

    Remember the impact the Audi TT had first time around? The Scirocco has that, but without trying too hard.

    Rated 8 out of 10
  • Quality

    If you’ve been in other modern VWs you’ll spot the parts sharing, but so what? That means you know the stuff works well and feel good to the touch. Only the interior door trim is a bit cheapo. As you drive, the bodyshell feels like it’s one solid ingot. It looks like that sort of quality from the outside too.

    Rated 8 out of 10
  • Handling

    All Scirocco's get VW's excellent ACC (adaptive chassis control) which lets you choose from three settings: 'comfort' for motorways, 'sport' for speed, and 'normal' for everything else. The ACC adjusts three things: the throttle map for better response, the steering for better feel and the damping for better control of Scirocco's mass. And it works. The VW driving vibe remains, but the car is a Golf GTI expanded to be 25 per cent better. It turns in precisely, suffers from less roll and lets you exploit the power.

    Rated 7 out of 10
  • Practicality

    It's a strict four-seater, although thanks to using the Golf's platform, room in the back is generous for a coupe. Rear head room, though, will be an issue for most adults and the rear headrests block the already small rear screen. Plus, if you sit in the back, there's virtually no vision and the blindspots will hide suburbs. At 292 litres, the boot isn't bad for a weekend toy, beating the likes of the Nissan 370Z for size.

    Rated 6 out of 10
  • Running costs

    Something this in-demand won’t depreciate, surely. And group 16 insurance even for the 200bhp model ain’t too bad if you say it quickly. CO2 is 179, less for the diesel and 1.4 of course. On variable servicing, you might be ableto get up to 18,000 miles interval. But not driving it the way we would.

Article source: www.topgear.com