If special is how you like to feel, then a bright red Scirocco should be on your shopping list. Passers-by will stare, motorists will perform harrowing stunts to take a closer look, the usually quick-witted robot retailers will be lost for words and school kids will want your autograph - such is the visual impact of this lady in red.

Exterior
The new Scirocco is a beautiful car, as it should be when you consider it is the first car in the Volkswagen stable to sport the new face of the brand. Take a cruise along your nearest stretch of national road and you’ll soon discover the impression it leaves on other motorists as they move out of the way to let you past. As you sprint by they may notice the rising window line, 18-inch ‘Interlagos’  wheels with their 235/40 rubber and 1,8 meter long roof line that give the Scirocco its sporty profile. The last view they’ll have is of the narrow roof contrasting against the wide body, muscular haunches accentuated by the lines of tail-lights and the chunky rear bumper housing the twin-tailpipes. Once you slow down to look for a park in front of a trendy cafe however, there is a price to pay for the unique styling. With the large C-pillars, narrow rearview mirror and prominent headrests built-in to the rear seats, you’ll need to be alert when parallel parking to avoid the wrong kind of attention.

Interior
The Scirocco has been most criticised for borrowing the dashboard straight from its Eos stablemate and after having created such a beautifully sculpted exterior, it’s surprising to step inside to find a rather starke and undramatic interior. Apart from the sporty seats, high window line and muscular haunches, reflected in each side mirror, it doesn’t feel as special as you would expect, although interior quality is typically excellent.

The leather seats with white stitching and heavy side bolsters add a sporty intent to an otherwise bland interior. They hug the body well, providing good lateral support and feature electronically adjustable lumbar support as standard. Rear passengers may be surprised by the amount of leg and headroom available, as well as the contoured bucket seats to keep them in place around corners. Cruise control, heated seats, tinted side and rear windows are standard on the Scirocco. One omission from the cabin was that of a multi-function steering wheel, which left us feeling a bit ‘cheated’ in a car priced north of the R300k mark. Our test car was fitted with VW’s DynAudio ‘RCD-510′ 6-disc front loading CD-changer and MP3 compatible radio, featuring a 300W 8-channel amplifier. What this mouthful translates to, is music to your ears. Plug-in your iPod via the auxillary connector in the centre armrest and whether listening to Frank Sinatra or Kings Of Leon, you’ll be rewarded with crystal clear notes and deep, well-rounded bass. Should the music transport you to another dimension, well let’s just say that passengers are well taken care of with 6 air bags and the obligatory electronic nannies such as ESP with ABS, Brake Assist and Anti-Spin Regulator (ASR).

The Drive
The sceptics may say that the new Scirooco is nothing more than a restyled 2-door Golf GTI - a GTI in wolf’s clothing. Yes and no, because although the Scirocco shares the Golf’s PQ35 platform, VW have done enough tweaking to give it an edge. For starters, the Scirocco weighs 65 kg less than Mk5 GTI and 75 kg less than the new one. It’s 100 millimeters (mm) shorter, 35 mm wider at the front, 59 mm at the rear and rides on wider 18-inch rubber. VW has even gone as far as using aluminium steering knuckles in the rear suspension to save weight and make way for the wider tyres. What these figures translate to is a lower centre of gravity, quicker steering response and superior agility to its GTI brethren.

There’s a blip of the throttle as you drop a gear on the 6-speed DSG gearbox and the Scirocco hunkers down to the task ahead while you step on the brakes for your favourite corner. Turn-in is direct and although steering feel may be lacking, the car always goes exactly where you point it. The sports seats hold you steady as you make for the apex, tightening your line slightly with an easing up of the throttle to reveal a hint of tendancy toward lift-off oversteer. The taught suspension and minimal body roll provide you with good feel and control at all times. Putting the ‘pedal to the metal’ as you glide past the apex causes the ESP to step in, limiting any understeer and keeping you in check. The rear-end squats and the exhaust growls as you accelerate towards the next corner to repeat the process with a smile on your face. Head into city traffic and the Scirocco easily settles into a relaxed pace with the reknowned DSG gearbox doing a superb job of capitalising on the available torque of the 2,0-litre motor.

