VOLKSWAGEN, now well on the way to achieve its aim to become the world's Number One car maker, likes to be all things to all people.
Well, if there's a single model that epitomises this philosophy it has to be the Scirocco TDI.
For a start, with its low slung lines, and wheel-at-each-corner design it looks every inch a sports car. Then there's the accommodation - despite the compact dimensions it can comfortably carry four people, definitely more than a mere 2+2.
Finally, in diesel guise it has the sort economy that you'd expect from a budget family hatch. All this and 130mph-plus performance.
Of course, this sort of a broad spec comes at a price and the 2.0 TDI 170 GT I drove clocks in at a hefty £24,275.
There is however a cheaper diesel - the TDI 140 - for just under £1,000 less but it's no more economical despite being nearly 10mph slower and a second more tardy to reach 62mph. So my money would be on the 170 version which incidentally develops 168bhp from its 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.
One of the big attractions of the Scirocco, apart from its elegant lines, is the way it drives. With razor sharp steering and fat low profile rubber adorning the stocky alloy wheels it handles even better than its stablemate, the Golf, and that's praise. T
here's a sort of go-kart like feel to this VW without the implication of crudity - it literally goes where it is pointed without vice or malice.
You might expect the heavier diesel engine to blunt the responses or mask the intuitive feedback, but the extra weight has almost no effect on the adept handling.
Yes, you can hear that it's a diesel engine so that's a slightly negative note. But as speed mounts the distant rumble fades and you start to appreciate the extra pulling power of that oil-burning engine.
Coupled to the excellent twin-clutch automatic gearbox rather than the standard six-speed manual one, you make the most of every pound of torque - refined and fast for mid-range overtaking. Top speed is an impressive 138mph and 62mph comes up in about eight seconds.
For the record I averaged 45mpg despite some hard running. The official combined figure is 55.4mpg
You sit quite low in the front, emphasising the sports car impression. Those in the rear have acceptable legroom for a coupe and just about enough headroom if you are under six foot, but the rear window tapers away down the bodyline which tends to make the backseat area a shade claustrophobic.
The boot, which is accessed via a hatch, holds almost 300 litres of cargo which is a generous amount. This expands to 755 litres when the rear seats are flipped down.
Most of the switchgear is recognisable from other VWs, so it's not quite up to bespoke Audi standards of interior design, but everything is well-placed and feels sturdy and tough enough to stand the test of time.