What is it?
When Volkswagen first introduced the Scirocco in 2008, closely followed by the R version in 2009, it served to inject some real flair into the company's otherwise humdrum line-up at the time.
It was sharply styled, drove in a satisfying fashion and also offered practical advantages over some of the coupé alternatives of the time – namely four usable seats and a decent boot.
Time marches inexorably onwards, though, and new competitors – including the latest iteration of the Audi TT and the new BMW 2 Series – have prompted a mild refresh in order to renew some interest in Volkswagen's coupé.
It's true that the changes are minimal; you're probabaly looking at the pictures and thinking: "What changes?" – but they are there, and they do serve to sharpen the looks slightly. The headlights and tail-lights have been updated, the rears now being LED units, and both the front and rear bumpers have been restyled.
Revamped dials feature inside, too, along with a trio of dash-mounted ancillary gauges: a chronometer, a boost pressure gauge and an oil temperature gauge. Thery're neat touches, certainly adding a little interest.
The Scirocco R, tested here, has received these updates as well as a 15bhp hike in power output, meaning its turbocharged 2.0-litre engine now puts out 276bhp.
So, has enough been done to keep the VW Scirocco R competitive against its fresher and now more numerous rivals?
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How much?!!!
Eeeking out the Euro's
It indeed needs more