Volkswagen Scirocco R details: Price: $202,800   |   Built In: Germany   |   Launched in: 2010

The lack of VW’s 4motion drive hasn’t dampened the Scirocco R’s drive one bit. Despite being supposedly the less illustrious sibling to the Golf R, it has been regarded as the better drive of the two siblings. This comes as a surprise given the former’s generations of ardent fans that swear by its hot hatch performance and practicality.

The lower wider body of the Scirocco R has contributed significantly to the coupe’s more engaging drive. The front wheel drive setup even lets the rear step out a little during aggressive side ways manoeuvres. Although touted as a sports coupe, the R is able to transition to a semi-docile run about when needed.

Outside of sports mode, the ride can be tailored to the driver’s mood through the Dynamic Chassis Control. While the DCC is programmed to be a little stiffer than the standard ‘Roc’, the ride is still comfortable though oddly enough the ‘Comfort’ setting seems to have erred a little too far into the cushy side. Powered by the same 2.0-litre powerplant found in the Golf R, the 256 ponies under the hood are reined in using the six-speed DSG gearbox. The wonderment of this unit lies in is its brisk shift times and ability to provide silky smooth shifting when the drama of quick acceleration isn’t required. We believe this is a major reason why the Scirocco R was picked over the Ford Focus RS and the Renault Megane RS.

While motorheads swear by the clutch and lever for the most satisfying drive, most of us looking for the occasional adrenaline/petrol kick would rather an auto box when faced with the reality of a traffic jam.

Competitors:

Ford Focus RS
Price: $175,999 Launched in: 2010
Built in: Germany

Renault Megane RS
Price: $173,888 Launched in: 2010
Built in: France