VW SCIROCCO rolls again...

Volkswagen Scirocco

Scirocco rolls again...
Bringing Audi TT thrills to the masses, the new Scirocco is the next in a long line of legendary Volkswagens...

Still badged IROC in concept form, the sports hatch will become the new Scirocco in 2008. When we caught up with the dazzling Viper Green metallic stunner in the mid-dle of the German city of Hanover, the new-wave Volkswagen caused every head in the street to turn. Seen away from the glamour and bright lights of the Paris Motor Show stand, where it made its world debut back in Septem­ber, the Scirocco appears even more striking. It's very low and wide, especially from the rear, while the distinctive front end is sharp and classy.And the best news is that VW des­igner Rüdiger Folten has promised the Scirocco's exterior will look the same as the prototype's, bar a few millimetres' difference here and there. The way you get into the IROC adds to the sense of occasion - you press a sliver of alloy that sits flush in the door skin, and then an electrically powered handle pops out to grant you access to the colourful cabin. Up front there are figure-hugging bucket seats complete with racing harnesses, and in the rear you'll find two individual chairs, similar to the arrangement seen in the Volvo C30. It's worth a quick sit in the back, because not only will you enjoy reasonable leg and headroom, but your view through the full-length panoramic glass sunroof makes it feel as though you're in a convertible.Yet it's the figure-hugging driver's seat where you really need to be. Ahead of you is a stylish steering wheel that pays homage to that of the original Scirocco of the Seventies, while buried deep within a pair of tubular cowls are blue-backlit electronic dials; other digital instrumentation is dotted around the facia and the switch­gear is also illuminated in blue. Designer Folten explains that for cost reasons, the Scirocco's cabin won't look quite so radical. But he does predict it will use materials and finishes which we haven't seen before.A button on the console brings the machine to life, and the 1.4-litre turbo­charged and supercharged 210bhp TSI powerplant fires up with a sharp-edged bark. The gearbox is a DSG sequential manual unit, controlled by a chunky lever ahead of the starter button.A concept car this may be, yet the IROC leaps away from a standstill like a sprinter out of the blocks, and its exhaust note has a metallic rasp that sports car fans will love. Our test route didn't allow much room for play - besides which, the steering and suspension haven't been properly set up - but it's clear that the Scirocco won't be short of performance. And its handling and character should be as entertaining as the Golf GTI's.VW is aiming for a starting price of around £18,000. As well as the hi-tech TSI unit, the range is likely to include FSI petrol and TDI diesel engines. But no matter which model you choose, buyers will get a great-looking, surpris­ingly practical three-door coupé with the kind of badge heritage that rivals will find difficult to match.