Volkswagen SciroccoSeptember 2008

For those that aren't up on their classic VWs, you might be surprised to hear that this is in fact the third generation of the Scirocco, some 30 years on from the original car. And, like its predecessor, the new Scirocco is based on another VW icon, the Golf. This new car is longer and wider than the current Golf GTi and a lower roofline gives it its coupe-esque looks - although it is still essentially a three-door hatchback. There's no denying that the Scirocco is one of the most striking cars in its class and, although it's not what you might regard as a pretty car, its strong face and muscular rear flanks give it great road presence. Inside the car it all gets a bit disappointing as most of it has come straight out of the Golf. For a car which looks so radically different to everything else Volkswagen, we'd have expected something a little less conservative inside. Despite that, it's hard to go wrong with a VW interior and the flat bottomed steering wheel from the Golf GTi is a welcome addition.

Under the bonnet are three engine options; two petrol units (the nippy 1.4-litre TSi and the range-topping 2.0-litre TSi) and one diesel (the 2.0 TDI). All engines come with a manual gearbox, whilst VW's superb DSG 'box is a tempting - if a little pricey - option. The 2.0-litre TSi - the only engine available until 2009 - offers the most performance, its 197bhp propelling the car to 62mph in a sprightly 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 146mph. The 1.4 TSi is likely to prove a more practical alternative as, while it still offers a decent 158bhp, it benefits from improved fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

Whichever engine is chosen, the Scirocco will provide a superb driving experience, partly thanks to its newly developed Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) function which is available on all models as standard. This alters the feel of the car to suit the type of road and how it's being driven. For example on a motorway the suspension is set to provide optimum comfort, whilst on a twisty b-road it can sharpen the steering and stiffen the suspension automatically, whilst there is also a button in the centre console to allow the driver to select Sport, Comfort or Normal modes manually. The result is precise handling combined with excellent motorway refinement.

Its practicality as an everyday sports coupe doesn't end there as the Scirocco boasts four decent sized seats. The two in the rear will even accommodate adults and, although taller occupants will find their heads brush the roof, there's still a surprising amount of space. The boot is a reasonable size too, although the high boot lip could make loading heavier items difficult. That said, the rear seats do split and fold for larger items, albeit not completely flat.

On the whole then, the Scirocco is certainly a tempting buy. It's also a car which benefits from not having any direct competitors, so you can rest assured that you're getting something a bit different. In its range-topping 2.0 TSI GT spec the Scirocco comes with excellent levels of equipment and is priced tantalisingly close to the Golf GTi three-door. For almost the same money, we know which one we would choose...