Volkswagen BORA 1.8T SPORT RANGE
Volkswagens Turbocharged 1.8-Litre Engine Has Found Its Way Under The Bonnet Of The Bora In Both 150bhp and 180bhp guises. Many Will Be Tempted By The
Smart Sport Specification Andy Enright Checks Out Here..
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Volkswagen never had particularly high hopes for the Bora. Its predecessors, the Jetta and the Vento, had been nothing but rather ugly booted Golfs, and had suffered because we tend to like our hatchbacks with hatches in this country. If a small, premium saloon didnt have a
BMW badge on the bonnet, we werent interested. The Bora has changed that slightly.
Whilst not a runaway sales success, its done enough to keep things respectable and with the fitment of Volkswagens popular 1.8-litre turbocharged engine in two guises, it may do better still.
Now that the importers have gilded the lilly by offering Bora customers the 1.8T engine in both 150bhp and 180bhp states of tune, its easy to forget that before the original 150bhp unit was announced, there was a huge gap in the middle of the petrol-powered Bora line-up. Originally after all, there was nothing between the 115bhp 2.0-litre version and the 170bhp V5.
Now of course, things have changed. In 150bhp guise, the 1.8T unit will be familiar to anybody whos ever driven a similarly engined Volkswagen Golf, Passat, Sharan, Beetle,
Audi A3, Audi A4,
SEAT Alhambra,
Skoda Octavia and so on across the Volkswagen Group. This engine became something of a staple, a dependable item around which entire product lines could rotate and although its now being replaced in newer VW Group models, its still a strong performer.
Its good for 60mph in 8.7 seconds on its way to 134mph. A combined economy figure of just over 35mpg is a testament more to engine efficiency than the Boras inherent chubbiness: tipping the scales at over 1,250kg does not make for vivid acceleration. The turbos smooth whoosh in the mid range gives some recompense, but those who remember 150bhp as being a serious amount of power for a small saloon will have to adjust to a slightly more pedestrian gathering of pace.
"It makes cheaper alternatives look a bit redundant"
Of course, if thats the case, you could always opt for the 180bhp version. Here, the rest to sixty time falls to 8.2s and the top speed rises to 142mph. If youre interested in fuel consumption, youll achieve 32.
8mpg on the combined cycle. The drawback as ever is cost. In Sport guise, the 180bhp 1.8T model costs nearly £1,000 more than its 150bhp stablemate - £18,800 as opposed to £17,840.
The Sport variants come with climate control, a six-disc dash-mounted CD autochanger, seats with height and lumbar adjustment, front foglamps, walnut wood inserts, Le Castellet alloy wheels and velour upholstery. We all know about Volkswagens protestations that the Bora is more than a booted Golf. Is it? Well yes and no. Certainly, the company shares one platform and engine across a number of product lines.
And yes, it is a four-door version of the mkIV Golf hatchback. Having said all that, its also true to say that Volkswagens compact family four-door shares almost nothing with the family hatchback that sired it. The boldly styled front end, flared wheel arches and a lopped-off, chunky rear all make an aggressive fashion statement that has much more street cred than any Golf. Certainly, most will agree that the resulting profile is sharp enough to make the car a real quality alternative to lower order BMW 3 series saloons, Audi A4s and Alfa156s.
Nor is the Bora much smaller than these rivals. As weve suggested, it sits on the same platform as the Golf, but there are some big differences between the pair. A nine-inch advantage in length over the hatchback gives it one obvious advantage - load space. Luggage capacity is an impressive 16cu ft - almost 50 percent more than a mkIV Golf.
With the back seats folded, this rises to a cavernous 28cu ft - enough for three or four sets of golf clubs or anything else you may need to carry around. Drive the mkIV Golf GTi 1.8T and the Bora 1.8T back to back and youll appreciate the improved sound insulation of the booted car, but those living in areas cursed with a profusion of traffic calming measures would be better off with the Golf, the Boras softer front-end liable to deck into the ground at anything much above jogging pace.
Its hard to imagine anyone finding much to criticise about the interior. A wide screen area and low side windows make it bright and airy and the dash layout and controls from the Golf are functional and easy to use. The adjustable front seats and steering wheel mean drivers of all shapes and sizes can find a comfortable position. Only rear seat passengers may have cause to grumble.
They tend to lose out on head and legroom due to the huge boot. The 1.8-litre turbocharged engine seemed a strange omission from the original Bora line-up and now that both 150 and 180bhp versions of it are here the Bora is much the better for it. The unit goes about its business with surprisingly few chinks in its armour.
All right, so its not hugely quick in either form, but thats because youre hauling around additional kilos of Wolfsburg-branded quality that youll appreciate every time you ensconce yourself behind the Boras wheel. It may be an old favourite, but whichever way you specify it, the 1.8T engine is still good enough to make a powerful case for itself under the bonnet of this Bora.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Bora 1.8T Sport range
PRICES: £17,840-£18,800 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 197-206g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.9s / Max speed 134mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 35.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, ASR, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height ) 4376/1446/2018
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