Performance
Two turbocharged engines will be available in the Scirocco. International Engine of The Year for 2009, the 118 kW 1,4-litre TSI will be available from the 3rd quarter of this year but initially the car is only available with VW’s familiar turbocharged 2,0-litre FSI unit. The 2,0-litre turbo may have been borrowed from the outgoing GTI but it has received modifications to the crank, pistons and connecting rods, making it a more refined engine for service in the Scirocco. Peak power remains unchanged with 147 kW available at 6 000 rpm, 900 rpm higher than before and torque of 280 N.m is available from a slightly lower 1 700 rpm through to the 5 000 rpm mark. Floor the accelerator away from the lights and 100 km/h will be reached in a claimed 7.1 seconds, keep your nerve and the Scriocco will reach 233 km/h flat out.

On the open road the Scirocco impressed us with its torquey acceleration between gears and we were almost always travelling faster than expected when glancing at the speedometer. On paper the Scirocco’s 147 kW won’t set any hearts a flutter by today’s hot-hatch standards, even VW’s own Golf 6 GTI eclipses the Scirocco by 8 kW. Thankfully VW are aware of this and the Scirocco’s chassis, with its sure footed and well balanced handling, has already received a 195 kW tuned version of the 2,0-litre turbo in the form of the Scirocco R. The Scirocco 2.0 TSI makes for a mini grand tourer, equally capable whether carving through mountain passes or sprinting across the plains of the Karoo. We look forward to the ‘R’ version however, when the Scirocco’s bite will truely match its bark.

What we like…

• The new face of VW and those sporty rear haunches.
• Head turning style for a bargain price.
• It’s a genuine four seater with a useful 312-litre of luggage space.
• All the makings of a baby GT car.

What we would like…

• Multi-function steering wheel as standard.
• The optional park-distance control to assist with narrow parking in town.
• A more inspiring dashboard to match the exterior styling.
• A sportier exhaust note from the rear to match the agressive looks up front.

12►

This year’s awards were presented on 17 June 2009 at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart. Judged by a panel of 65 renowned motoring journalists from 32 countries as disparate as the USA, Japan, China, Russia, New Zealand, India, Korea, Germany, France, Romania, South Africa, Mexico and the UK, the Awards highlight and acknowledge engine engineering excellence. The results of the 2009 awards are as follows:

