Filed under: Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen
Geneva 2008: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco arrives early
by John Neff on Feb 28th 2008 at 3:26PM 
Click above for more high-res shots of the 2009 VW Scirocco
We can't follow where this particular embargo break began, but a pair of official embargoed images of the production 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco scheduled to be unveiled next week at the Geneva Motor Show has hit the interweb. As you can see, the Scirocco's design has changed dramatically from its days on the auto show circuit as the IROC Concept. Gone is the face only a Pokemon master could love, replaced with something more appropriate for public consumption. In fact, the Scirocco will be the first VW we've seen in a while without the double-decker grille treatment. Instead, a slim grille connects its headlamps that are set atop a wide swath of body colored molding before we get to the large lower air intake that also houses turn signals and fog lamps. The basic body shape and rear of this hatchback are, however, much closer to their concept counterpart. Designers were not only able to port over the strong character line that created a broad shoulder down the entire length of the concept, but they even made it more pronounced on the production version by adding a slight crease. From what we can see, the car is lower and wider than, say, an R32 or GTI, which officially makes it the VW hatch we've always wanted and, surprise, won't get.
UPDATE: Source of embargo break traced back to here and here.
Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco
Gallery: Volkswagen IROC
[Source: AutoWeek.nl]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
JaysonAych 3:32PM (2/28/2008)
What a difference a nose job makes...that is so much better than the hideous IROC concept. Now I'm upset it's not coming to the states.
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geo.stewart 5:16PM (2/28/2008)
still think, since production views started coming out, that this should just be a replacement for the GTI. I dont think the US, or the world, needs both. Leave the Golf as the low end and make this a GTI and AWD R32.
naggs 6:52PM (2/28/2008)
funny, my first though was thank god this hideous crap is not coming to the us
overpriced, ugly GTI
John P. 3:33PM (2/28/2008)
Not a bad design, but doesn't inspire me either. The IROC concept was a bit, if not much, better.
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Purifoy 3:34PM (2/28/2008)
Hmmmmm. I kinda like this.
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Luis 3:34PM (2/28/2008)
STILL not coming to NA? Call me when it does.
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The Doctor 3:35PM (2/28/2008)
Is it me or does it look like they've pinched the sides from a Peugeot 307?
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nagmashot 3:44PM (2/28/2008)
what kind of gras do you smoke to see there any 307 side lines?
307 from the side ..
http://www.autobild.de/ir_img/529698_34e79afd78.jpg
pulloa 4:13PM (2/28/2008)
@nagmashot : lol, i kind of agre with him, but not related with the 307, i'm pretty sure i have seen those "side" lines, in the 308, the 307 succesor...
Kevin 3:36PM (2/28/2008)
A little bit of C30 from the side...not bad.
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peekytoe crab 3:44PM (2/28/2008)
eh. still a chick car.
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LeftTurn 3:47PM (2/28/2008)
VW already makes a hot hatch. Instead of investing R&D in another one, they should have created a proper sports car. I think they made the right decision to keep it in Europe. Give us a real sports car.
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meshies 5:00PM (2/28/2008)
I agree 100%. You can have this, I think they messed it up anyway. The front looks like a US spec Focus.
Gavin 3:48PM (2/28/2008)
I'm still confused as to why they're calling it the Scirocco...It looks nothing like a coupe that the original was based on.
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carmaniac 4:02PM (2/28/2008)
Why? The original Scirocco was a sporty hatchback based on a Golf chassis...there's no difference in that respect. Of course it doesn't look anything like the original, there's been 3 decades since that car!
Dazza 4:24PM (2/28/2008)
You do realise don't you that the original 1975 Scirocco was nothing but a VW Golf dressed with a coupe bodyshell?
Xcountryflyer 3:58PM (2/28/2008)
It is rather confusing that they have the GTI and the new Scirocco. They should have made the Scirocco RWD and a traditional two door coupe or at least a two door to differentiate it from the GTI.
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zamafir 4:24PM (2/28/2008)
Yes... just like all the other cars they have on a RWD platform.
Reality Check: No other automaker has more designs running of a single platform (if you trust CAR/EVO). To even suggest VW should ditch such efficient platform sharing and go it alone for a brand new small vehicle rwd platform when GM is getting ready to ditch theirs left and right is either uninformed or pure fantasy.
B 4:58PM (2/28/2008)
Personally i like it. But i would have preferred to see a RWD setup also. Heck, even AWD would have done it for me. Its different from the GTI in that it has a much lower roofline and a sloping rearend. The GTI has an almost vertical hatch.
@Zamafir
Agreed, VW's platform sharing is top notch, but in reality, making the rear wheels driven in this wouldnt be too hard. Obviously it wouldnt be the worlds best RWD car seeing as its A5 chassis brethren are a transverse engine layout, but the R32 has AWD, how hard would it be to make a new transmission case for the current 6spd and DSG boxes without the front axle shafts.
Xcountryflyer 4:59PM (2/28/2008)
Using GM as an example is like saying the Titanic was a great example of ship building.
Even 4WD would have been better but I think it largely is body shape is too similar.