Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI range
Prices: £19,815-£21,755 - on the road
Insurance Group: [TDI 140] 12
Emissions: 135-147g/km
Performance: [TDI 140] 0-60mph 9.3s / Max Speed 140mph [est]
Fuel Consumption: [TDI 140] (combined) 55.4mpg
Safety: Six airbags, ESP stability control, ABS with brake assist
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4256/1810/1404

SCHOOL OF ‘ROC

Our Rating: 7.7 / 10

Diesel engines and sports cars can be unhappy bedfellows but the Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI just about delivers the goods. Steve Walker reports.

The live wire Volkswagen Scirocco works a treat with its zingy petrol engines and less convincingly with its 2.0-litre TDI engine. The TDI Scirocco is still an extremely good car, however, and its low running costs should go down a storm with more level-headed buyers.

If you had to criticise Volkswagen’s Scirocco coupe, you’d ignore its sleek modernist styling and put its vivacious handling to the back of your mind. You’d claim instead that it’s little more than a less practical Golf hatchback in a smarter suit of clothes. The existence of a Scirocco fitted with Volkswagen’s worthy but dull 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine would appear to pile weight on to such an argument but what is the reality behind Volkswagen’s oil-burning coupe?

Back in 1974, when the first Giugiaro-penned Scirocco hit the showroom floors, diesels were engines you found only in trucks and this Volkswagen coupe was the affordable sportscar every schoolboy dreamed of along with Ford Capris and Opel Mantas. Yes, then, as now, it was little more than a Golf with a prettier coupe body, but it quickly established an identity of its own. There was no Volkswagen family face back then. Golfs, Passats and Sciroccos all looked markedly different at the front end and the Scirocco was the prettiest of the lot. It still is.

With a zingy turbocharged petrol engine installed, the Scirocco is nothing short of infectious. The underpinnings, as we’ve said, are familiar from the Golf but VW’s engineering trickery has succeeding in making the little coupe feel more than the sum of its parts – and the Golf itself is no slouch in the driving enjoyment stakes. In many cases, drivers will be predisposed to bond with the Scirocco, having been seduced by its pert and beautifully detailed exterior prior to lowering themselves inside. The TDI diesel definitely removes some of this sheen. It isn’t as sweet-sounding with a power delivery less linear than the petrol options and a less than thrilling 0-60mph acceleration time of 9.3s in 140PS form (or 8.1s in 170PS guise) but the essential vitality of the Scirocco remains. The 2.0-litre TDI might lag behind in a straight foot race to 60mph but with 320Nm of torque output even in 140PS guise, it has a mid-range surge of power that puts even th

The key to the advances made by the Scirocco centre around its dynamic aids. All models feature advanced adaptive chassis control offering three driver-selected settings – comfort, normal and sport. The system’s influence extends to the steering system: should ‘sport’ be selected, the steering firms up to provide more feel while ‘comfort’ mode makes the steering lighter and easier to operate at low speeds or around town. The TDI engine is mated to either a six-speed manual of Volkswagen’s excellent 6-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox which lets you select automatic mode or flick between ratios with the paddle shifters.

Inside the Scirocco, there’s a lot to grab the interest. A contoured, flat-bottomed sports steering wheel frames dials that glow white at night. The interior is airy and light, and the option of an electrically-operated panoramic sunroof further emphasises the feeling of spaciousness. There’s a reasonably wide boot aperture which opens up 292 litres of luggage space. Fold the split rear seats down and you’ve got 755 litres. The Scirocco features four, individual sculpted seats finished in a choice of either cloth or leather. The sports seats aren’t just restricted to those up front – the contoured rear seats feature integrated headrests to offer plenty of support. Proportions for the this car are classically short, low and wide although the dimensions betray its reliance on Golf mechanicals. The vehicle measures 4,256mm long, 1,404mm high and 1,810mm wide.

Many people expected this model to emerge as a classically lean and low sports coupe but the visual effect is closer to what you imagine the three-door Golf might have looked like if Volkswagen had given its designers carte blanche. Despite its somewhat stocky lines, the Scirocco is a great looking car that manages to purvey a futuristic feel. Volkswagen isn’t known for its stylistic innovation but this is one model where the marque has hit the nail on the head.

Scirocco customers are presented with