2010 Volkswagen Scirocco 1.4 TSI Images 
THE Scirocco is one of those cars which, providing you have any soul, you fall for at first sight.
It's slinky and it's sexy, all curves and crouched low to the ground, and the blazing Salsa Red body colour of the test car was the final sure touch to its sports coupe allure. So many vehicles lose much between the imagination of the design screen and the practicality requirements of the production line, but the distinctive Scirocco seems to have made it with many concepts still intact.
It's lower and longer than its much-desired kinsman, the Golf GTi, but is almost 10cm lower. An almost hooded-eyes look to the slashed lights dominates the front, which also features deep airdams and fine grille elements, while the high-sided flanks and frameless doors are the background for a pinch line arcing from just behind the front wheel arches to the rear lights to reflect the curve of the roof to the rear spoiler. Strong haunches and the big 17in alloys complete the powerful stance.
The fear may be that, with just a 1.4-litre engine under the bonnet, that visual promise will not be fulfilled, but fear not because this is a TSi unit.. Thus there is a belt-driven supercharger operating at lower engine speeds and a turbocharger coming in afterwards, so that there is very satisfying thrust from low down at around 1,000 revs to right up the scale. The standstill-to-62mph sprint is achieved in just eight seconds and the car is capable of 135mph. Some 1.4!
The six-speed manual box is quite long-geared but crisp, so you don't mind working it if you are looking for punch, and the benefit of that gearing, and the smallish engine, is that you enjoy good economy with the stirring performance - the official average return is more than 42mpg (I got 38mpg on a long, fairly aggressive motorway/rural roads run) with an extra-urban figure of 52.3mpg. The engine also puts out 154g/km of carbon dioxide, quite healthy.
The long mixed run provided the opportunity to explore Volkswagen's adaptive chassis control system, which offers you the choice of Comfort, Normal and Sport settings of suspension, steering and accelerator responses. As a result, the motorway cruise, employing the first two modes, was easy, calm and relaxed, particularly as the suppression of noise in the cabin is excellent. Generally it is limited to a little rumble off those big tyres, although you can enjoy a snort from the twin tailpipes if you give the car some gun.
The basis of the suspension system is taken from the Golf but with springs, dampers and anti-roll especially tuned, and turning off on to the country and hills section of the drive was the time to check out the Sport switch. The Scirocco is quite wide-tracked and has a very low centre of gravity, and the confidence with which it handled some pacey but weaving roads was most impressive, with grip and agility aplenty. An electronic stability programme is standard.
You are sat quite low and near to the Tarmac, of course, which is always good for the senses, and there is fine grip and support from the sports seats which still feel comfortable. There is height adjustment to go with the reach and rake choices for the sporty, flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Information is very well laid out in the cleanest of presentations, although I would have liked the info touch screen, here also featuring the optional satnav, to have been set a little higher.
Then there is the problem of the all-round visibility, a recurring one in cars of this type. The low nature of the car and the high waistline produce a letterbox-type view at the sides, and particularly the rear corners, the rear-view mirror outlook is restricted, too, and front angles are slightly hindered by the A pillars.
Otherwise, the quality of materials is Volkswagen high and the decor, with a scattering of chrome and brushed aluminium highlights, is attractive. Driver and front passenger are well off for room, but things are tighter for the pair at the back, both in head and leg space. Access to the rear is not too bad because of the memory/sliding front seats, although the low roofline means some agility is demanded.
Equipment levels in the Scirocco are quite good, including semi-automatic air conditioning, front, side and curtain airbags, electric front windows, automatic driving lights, rain sensor, leather grips, a cooled and lockable glovebox and a front armrest with storage and cup holders and an eight-speaker sound system for the touch-screen operated radio/ player which is MP3 compatible with multi-device interface.
There is also a split/folding rear seat, so extra luggage capacity is available over the standard boot, which has fair capacity but which, because of the high lip, is of the drop-in variety.
Since its launch - or, perhaps, relaunch because VW had a similarly-named car 30 years ago - the new Scirocco has picked up a stack of international awards and that is totally understandable. It's a little cracker in its handling, firepower, economics and green credentials and personality, the best thing VW has done for ages, and it costs under £20,000 for this 1.4 TSi version (there are also a 2.0 TSi and two turbo diesels, as well as a GT). Not totally practical for day-to-day life, agreed, but great fun.
FAST FACTS
Volkswagen Scirocco 1.4 TSi
Price: £19,660
Mechanical: 160ps, 1,390cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 135mph
0-62mph: 8.0 seconds
Combined mpg: 42.8
Insurance group: 14
CO2 emissions: 154g/km
BIK rating: 15%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles