Volkswagen Scirocco (2008-2018) Review

For some people, the form of things is more important than the function, and it’s for those people that the Volkswagen Scirocco was designed. Yes, it’s not as practical or as versatile as the Golf hatchback on which it’s based, but it’s a sight more glamorous, it’s even more desirable, yet it still has four seats capable of seating adults, and a big boot. 

Like the Volkswagen Golf, it’s also really impressive on build quality, and it’s also fun-yet-comfortable on the road, albeit with a slightly sportier edge. Yes, there are various premium coupe rivals that deliver a similar blend of fun, style and desirability, but few combine these factors with practicality and civility as well as the Volkswagen Scirocco does. A very solid choice for buyers who want a glamorous all-rounder.

As a premium-badged coupe based on the all-conquering Volkswagen Golf, the Scirocco had a variety of rivals ranging from genuine bespoke coupes to jumped-up three-door hatchbacks. Sitting in the former category would be cars such as the Audi TT, while sitting in the latter would be rivals such as the Vauxhall Astra GTC and BMW 1 Series Coupe (this last one looks more like a saloon than a hatchback, but you get the picture). You could also put the Hyundai Veloster and Peugeot RCZ in there.

Being based on the Golf of the time, you wouldn’t expect the Volkswagen Scirocco to struggle in providing a classy environment for its occupants, and so it proves. 

The materials used are every bit as high-grade as those in the Volkswagen Scirocco’s hatchback sibling, so there are plenty of soft-touch surfaces, along with metallic trims on the dashboard, door pulls and air vents to add an extra touch of class. One or two tougher surfaces are detectable lower down if you really hunt for them, but they’re tucked away out of sight if you don’t. 

What’s more, there’s real solidity about the way everything is assembled, which not only contributes to the sophisticated atmosphere, but it also gives the car a built-to-last feel. All versions get a chunky, leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the various trim grades get differing upholstery, but they all feel posh.

To begin with, the entry-level Scirocco came with a stereo that used a 5.0-inch touchscreen interface and also came with Bluetooth, a CD changer (remember those?) and an FM/AM radio. The GT version and above got an upgraded system with a 6.5-inch display and sat-nav, and later on in 2012, this higher-spec system was made standard across the board. It was also updated in 2014 to incorporate DAB radio, Volkswagen never made it as far as applying Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The system may be a little dated by modern standards, but for the time, it was really good. The shortcut buttons and logical controls made it relatively easy to use, while the software was fairly slick and the graphics were reasonably sharp.

If you were that concerned about practicality, you’d buy a Golf instead, but even so, the Volkswagen Scirocco does better here than you might imagine. 

The front seats have loads of space - as is almost always the case with modern cars - and while the two rear chairs are a wee bit snug on headroom, there’s a surprisingly generous amount of rear legroom. Six-foot passengers might have to scooch down in their seat a bit to fit, but fit they will, and in reasonable comfort. 

Getting in and out will take some contortionism, though, due to the slender space between the door frame and driver’s seat that you have to clamber through, and if you do manage to wedge child seats into the back, this will also make loading small children rather difficult. 

The boot is bigger than you might think, though, so weekend trips away aren’t out of the question. There’s a large lip that you’ll have to muscle heavy items over before dropping them in the other side, but that’s the case on all cars like this. The rear seats are split 50-50 and fold down to let you increase your cargo-carrying capacity, but the backrests don’t lie flat.

The Volkswagen Scirocco dimensions are 4256mm long, 1810mm wide and 1404mm tall.

The turbocharged engines on offer in the Volkswagen Scirocco changed quite a bit throughout the car’s lifetime, with regular tweaks to power outputs and efficiency figures. 

The entry-level 1.4 petrol, for instance, started life with 122PS, and was later hiked to 125PS. Either way, it was nice and flexible, making it easy to drive, but it wasn’t particularly fast, so it suits those who want the Scirocco for its looks and not its speed. 

Another 1.4 with 160PS was also offered and this felt a good bit perkier, so we reckon this is the one that’ll suit most drivers. We never tried the 180PS version of the 2.0-litre petrol engine, but it was also available with outputs of between 200PS and 220PS depending on the age of the car, and these were absolutely fabulous. 

