GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

Car reviews - Volkswagen - Scirocco - R coupe

Launch Story

1 Feb 2012

VOLKSWAGEN'S sought-after Scirocco has finally arrived in Australia, five months after order books opened here and nearly four years after the slinky coupe first appeared in Europe.

Now available exclusively in flagship R guise, the Wolfsburg marque’s low-slung hero car hits Australian tarmac priced from $47,490, with the DSG semi-automatic version (which the brand expects to account for 90 per cent of sales) costing an extra $2500 at $49,990 plus on-road costs.

That makes the Portuguese-built three-door four-seater $2500 cheaper than the equivalently specified Golf R five-door hatch, with which it shares its turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain but not the Golf R’s all-wheel-drive configuration.

The three-door variant of the Golf R has been quietly discontinued Down Under to help make room for the Scirocco R and to reduce range complexity.

While the Scirocco hit European roads in 2008, managing director of the brand's Australian operations, Anke Koeckler, told GoAuto at the car's local launch that it had taken some time to convince Volkswagen’s German head office that two compact performance models could co-exist in a relatively small market like Australia, where the Golf GTI and R hot-hatches are unusually popular.



“We had to convince headquarters that there was still room for another performance car,” she said, “because we are very strong in the Golf GTI and the Golf R, and we didn't want to demonstrate just (sales) substitutions.



“The business case to convince them took a little while – at the end of 2009 we started negotiations to get the Scirocco into the country.”

Currently, GTI and R variants comprise 25 per cent and 10 per cent of total Golf sales respectively – far higher than the global average. Ms Koeckler said she did not expect the Scirocco R to attract as many sales as the more practical five-door Golf R.



“We are not seeking to have those figures for the Scirocco R, because Scirocco is really a car for two people, probably less for four people, so this limits already the people you are talking to,” she said.

Ms Koeckler also stated that supply issues from the factory were a factor in delaying the car's local debut. The brand has previously struggled with the supply of GTI versions of the Golf and Polo, with waiting lists blowing out to 12 months at the time of the latter's local release in late 2010.



“We wanted to have it (Scirocco) last year, but then there was a bit of limitation in the production so we said okay, that doesn't make any sense,” she said.



“We have to make sure we have enough production for what we are looking for, not having the same challenge as we did for the Polo GTI, and that was a reason why we postponed it a bit and did it right for 2012.”

Ms Koeckler said there were around 400 examples of the Scirocco R now in Australia, but conceded that orders for certain specifications – cars with specific colour and option combinations – could take up to six months to arrive.

The Scirocco R's 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder petrol engine delivers the familiar outputs (from the Golf R) of 188kW at 6000rpm and 330Nm of torque between 2500 and 5000rpm.

This engine can be matched to either six-speed manual or six-speed DSG dual-clutch automated manual transmissions, the latter with steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

Claimed combined fuel consumption is a relatively frugal 8.1 litres per 100km, corresponding to CO2 emissions of 189 grams per kilometre (8.2L/100km and 192g/km for the DSG).

As mentioned, the Scirocco has a front-drive configuration, rather than the heavier Haldex part-time all-wheel drive system from the Golf R, helping the coupe weigh 120kg lighter than its hatchback cousin at 1351kg (20kg heavier for the DSG).

Despite this, the Scirocco’s zero to 100km/h acceleration time of six seconds dead when fitted with the DSG (6.2 for the manual) is actually three-tenths slower than the grippier Golf.

Standard fare includes the XDL extended electronic front differential lock system found in the Golf GTI, which applies braking pressure on individual wheels to counter understeer.

Volkswagen Australia's newcomer also includes a specially tuned sports chassis comprising Adaptive Chassis Control suspension damping and 19-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/35 R19 Pirelli tyres.

Behind the front wheels sit 345mm ventilated brake discs (310mm at the rear) gripped by glossy black callipers.

Rear luggage space with the pair of rear seats upright is 312 litres – 37 litres more than in the Golf R, thanks largely to the lack of AWD architecture under the loading floor – expanding to 1006 litres with the rear pews folded.

The Scirocco shares its 2575mm wheelbase with the Golf R but is slightly longer at 4255mm (versus 4212mm for the Golf), wider (1820mm compared to 1785mm) and lower (1410mm v 1461mm). The Scirocco’s 1559mm rear wheel track is also 45mm wider than its hatchback cousin.

Standard safety gear includes six airbags, electronic stability and traction control, ABS brakes, electronic brake-force redistribution, hill start assist, optimised front head restraints and front seatbelt pretensioners and force-limiters.

The car’s low and wide front-end reflects the design motto “form follows function” (Volkswagen’s words, not ours), with three large air inlets containing large bumper louvres to help with brake and engine cooling.

Integrated into this nose are standard LED daytime running lights and bi-Xenon headlights with integrated indicators, static curve lighting and automatic levelling control.

The rear of the car is dominated by a subtle rooftop spoiler and a glossy black diffuser in the lower bumper surrounding chrome-tipped twin exhausts.

Other standard equipment includes rear parking sensors, automatic climate-control air conditioning, a touch-screen sound system with 3.5mm and USB auxiliary inputs, Bluetooth phone connectivity with audio streaming, auto-dimming mirrors and a tyre pressure monitor.

Optional extras include an RNS510 satellite-navigation system ($2500), a high-end Dynaudio Excite sound system ($1100) and a panoramic glass sunroof ($1800).

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

GoAuto can help you buy a new Scirocco

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Motor industry news

GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events.

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here