VW launches frugal coupé

We all love a good coupé, but it's becoming more difficult to justify the extravagance to the world. VW could have the answer to the dilemma in the form of its new Scirocco GT 2.0 TDI 170.

As the name suggests, this Scirocco's 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine puts out 170PS (168bhp), but its defining number is the 258lb.ft of torque that is delivered from just 1,750rpm. Such a figure should result in real-world pace to beat even its GTI-engined siblings: the benchmark 0-62mph sprint takes 8.1 seconds, but that doesn't tell the full story.

VW offers buyers the choice of six-speed manual or DSG (dual-clutch automatic) transmissions. Both return broadly similar performance, though the manual car betters the DSG model in terms of efficiency, with 139g/km to the auto's 147g/km and a highly impressive 53.3mpg on the combined cycle.

In the UK, the high-performance diesel is only available in the highly specified GT model, which comes with auto lights and wipers, climate control, ESP and six airbags as standard, along with Adaptive Chassis Control to allow drivers to customise the car's character according to their mood.

The Scirocco 2.0 TDI 170 is available to order now, at £21,755 for the manual model or £23,060 when specified in DSG guise.

Shane O' Donoghue