The Volkswagen Scirocco received an exceptionally warm reception when it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

While hot hatch, saloon, supermini and even SUV buyers are currently spoilt for choice – customers looking for a coupe which costs around £20k have few options.

Could the new VW Scirocco be the car to fill the void?

Andy Goodwin’s just had one of the first UK drives of the Scirocco to see how it copes with Britain's tricky driving conditions.

View our Volkswagen Scirocco slide show

Cars have been steadily growing and getting taller in a bid to provide more interior space than their competitors.

A Volkswagen Polo is now bigger than the original Golf, and many hatchbacks are morphing into mini MPV proportions.

So it’s refreshing to take in the ground hugging lines of the Scirocco, which has a roofline 10cm lower than the current Golf GTi.

There are two separate rear seats in place of the more traditional rear bench, which offer occupants more lateral support during cornering.

Because of the low roof the side windows are much shallower, giving a cocoon-like interior feel which can feel a little claustrophobic.

The nose of the Scirocco takes Volkswagen in a new design direction, which will be echoed in new models. The grille is now wider and shallower, with the Volkswagen badge mounted on the bonnet.

We have already seen how this translates to the forthcoming 2009 Volkswagen Golf, which makes its official world debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.

Volkswagen brought an original Scirocco along to the UK launch, and the design heritage could be clearly seen.

The old and new model both have an upwards rise in their waistline and the distinctive four round lights adorning the nose of the original car are given a design nod by the new Scirocco too.

Its dashboard is taken from the Volkswagen Eos and has the strong and simple feel characteristic of new Volkswagens.

It’s well laid out and simple to use – but it’s a shame there isn’t more distinction between the Scirocco’s interior and other Volkswagens, because it looks so different from the outside.

The seats are fantastic and adjust in almost every direction, allowing people of all shapes and sizes to get into the ideal driving position.

And, a racey leather steering wheel can be moved up, down, in and out for even better comfort.

Video: Watch the 2008 Volkswagen Scirocco in action

British roads

When we drove the Scirocco in Portugal we were very impressed by its impeccable driving manners.

But British roads are a far tougher test thanks to rougher surfaces, potholes, odd cambers and dreaded speed bumps – so how does the Scirocco fair?

It can certainly hold its head up high, feeling as well planted as the best front-wheel-drive hot hatches and improving on the excellent and much-praised dynamics of the Golf GTi.

All of the Sciroccos on sale in the UK this year are 2-litre TFSI GT models which come fitted with Volkswagen’s Adaptive Chassis Control (AAC).

It has three modes (comfort, normal and sport) which soften and firm up the suspension, throttle control and steering response.

AAC also senses the cars movements and the road surface below, and the suspension reacts to provide the best performance second by second.

In comfort mode the ride is soft enough to take the edge off British lumps and bumps, but the car still handles perfectly well – so it’s this mode which seems to suit everyday driving the best.

View our slide show of the Scirocco in Portugal

Power to impress

The Scirocco’s engine is suited to Britain too, with ample pulling power to quickly gather pace between our many tight bends and during stop start driving.

It’s derived from the Golf GTi’s engine and pushes out 197bhp and 207lb/ft of pulling power, which is available from just 1,700rpm.

Having so much oomph low down in the rev range gives the Scirocco the feel of a turbocharged diesel, but with the ability to keep on gathering pace without having to change up a gear.

Acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 7.2 seconds and the Scirocco has a top speed of 146mph.

We rarely found the engine wanting, with plenty of power in reserve to perform swift overtakes quickly and safely.

Driving both a six-speed manual Scirocco and a quick-shifting DSG semi-automatic gearbox left us in no doubt a car fitted with DSG is the most fun to drive.

Shifting up a down the gearbox with paddles mounted on the back of the steering wheel really does make you come over a bit Lewis Hamilton.

And, from a safety point of view it’s extremely beneficial to have both hands on the steering wheel at all times.

DSG is a £1,330 option, and in our view it’s money well spent.

Economics

Considering the high performance of the 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, it returns an impressive average fuel consumption of 37.2mpg and emits 179g/km, placing it in tax band D with an annual cost of £170.

Standard features include engine immobiliser, alarm, remote central locking, dual zone climate control, tinted glass, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, electric front windows, cooled glovebox, front fog lights, USB and iPod connectivity and a 6-CD stereo system.

Satellite navigation with a 6.5-inch touchscreen is a £1,180 option and metallic paint is £365. A panoramic sunroof with electric tilt function is £630.

Rear visibility is poor so we’d recommend parking sensors (£325) to help with parking.

The Scirocco’s on-the-road price of £20,940 is very competitive and makes it a seriously desirable car for the money.

Its head-turning looks, value for money, practicality, badge kudos and handling should make it not only top of the £20k coupe class, but allow it to steal sales from the hot hatch market and even tempt buyers out of more expensive cars like the Audi TT.