2015 Volkswagen Scirocco R

The revised Volkswagen Scirocco R arrives in February 2015, and for the most part the news is good. The styling is refreshed, torque delivery is improved, there's more technology as standard and leather seats are finally available. But, and it's a pretty big but, the Scirocco R is incredibly stiffly sprung, and on a combination of now-standard 19-inch alloys and patchy Victorian back roads the ride is anything but pleasant... It's almost a shame considering the rest of the car is just so damn good. Pricing of the new model is expected early in the New Year.

Volkswagen Australia says the newly revised Scirocco R has a "fairly firm suspension set-up".

Sufficed to say the company doesn't like to overstate things. Fairly firm is the understatement of the year; akin to saying an acetylene cutting torch is fairly toasty...

Yes, the new Scirocco R is firmly sprung, and in combination with crappy roads, new low-profile 19-inch 'Cadiz' boots and an Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) system offering three flavours of firm, the ride is, well, you guessed it, firm.

Volkswagen Australia said at this week's preview drive of the 2015 Scirocco R that adaptive damping would in part compensate for the hard-charging hatch's notoriously stiff suspension set-up. But in reality, it doesn't. The Scirocco R is as unyielding as it's ever been, and for driving at anything less than ten-tenths is borderline unliveable.

So, that's the bad news over and done with... The good news is that almost every other facet of the Scirocco R's performance, form and function is immensely capable, not least of all with the clever carry-over XDL electronic locking front differential which does a sterling job of distributing the 2.0-litre turbo's 330Nm of torque.

Volkswagen has trimmed the delivery point of full twist, now arriving from 2400-5200rpm. Peak power of 188kW is on-line from 6000rpm, making the Scirocco R's delivery broad and impressively flexible – 0-100km/h is claimed at 6.2 seconds (manual).

The output figures are still shy of the 206kW and 350Nm offered in European Scirocco R variants, but as Australia is designated a 'hot climate' market, Volkswagen says that scenario is unlikely to change.

We sampled the six-speed manual version of the facelifted three-door, and found the shift and clutch to be both cooperative and rather focussed – just the thing for extracting all the power you care to use, exactly as you care to use it.

Volkswagen also offers the Scirocco R in conjunction with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, and (finally) will also offer leather upholstery.

The new Golf R-inspired looks will also bring a welcomed change for buyers chasing 'something different'. It's worth noting at this point; however, the Scirocco is based on 'old' Golf technology. While the latest Golf VII is built on Volkswagen Group's latest MQB platform, the Scirocco soldiers on with Golf V-based underpinnings.

The cabin, much like the rest of the car, is well presented, provides deeply bolstered seats (two in the front and two in the rear) and similar storage levels to the Golf. The rear seats split 50:50, if you should find the shopping doesn't fit, but realistically, much the like the backseat itself, the cargo area will probably only be used occasionally, and then for a short period of time.

Bi-xenon and LED headlights, matte-chrome mirror scalps, rear swivel badge with reversing camera and new binnacle-style gauges for turbo boost, oil temp and stopwatch add to the offer.

The Scirocco R isn't a commuter car – rearward visibility is problematic when manoeuvring, parking and in tight underground car parks and the like. But to think of the Scirocco R in such a mundane role would be to miss its raison d'etre.

This is a fast, eager-handling car that although firm is devilishly enjoyable, aurally entertaining and strikingly attractive.

As the only three-door model currently offered by the German juggernaut, I hope it maintains a firm place in the VW line-up for many years to come.