The new car will be powered by a 121bhp 1.4 litre petrol engine, quite the opposite to the current entry-level model, which has a 158bhp engine. The new model’s 0-62mph time of 9.7 seconds is almost two seconds slower than the more powerful car’s but its CO2 emissions of 146g/km make it the cleanest petrol-engined model in the Scirocco range. The 121bhp car also returns 44.1mpg – better than the 158bhp car’s 42.8mpg with the same six-speed manual gearbox.
Standard equipment includes a 6-CD autochanger, air-conditioning, 17” alloy wheels, stability control and 6 airbags. Adaptive Chassis Control, which tailors the car's suspension to suit different road conditions, is a £765 option.
Volkswagen has also announced a new optional styling pack for GT models. The £950 Lugano Black package includes 19" alloys finished in gloss black as well as extra Piano Black inserts in the cabin.