They gave the Volkswagen Scirocco proper hot-hatch pace (not surprising when these were the same engines found in the Golf GTI) and not only were they strong, smooth and effortlessly flexible, they were also keen to rev and they sounded great. The 2.0-litre petrol engine in the R, meanwhile, had either 265PS or 280PS depending on when it was built, but we never got to try this version.

The diesels were also pretty brisk. The entry-level one had between 140PS and 150PS depending on build date, and the higher-powered option developed between 170PS and 184PS. However, their inherent reluctance to rev meant they didn’t feel as overtly sporty as the petrol, so these are best if you’re after a relaxed cruiser rather than a hot-hatch beater.

Most versions were offered with a choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox or Volkswagen’s twin-clutch DSG automatic. Both are ace, frankly, delivering satisfyingly slick shifts.

All of the Volkswagen Scirocco’s petrol engines serve up their performance in a really smooth and cultured way. Even the small ones don’t sound too harsh when you rev them hard, and you won’t be subjected to too much in the way of vibration, either.

The 2.0-litre ones, meanwhile, are even smoother, and sound satisfying throaty when you extend them. The diesels are a wee bit noisier than the petrol, with a bit more clatter at idle and with a few revs on the dial, but they’re far from raucous and are still impressively quiet and smooth compared with those in rivals.

The Volkswagen Scirocco’s slippery shape helps contain wind noise on the motorway very effectively, and although the wide tyres do kick up a bit of road noise, it’s nothing that’ll have you hollering to be heard. The suspension doesn’t make too much noise as it goes about its work, either.

The Volkswagen Scirocco comes with six airbags to help keep you from harm in a smash, and electronic stability control to help keep you from having one in the first place. However, it doesn’t get much cleverer than that. 

The latest systems that are now widespread through the car market - things like automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning - aren’t offered. However, before we judge the Volkswagen Scirocco too harshly, we must remember that this is quite an old car, and by the standards of the day, it did a more-than-reasonable job. It was tested by Euro NCAP in 2009, not long after its release, and it achieved the full five-star rating.

Thankfully there have been few reported issues with the Volkswagen Scirocco, with minor quibbles such as boot mechanisms and audio system gripes being the worst of it. One thing to be aware of is problems with earlier DSG gearboxes, so a full main dealer service history is a must.

As a brand Volkswagen finished a solid 10th place out of 30 manufacturers overall in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey.

The Scirocco’s insurance groupings begin at 18 for the most basic version, and rise to 36 for the most-high-grade of the regular version. Considering that insurance groupings run from 1 to 50, 1 being the cheapest and 50 being the most expensive, premiums won’t be cheap, but they won’t be intolerable, either. Just make sure you’ve got a decent no-claims bonus before buying one of the pokier ones. Speaking of which, the R sites between groups 34 and 39, depending on spec.

On April 1st 2017, the VED tax rules changed to apply a flat annual rate of £165 to all petrol and diesel cars costing below £40,000, so if you find one of the handful of cars that was registered after that date (it was discontinued a few months later), that’s precisely what you’ll pay.

There’s quite a bit of variation in tax costs for cars registered before that, as these are taxed according to their CO2 emissions. Go for the weaker diesel and you could pay anywhere between £20 and £125. The more powerful diesel sits at £165, as does the less powerful of the two 1.4 petrol. 

The more powerful of the pair commands VED of £205, which strangely, is more than you’ll pay on the 2.0-litre offerings, which will be anywhere between £150 and £240. When buying one, a quick online search of the car’s registration should show you what the situation is for that particular example.

Various special editions and limited-run versions were offered throughout the Volkswagen Scirocco’s life, but mainly, the trim structure was based around four trim levels, Standard, GT, R-Line and R. Precisely what equipment was included changed a wee bit over time, with early cars getting a bit less than newer ones, so factor that in when choosing a car. 

Broadly speaking, the standard Volkswagen Scirocco came with plenty of luxuries including manual air-conditioning, automatic lights and wipers, alloy wheels, electric front windows and electric front windows, on top of all the safety and infotainment kit we mentioned earlier. However, you might be tempted to upgrade to Volkswagen Scirocco GT trim for its front foglights, two-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors and part-alcantara (synthetic suede) upholstery. 

Volkswagen Scirocco R-Line cars get a range of additional styling goodies inside and out, along with electrically adjusting leather seats. R models come with more styling touches and an adaptive suspension, on top of its crackerjack of an engine.