2016 VW Scirocco 2.0 TDI 184 HP Acceleration Test (vs. 1.4 TSI 160 HP)

It's a widely used Volkswagen Group engine, which you can find in the Golf GTD or the Skoda Octavia. The output numbers represent only a small improvement over the old 2.0 TDI, which had 170 PS and 350 Nm of torque.

There are other benefits as well. For example, the newer engine is slightly more economical. And from what we can tell, it also has that SoundAktor thing that makes diesels sound peachy inside the cabin.

But don't for a second start imagining the Scirocco TDI is cheap just because it's old. No, Volkswagen wants €30,625 even before you add options like DSG or parking sensors. Any normal person would buy the €30,700 Golf GTD or even the GTI because they will keep their value better.

Still, this isn't a slow car for FWD and a TDI. 0 to 100 km/h takes the same 7.5 seconds as it does in the GTD. In the real world, acceleration tests suggest it's more like 7.8 seconds. But that just means there is no benefit to buying an old coupe like this one. Something like a BMW 320d sedan is slightly faster and could even earn you extra respect.

Not only are they at the core at this huge emissions scandal, but the TDI engines aren't helping performance either. Back when it was very young, the Scirocco was sold with something called a twin-charger engine, the 1.4 TSI that had a supercharger and a turbocharger as well. It produced 160 PS, and one of the videos below will show that it could push to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. What's more, it could do 6.3 l/100km combined even without the benefit of an eco driving mode.

So is there anything Volkswagen could have done to save the Scirocco or reinvent it? Yes, plenty, in fact. Just look at Audi's TT, and how popular it has become. If Vdub had developed a super-lightweight coupe with aluminum construction and a curb weight of 1.2 tons, that would have been reason enough to ignore the GTI and GTD.