New VW Scirocco is a smooth operator

It isn't often that car-makers will wait almost a generation before launching the next version of one of their cars, yet that's precisely what Volkswagen did with its Scirocco. And the latest incarnation takes all that was good about the original and brings it bang up to date.

To delve into Scirocco's history, work on the car began in the early 1970s, and it used the same basic platform and underpinnings that would be used by the Golf and Jetta. Styled by Giorgetto Giugario, that original Scirocco, and a face-lifted second version, stayed in production until the early 1990s, when it was discontinued. In 2008, a new Scirocco was relaunched with a new shape - a two-door shell, front wheel drive, lowered and sportier suspension - and was very well received.

A lot of it stays intact in the latest model, but the fun part is what lies beneath: under the bonnet is a new version of the group's four-cylinder turbo engine, here in the exceptionally efficient TSI guise, driving through a six-speed gearbox. 

A new, shapely style

It is a much more fluid and muscular body than the hard-edged original, with a pronounced waistline and narrowing cabin, which emphasises the widened rear track. The windows flick up towards the rear over the high shoulder-line and the roof slopes gently at the back, ending in a spoiler. It is a well-resolved and particularly effective piece of design, and now wears the VW corporate face too. My test car was finished in a bright metallic silver, set off nicely by 18" ‘Interlagos' multi-spoked alloy wheels.

At the rear, the bumper is deep and chunky with a diffuser element to the lower edge, flanked on one side by twin, chromed tailpipes. The styling restricts the size of the tailgate, which opens to reveal a slightly awkward aperture. However, once you lift things over the high lip there's a useful 292 litres of space. The backs of the rear seats can be folded forward, increasing the capacity to 755 litres, although it is still not a car for lugging large and bulky items.

Designed for the thrill of the ride

This is a car focused on the driver and the joy of the journey. Turbo-charged and inter-cooled, the four-cylinder unit produces 210bhp and 280Nm of torque. Thanks to the turbo, power is always available and there is very little lag. However, it also has that rising surge of power that makes turbo engines so addictive, and can provide plenty of excitement when called upon to do so. Volkswagen have clearly learnt a lot about managing exhaust notes, and my test car had a particularly loud and fruity rasp.

As seems to be the case with almost all cars nowadays, you can change the nature of the drive by choosing one of three different settings provided by Volkswagen's Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC). Normal is self-explanatory and Comfort is best for motorway travel. It gets exciting when you press the switch for Sport - the suspension, steering and accelerator responses all sharpen noticeably. Sport offers taut, crisp handling and the accelerator becomes much more aggressive, a precision tool that will let you sprint to 100kph in 7.6 seconds and on to a top speed of over 230kph. Thanks to the combination of turbo and DSG (six-speed, dual-clutch gearbox), this acceleration is delivered in one long, almost seamless rush.

Although the ACC system is sourced from the Passat, the rest of the underpinnings for the Scirocco is pure Golf GTI. The Scirocco actually sits 10mm lower, and uses recalibrated springs and anti-roll bars. Keeping everything in check is standard-fit traction control and ESP, along with Hydraulic Brake Assist, ABS and an Electronic Differential Lock, all of which make for a smooth and controlled ride.

Inside, the Scirocco is pretty much standard-issue Volkswagen, almost all black with a few aluminium highlights. There is room for four adults in bucket seats, which are very well contoured and supportive. The driver's seat is electrically adjustable, with an anti-whiplash design and a tilt-and-slide function to allow people into the back. 

Gizmo central

The 2.0 TSI spec that I was driving came with a decent amount of kit, including Climatronic auto dual zone air conditioning, automatic wipers and Xenon, swivelling headlights, integrated front fog-lamps, powered and heated door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, multi-functional computer, rear-view camera and park distance control.

Set into the standard centre console is a touch-screen Multi-function SatNav display with Bluetooth and MP3 compatibility. It also has a 30GB hard drive, an SD card reader, iPod connection and DVD playback should you ever tire of the driving experience. Which seems unlikely.

The Scirocco is one of those cars that seems to work on an almost intuitive level. The major controls were linear and well-weighted, the buttons and switchgear mostly logical, except that the use of a ‘Start' button means there's nowhere to store the key so it rattles around in the cup-holder along with your phone. And rattle it will - the Scirocco loves to be driven, and the twistier the road, the better. You never forget that the engine has a turbo - getting off the line is a leisurely affair, but once rolling, it hauls like a train.

It will also tug the wheel around if you give it full beans and full lock at the same time, but drive judiciously and it will reward your temperance with strong, smooth delivery.

Perhaps the best part of the Scirocco is the way it looks. It manages to combine a curvy, coupé body with four-seat hatchback practicality, and there's nothing else on the road that looks even remotely like it.

If you're going to avoid the mainstream, this is a very tempting tributary indeed to follow.