| The world's fourth largest car producer | | | | from Volkswagen, displays a combination |
| after GM, Toyota and Ford, Volkswagen | | | | of plastic and brushed aluminum, with |
| will make its 2009 Scirocco available by | | | | the air vents mimicking the shape of the |
| Fall 2008. The Iroc, shorter name for | | | | new coupe's arresting grille. A |
| Scirocco, concept gives a strong hint | | | | thick-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, |
| about the direction of the upcoming | | | | with shift paddles for the DSG gearbox, |
| Scirocco -- even taking its moniker from | | | | has a highly technical look that is |
| the middle four letters of the | | | | shared by the instrument panel and |
| production model's name. Wrapped in an | | | | switchgear. Underpinning the Iroc is a |
| arresting three-door hatchback body, the | | | | lightly modified version of Volkswagen's |
| Iroc portends a wave of new high-volume | | | | PQ35 front-wheel-drive platform as used |
| models. Volkswagen is banking on the new | | | | in the Golf and a whole range of models |
| models to haul it back to financial | | | | from Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen. |
| health after its costly move into the | | | | As expected there are the excellent |
| luxury ranks with cars like the Touareg | | | | Volkswagen parts: suspension is via |
| and the Phaeton. Created in-house under | | | | MacPherson struts up front and |
| the direction of Volkswagen's chief | | | | multilinks at the rear, with the Iroc |
| designer, Murat Gunak, the Iroc eschews | | | | hunkered low over 235/35 rubber on |
| the retro route previously traveled by | | | | towering 19-inch alloy wheels. The |
| VW with its New Beetle and stillborn | | | | steering relies on electrohydraulic |
| Microbus concept. Instead, the Iroc's | | | | assistance. Volkswagen isn't giving too |
| design relies on contemporary styling | | | | much away about the Iroc's four-cylinder |
| that's said to provide solid hints about | | | | engine, except to say the supercharged |
| other future Volkswagen models. Central | | | | and turbocharged direct-injection |
| to the exterior appearance is a gaping | | | | Twincharger unit produces 210 hp. |
| single-frame grille finished in brushed | | | | Sources suggest to Inside Line that it |
| aluminum, giving the new car plenty of | | | | is the same 1.4-liter unit that powers |
| presence and a certain Audi-esque | | | | the Golf GT, with added boost pressure |
| allure. Further refinement will be | | | | to increase power by 40 hp. With a |
| carried out, but the proportions are | | | | projected curb weight of about 1350 kg, |
| said to mirror those of the production | | | | or just less than 3000 pounds, 0-60-mph |
| car. The Iroc is 166.9 inches in length, | | | | acceleration should be around 7 seconds, |
| 70.8 inches in width and 55.1 inches in | | | | with top speed likely to hit 150 mph. |
| height, similar to the dimensions of the | | | | Other engines under discussion for |
| Golf. The concept also sits on a long | | | | production versions of the new coupe |
| 104.6-inch wheelbase, offering seating | | | | include a 240-hp version of the Golf |
| for four adults and about 10.6 cubic | | | | GTi's turbocharged 2.0-liter |
| feet of luggage space. Inside, | | | | four-cylinder, along with the new 280-hp |
| Volkswagen serves up a dramatic-looking | | | | 3.6-liter V6 found in the North American |
| cabin with styling links to the Concept | | | | market's top-end Passat -- the latter in |
| A unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show back | | | | combination with Volkswagen's 4Motion |
| in February. The dashboard, more | | | | four-wheel-drive system. |
| minimalist than people used to seeing | | | | |