Volkswagen is considering a steroid overdose for the next Scirocco, to create a sportier model more distant from the Golf, perhaps with a stripped out RS flagship.
This more focused, standalone sports car is one of two proposals, with the other being a far more prosaic Golf coupe – which strikes CAR as rather pointless and in danger of overlapping the three-door Golf.
Scirocco: the restyle
Better we focus on the proposal worthy of replacing today’s third-gen Scirocco. Its core DNA – two-door body, four-seat layout and iconic, pronounced tailgate – will transfer to the all-new model. But another alarm bell: some Wolfsburg insiders want to tone down the current car’s funky shooting-brake look, which they say is too polarising. So expect a shorter roofline for a more trad coupe feel, an easier-to-load boot with a lower lip, and a shorter front overhang thanks to new underpinnings.
No prizes for guessing that the next Scirocco rides on the new Golf’s ‘MQB’ architecture. The lighter, stiffer, highly flexible components set provides a solid base for more potent engines.
More punch
The 276bhp 2.0-litre turbo of today’s flagship Scirocco R will make way for a 300bhp unit, which necessitates 4Motion all-wheel drive. There’s even talk of a lightweight RS model with token rear seats, aluminium hang-on panels and a brawnier 330bhp output.
The mainstay petrol Scirocco will be the 2.0 TSI, which adopts Golf GTI punch: 227bhp and a whopping torque output of at least 258lb ft. As with the current Golf GTI, it should be available with a performance pack, offering a mild power boost, bigger brakes, fatter wheels, tauter suspension and subtle bodykit.
Recycled engines
Today’s base Scirocco is a 123bhp 1.4 TSI; the uprated 158bhp version was killed off for the facelifted car. The entry level Mk4 keeps these modestly boosted engines: 123bhp for the kick-off model, and a 178bhp 1.8-litre next.
The 2.0-litre diesel should be offered in 148bhp and 182bhp flavours. Unlike today, the optional dual-clutch ’box will have seven forward ratios, no matter which engine it’s mated to.
When can I buy one?
The big question is when does the all-new Scirocco arrive? We’ve only just seen the subtle facelift of the current car, which wears fresh make-up, additional driver-assistance systems and runs more efficient, EU6 engines.
‘After 2014’s facelift, we have three more years before the replacement is due,’ a VW official told CAR. So expect the new car in 2017 at the earliest – and let’s hope it’s the standalone model worthy of the Scirocco’s heritage.