For me, the Volkswagen Scirocco has always been a ‘dunno’ car because I could never make up my mind whether I liked the shape or not.

I have always had reservations about the rear design, preferring the aesthetics of its cousins the Golf GTI or the R32.

However, I have to admit that having driven the flagship Scirocco R, my opinion has changed.

The front of the car looks awesome and the back actually looks great with a larger roof-edge spoiler and prominent black diffuser.

I still have a tiny issue with the design because the small rear windows and sloping roof makes sitting in the back, where there is already little legroom, a bit claustrophobic.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that this is one brilliant car to drive, with enough grunt to give the driver the feel of a quality sports car.

The Scirocco, named after a desert wind, has actually been around for 40 years and is apparently the best selling Volkswagen coupe of all time.

This latest incarnation has been given some subtle design tweaks from its predecessor with bits taken from the Golf including the blades in the deep front air intakes and LED daytime running lights, but, importantly, it also has a more potent engine, making this the most powerful Scirocco ever built.

Its turbo charged, four-cylinder two-litre TSI engine, as used in the racing version of this car, has 255bhp and more than respectable torque of 350nm which is enough to get this front-wheel drive car from 0-100kmh in around six seconds, not exactly mind blowing, but good for a car in this sector.

The shape of it does actually grow on you and with those lovely optional 19-inch Talladega type alloy wheels, it does look the business and it is definitely a head-turner.

The interior of the car is also high-quality without being lavish.

The leather sports seats are supportive, and the soft-touch materials used are as good as plastic gets.

There is also a leather trimmed multi-functional steering wheel, leather gear-lever and stainless steel pedals.

The instrument cluster is simple yet modern and the infotainment, operated via a touch screen, is good with an excellent audio system.

As already mentioned, the real joy of the Scirocco R is the way it drives.

It’s lively, very responsive, has a perfectly balanced sports chassis with assured handling, and the noise from the engine and double-flow exhaust system is worthy of a much more powerful car.

Our test vehicle had the optional duel-clutch, six-speed gearbox which was also impressive and the paddle-shifts just add to the fun of driving this hugely entertaining car.

I was a little irritated by the fact that the boot could only be opened by the button on the key fob and not manually, and the rear-parking sensor was useless; it needs a proper camera.

Overall, I loved driving the Scirocco R.

It is not ideal for a family because of the lack of space in the back, but for younger drivers looking for a cool performance car, it is perfect.

The Golf GTI is still the car of choice for many VW fans but I would urge those guys to give the Scirocco R a test drive.

They may never look back.

Why Buy It

• It’s a cool looking car
• VW quality
• It’s potent and fun to drive
• Good engine
• Great handling

Why Not

• The nature of its unique design restricts the amount of room in the back and it is a little boy-racerish.

 

Scirocco R – Specifications

Manufacturer : Volkswagen
Production : 2009 to present
Class : Hot-hatch
Body style : Four-seater
Layout : Front-wheel drive
Engine : 2-litre turbo
Output : 255bhp
Torque : 350nm
0-100km : 6 seconds (approx)
Transmission : Six-speed automatic with paddle-shifts
Kerb weight : 1344kg
Top speed : 250kmh
Price : From Dh136,717

Rating out of 10: 8

 

Here is the official advert for the Volkswagen Scirocco R