VW Scirocco Bluemotion Tech review
* Greener Scirocco driven * Priced from 22,435 * On sale now...
What is it? This new Bluemotion Technology model is the cleanest and most fuel-efficient version of the Scirocco coupe yet.
Power comes from the 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel that's been available in the Scirocco since late 2008, but Volkswagen has added a host of economy measures, including engine stop-start and battery-regeneration systems.
Average fuel economy improves from 55.4mpg to 62.8mpg (or from 51.4mpg to 57.6mpg with the optional DSG semi-automatic gearbox), while CO2 emissions fall from 134g/km to 118g/km (145 to 129 with DSG), which is enough to drop the car six company car tax bands.
What's it like to drive? Many eco specials are compromised by overly long gearing, but the Scirocco Bluemotion Technology is a strong and flexible performer, pulling cleanly from just over 1000rpm.
Refinement is less impressive because the engine sounds grumbly at town speeds and gets quite boomy when you rev it hard.
Fortunately, the Scirocco's handling remains as sweet as ever: it's grippy and composed in bends, the steering offers plenty of feedback and the ride is surprisingly supple.
To maximise interaction, Volkswagen even lets you tweak the stiffness of the suspension, the weighting of the steering and the speed of the throttle responses at the touch of a button.
What's it like inside? The Bluemotion model's cabin looks much like any other Scirocco's, which means it's generally quite conservative, but features a few design flourishes, including triangular door pulls and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Quality is hard to fault, and all of the controls are a doddle to use.
What's more, the Scirocco has enough space for four adults, even if it takes a degree of flexibility to get to the rear seats without banging your head.
Should I buy one? If you're thinking about buying a Scirocco with your own money, the punchy and refined 158bhp 1.4 TSI petrol is still the one to go for. However, the new Bluemotion Technology proves that eco models can be good to drive, and its low CO2 emissions make it impossible to ignore as a company car.
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