• Best New Engine of the Year
  • Porsche 3.8-litre Flat Six (more...)
    Up by 22 kW over the previous incarnation and with a 15% decrease in CO2 output, the 283 kW flat six, (as fitted to the 911 Carrera S), gives the coupe a top speed of slightly over 300km/h, all while returning impressive economy.
• Green Engine of the Year
  • Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (more...)
    The supercharged and turbocharged motor does a fine job in applications as diverse as the practical VW Touran MPV and the fire-breathing Seat Ibiza Cupra hot hatch, where its most powerful incarnation puts out an impressive 130 kW. Such power, combined with emissions output of 144g/km of CO2, while ensuring fuel economy of 6.2 l/100km means the engine out performs its closest rival, the 1.3-litre hybrid engine found in the Honda Insight. The Honda emits less CO2 and has better fuel consumption but is way behind when it comes to power.
• Best Performance Engine
  • Mercedes-AMG 6.2-litre (more...)
    The most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 engine in its class, with up to 386 kW and 630 N.m of torque, depending which model its fitted to. Motorsport DNA and technology stretched to the limits combine to make this a high-revving, large-displacement beast, ensuring perfect cylinder charging and high output.
• Sub 1-litre
  • Toyota 1-litre (more...)
    Toyota has won the sub 1-litre award for the last three years. Weighing in at just 67kg, it is one of the lightest automotive engines ever to be developed. As a result, in a typical Toyota Aygo model, the 993cc eco-friendly three-cylinder ensures an ultra-efficient fuel consumption rating of 4 l/100km, while emitting a mere 109g/km of CO2. Advanced variable valve timing optimises timing to deliver 49 kW.
• 1-litre to 1.4-litre
  • Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (more...)
    Torque is ensured at low speeds by the mechanically driven supercharger. The turbocharger takes over at higher speeds once the intake air is pressurised, filling the ‘hole’ in the torque at low revs, and providing the sort of power usually associated with a 2-litre naturally-aspirated unit. The TSI engine delivers superior fuel economy to similarly powered rivals. In the new Golf 6 it manages 6.2 l/100km, compared with 10.6 l/100km for the previous geenration’s 2-litre FSI, which is of comparable performance and power output.
• 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre
  • BMW-PSA 1.6-litre Turbo (more...)
    BMW/PSA Peugeot Citroën’s jointly developed turbo petrol engine has taken top honours for the third consecutive year in the 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre category. Made from light alloy, the 128 kW unit, which powers not only the Cooper S but also the Mini Clubman and Peugeot 207 and 308 models,  features a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection, twin overhead camshafts, roller-type drag arms that have been optimised for minimum friction, and hydraulic valve play-compensation elements. All this technology means 260 N.m is maintained from 1 500 rpm to 5 000 rpm but also with an average fuel consumption of 6.9 l/100km.
• 1.8-litre to 2-litre
  • Audi 2-litre TFSI (more...)
    Available in a range of outputs from 130 kW to 152 kW, and found in a multitude of applications from Audi’s A4, A5 and Q5, to VW’s Scirocco and brand-new Golf GTI, the motor has a displacement of 1,984cc. As one would expect from Audi, it’s a technological tour-de-force. The inlet camshaft adjusts variably through up to 60° of crankshaft rotation, and the engine also has Audi’s valvelift system. Variable control of the exhaust valves means that the charge cycle can be drastically improved. The 2-litre TFSI in the Audi A4 reaches its maximum torque level of 350 N.m at an engine speed of just 1 500rpm – a key feature that impressed all judges. Other highlights are: newly developed six-hole injectors that deliver the fuel into the combustion chambers at a pressure of 150 bar for efficient combustion; optimised turbine and compressor wheels that have improved the turbocharger’s reaction; a new intercooler that combines a high degree of efficiency with low weight and small dimensions; and an oil pump that operates with volume-regulated delivery and two-stage pressure control. Such innovative measures have improved the unit’s fuel consumption to 6.8 l/100km.
• 2-litre to 2.5-litre
  • Mercedes-Benz Diesel 2.1-litre (more...)
    The new diesel, boasts a host of technical innovations. First among them is fourth-generation common-rail direct injection, delivered via piezo injectors and featuring a 400 bar increase in the maximum rail pressure, which now stands at 2 000bar for the C 250 (98 kW), E 220 (123 kW) and E 250 (147 kW) CDI BlueEfficiency models. These variants also mark the debut of two-stage turbocharging in Mercedes-Benz diesel cars. The smaller, high-pressure turbine is located directly at the exhaust manifold and rotates at up to 215 000 rpm. In the E 200 there is a single-stage turbo with variable-nozzle turbines. Here, the lower engine power enables a smaller turbocharger to be used. The result is fuel consumption of 5.3 l/100km.
• 2.5-litre to 3-litre
  • BMW 3-litre DI Twin-Turbo (more...)
    BMW’s twin-turbo 2 979 cc engine appears in a variety of models, including the 335, X6, Z4 and 730. The BMW engine is a straight six, with three cylinders supplying each turbo, thus creating a low-lag, fast-response unit. In its lower-powered guise, it supplies peak torque of 400 N.m and 225 kW of power at 5 800 rpm. This gives lively performance in all BMW models, with the new Z4 sDrive35i reaching 100 km/h in a shade over five seconds, for example. The Z4 sDrive35i can manage average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 9.4 l/100km and an even better 9.0 l/100km when the seven-speed double-clutch sport-automatic transmission is fitted to the vehicle. Specification of an aluminium crankcase helps to keep the weight down.
• 3-litre to 4-litre
  • BMW 4-litre V8 (more...)
    The current V8 weighs in at 2kg less than the straight six it replaced in 2008, and this weight saving comes despite its much increased power output. Separate throttle butterflies for each cylinder, with two stepper motors operating them on each row of cylinders, gives the BMW M engine a particularly sensitive response at low speeds together with an immediate reaction whenever the driver presses the accelerator. 309 kW is generated at 8 250 rpm, which helps ensure a zero to 100 km/h dash of 4.2 seconds.
• Above 4-litre
  • Mercedes-AMG 6.2-litre (more...)
    Despite stiff competition from BMW and Jaguar, the Mercedes-AMG 6 208 cc unit has been crowned winner of the Above 4-litre class. Arturo de Andrés of Automóvil in Spain commented, “The AMG branch from Mercedes has taken the classic V8 design to the top: outstanding performance, terrific punch in the low-end and it goes up to 7,000rpm without any problems.”

The winners of the engine capacity class are then automatically shortlisted for the overall prize of International Engine of the Year. Drum roll please....