Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI : SCHOOL OF `ROC

Expert Rating:

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 the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol unit in the shade.

"That the diesel engine doesn't rob the car of too much of its verve speaks volumesâ€¦"

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 the simple choice of standard or GT trim and, while the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine is only offered in standard models and the 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine comes only with the GT specification, the 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine (in 140PS guise at least) is available with both. The price differential is just under £1,000 and it gets GT customers larger alloy wheels, tinted windows, fog lights, a multi-function steering wheel, a trip computer and climate control. Requiring a budget at around the £20,000 mark, the 2.0-litre TDI models could be deemed rather expensive because they're only £500 less than the significantly more satisfying 2.0-litre TSI versions. In a wider context, however, the Scirocco looks attractively priced as it's positioned at less than £2,000 above an equivalent three-door Golf. These diesel models will sell to buyers looking for the Scirocco style but with half an eye on what it's going to cost them. It's the running costs that will seal the deal for Scirocco TDI buyers. How many other desirable sports coupes can return 55.4mpg on the combined cycle with emissions of 134g/km? Those are the figures for the 140PS variant but you won't see much change if you go for the more powerful 170PS TDI model. Volkswagen's petrol engines aren't too shabby in this regard but 43mpg from the 1.4 TSI and 37mpg from the 2.0 TSI aren't really in the diesel's league. Insurance starting from group 12 also gives the TDI an advantage over its petrol counterparts and residual values are predicted to be very buoyant. There's no doubt that running some sports cars can be a financially crippling business but the fact is that the Scirocco TDI isn't one of them. The car enthusiast would find something very disheartening about falling in love with the curvy lines of a compact sports car and then ordering it with a diesel engine but car enthusiasts tend not to live in the real world. The Volkswagen Scirocco TDI is a less exciting car than its pertrol-engined counterparts but it's still an exciting car. The diesel engine succeeds in making this variant significantly more affordable to run, particularly for high mileage drivers and if that means more people will be able to sample the delights of Volkswagen's small coupe, it's hard to knock it. This car is much more than a re-bodied Golf. It has desirability and an immediacy to its driving experience that the Golf can't replicate. That the diesel engine doesn't rob the car of too much of its verve speaks volumes both for the TDI powerplant and the basic rightness of the Scirocco. Your heart would still choose a petrol model but there's every chance of your head being turned by the diesel.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI range
PRICES: £19,815-£21,755 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: [TDI 140] 12
CO2 EMISSIONS: 135-147g/km
PERFORMANCE: [TDI 140] 0-60mph 9.3s / Max Speed 140mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [TDI 140] (combined) 55.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags, ESP stability control, ABS with brake assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4256/1810/1404