The name "Scirocco" goes back to the 1970s when Volkswagen wanted to offer a sporty car with economy car practicality.
Decades later, the formula is pretty much the same. While the exterior is stylish and sporty, underneath, the car is essentially a Golf GTI.
The 2013 Scirocco has just enough room inside for two with a surprising amount of head and leg room. Two more can squeeze into the back if they're small enough.
Under the hood is a pumped up version of VW's 2-liter 4-cylinder engine, 265 horsepower. This little Volkswagen really scoots.
There's a lot of good news with the Scirocco - lots of power, decent gas mileage and really stylish looks. But there is one big chunk of bad news. So far, the Scirocco is not for U.S. sale.
Yes, this visitor from Europe is a teaser; not available here. But there may by hope. Volkswagen of America likes to test the waters with the forbidden fruit of German roads to see if Americans might be interested.
Case in point - the Euro-spec GTD. It's the chassis and interior of the GTI hot hatch, but with a diesel engine under the hood. Volkswagen showed them off here last year and reaction was good, so next year, we'll be able to buy the new generation GTD.
The Scirocco could be a tougher sell. The sticker price for the Scirocco with the high-performance R trim in Europe translates to just under $40,000. There is a more modest version that works out to closer to $30,000; that could help make it more appealing.
So if you remember the original Scirocco and would like to own a new one, or if you don't remember the original Scirocco and would like to have a new one, let your local Volkswagen dealer know. If there's enough interest, we could have them in showrooms before long.
