- Doors and Seats
3 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
188kW, 330Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 8.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2016 Volkswagen Scirocco R Wolfsburg Edition: owner review
This is my second VW Scirocco. In late 2016 my 2013 Scirocco R lease was coming to an end, and Volkswagen released this final Wolfsburg edition... so after a brief scan of the market for other options, I decided to continue with VW and this limited edition model.
- Exclusive - Only 150 made, Design, Performance
- Tyre roar on country roads / coarse bitumen
My particular car is a 6-speed manual in Oryx White Pearl paintwork, and I also ticked the sunroof option. Only 150 of the Wolfsburgs were delivered to Australia, and of those shipped here only 30 were manual. The dealer told me at the time of purchase that only eight cars were delivered to Australia with the white/manual/sunroof combination. I dunno how true that last bit is.
I have now driven 60,000km and just like its predecessor the vehicle has been absolutely fantastic. Not a squeak or rattle from anywhere in the interior, and as far as maintenance it has only ever required the annual VW capped price servicing. Happy days!
The standard OEM 8-speaker stereo that comes with the Scirocco is pretty average for sound quality, so I have upgraded the system with a Focal Amp / DSP and high end Focal speakers. My first priority was to be discreet and to not alter the original appearance of the car, and because of this I had the amplifier completely hidden under the passenger seat. The speakers are a direct upgrade over the original, so there is no visible change from original presentation. There's no subwoofer required - I'm too old for doof doof rubbish! Have kept original head unit so it retains all the standard functions / navigation / Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity etc.
Engine outputs are 188kW and 330Nm and may not appear overly generous by 2021 standards, but in the real world this car can really move. Overtaking on the open road is fast and done without any hesitation from the engine or gearbox. The engine's peak torque is maintained from around 3000rpm through to about 4800rpm so there's ample range and no need to rev the guts out of it to achieve results. Below 3000rpm is also very good and driving in city traffic is a cinch. It's electronically speed limited to 250km/h so it can be a fast car when needed.
The car has three suspension settings - all selectable with push of a button - and I will say that you can pick the subtle differences between each as you drive along, but any potential owners should take note that even the softest (comfort) setting is still pretty firm.
Put it this way: the softest Scirocco setting is still heaps firmer than the sport setting on a Golf R.
Having said that, I drive almost exclusively in Sport mode as I love the firmness and feeling of connectedness to the road. The Recaro-style race seats that were exclusive to the Wolfsburg are very heavily bolstered, so larger-framed individuals could really struggle to fit. Seat travel is not an issue though, so taller people will be fine - as long as you're skinny!
Even though it's a small hatchback it doesn't impede getting out and about. I've got Thule roof bars and bike carriers for the car and it seats four adults quite comfortably. The rear seats easily accommodate passengers up to 180cm tall. Entry and egress to the second row isn't the easiest task, but very few 2-door cars are!
Visibility is brilliant in my opinion. The long frameless doors mean the B-pillar is effectively behind you and never obscures sideways vision. Some note the small back window however given the overall size of the car I've never had any issues. Parking is so easy with front/rear sensors and rear camera as standard.
Dual climate control, heated front seats and huge glass sunroof make finding the right climate setting very simple too.
I thought about trading the car in for a Final Edition Mk7.5 Golf R late last year (2020) but the value proposition just wasn't there. On reflection I don't think I was serious because after four years the Scirocco R Wolfsburg still looks the part, it does all I require, and with it no longer being made ownership is now a little bit 'special'.
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