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THE_countdown has begun for the new era Scirocco with its global launch recently taking place in Portugal.
Generations I and II of the legendary two-door sports car wrote history as the most successful Volkswagen coupŽ of all time with over 800,000 units sold and Volkswagen is set to continue this success with the launch of the third generation Scirocco which will embrace the streets of the Middle East by the beginning of 2009.
Designed by Giorgio Giugiaro, the original Scirocco presented in 1974 has long held the status of being a cult car due to its fascinating strategy of putting a sports car on wheels that is fit for use every day of the year at an affordable price.
The new Scirocco offers pure driving pleasure, a new powerful design, high-end technologies such as DCC adaptive chassis control and the new seven-speed DSG dual clutch transmission.
In addition, the Scirocco provides exclusive use of efficient turbo engines with up to 147 kw / 200 hp power, space for four adults despite its sporty image, an extremely high level of safety and the everyday utility that is typical of all Volkswagen vehicles.
This mix of passion and logic costs far less than expected based on the car's key data.
Although the third generation of the Scirocco follows exactly the same positioning as the first one, Volkswagen intentionally did not include the retro elements that were prominent in the original version.
Conceptually the new Scirocco is a counterpart to the original version; this is because in the mid-1970s the successor to the Karmann Ghia also set out on new paths, both technically and visually.
The third generation Scirocco is the first Volkswagen to sport the front-end design of a new era.
The main characteristic includes the chrome lamp bodies and high-sheen black interior surfaces of the headlamp housings that are joined by the radiator grille cross bar painted in high-sheen black.
The Volkswagen design team created a wagon-coupŽ based on flawless sports car fundamentals.
This resulted in a side profile that had the potential to permeate a status that goes beyond class distinctions.
Thanks to its long sweeping roofline and near-vertical rear window, it also frees up space for variability and up to 755 litres of cargo capacity.
With its short overhangs, the Scirocco efficiently utilises its 2,578mm wheelbase to offer ample space. The Volkswagen is 1,404mm tall, 4,256mm long and its width measures 1,810mm.
One challenge in creating an affordable sports car is to have both an extremely agile but also economical engine.
The TDI and TSI - turbocharged diesel and gasoline direct injection engines do exactly this; maximum power with minimal consumption has made the Volkswagen TSI and TDI four cylinders synonymous with a new generation of the most fuel-efficient and at the same time sporty Volkswagen engines.
Volkswagen will offer the Scirocco with two TSI engines (118 kw / 160 hp and 147 kw / 200 hp). Shortly thereafter, a TDI (common rail turbo-diesel, 103 kw / 140 hp) and another TSI (90 kw / 122 hp) will be added to the engine lineup.
Decisive here is the fact that even the 122 hp base engine offers a maximum torque at an extremely low engine speed (200 nm starting at 1,500 rpm). Its average fuel consumption of 6.1 litres per 100km shows considerable restraint.
In the case of the latest TSI with 160 hp, 240 Newton-metre of torque consumes just 6.5 litres super unleaded per 100km. Even on the 200 hp TSI with its considerable 280 nm of torque, fuel consumption is just 7.7 litres. The TDI also shines with very good torque and fuel economy values. Over 100km this 320 nm strong four-cylinder consumes just 5.4 litres of fuel.
Standard equipment on the Scirocco is the smoothly and precisely shifting six-speed transmission. The DSG dual clutch transmission is offered as an option on the three engines starting at 140 hp. A six-speed DSG is used with the TDI and the powerful 200 hp TSI. The 160 hp TSI distributes its power over an even broader range of gears with the seven-speed DSG.
