VW Fox: Slowly cooking in a small VW last week amid our annual weeklong summer spell, the mind wanders to where exactly the German brand sees itself these days. Founded on the ethos of creating a people's car, the latest VWs seem more concerned with being considered as genuine rivals for premium markets.
At times like this it's good to see that it can still come up with a decent reasonably priced car.
The company that gave us the Beetle built its reputation on good value motoring. Of course, the influx of cheaper cars from Asia has forced its hand somewhat and pushed it towards more quality offerings. Yet questions remain about decisions to build the ill-fated Phaeton and plans for a four-door coupé model due next year, aimed at competing with BMW's 5-Series. Surely that's the job of sister company Audi?
So, amid the confusion of where exactly VW is supposed to be positioned, along comes the Fox, a traditional small car.
First the good news. Not only has VW replaced the Lupo with a much better car to drive, but the price has also dropped. While the Lupo started at €13,250 for the 1-litre version, the Fox starts at €12,745 for the entry-level 1.2-litre version. While performance is relatively the same, with similarly sluggish 0-100km/h times of 17 seconds, it does handle better. It's certainly nothing that will lure the boy racer, but it feels solid on the road.
Admittedly, the Lupo had a slightly better interior finish with better plastics, but up against its Asian competitors the VW can still hold its head high.
The German marque has also done a good job in its choice of seating trims. It's an area where designers can lose the run of themselves in an attempt to be "funky" and for once the design manages to be smart without being outlandish.
One folly by the designers is the decision to place a set of cupholders in between the rear seats, thereby ruling out the chance of seating three in the back. Admittedly it would have been a tight squeeze but it's still an option that should have been offered.
As it is, the Fox can accommodate four adults without complaint and offers more knee-room and headroom front and rear than its main competitors. That's not surprising considering it's larger in every dimension than the likes of the Fiat Panda, Ford Ka or Toyota Aygo. It's actually based on the underpinnings of its larger sibling, the Polo.
Boot space - all-important in this sector - is generous; starting at 270 litres with all seats up, the rear seats can be folded and then flipped up against the front seats to give an impressive 1,056 litres of space.
Better still is the optional "vario" pack at €200 that includes sliding rear seats that move 150mm fore and aft and also includes the likes of clip-out rear windows. In a pretty sparse options list, it's the wisest choice by far.
Its ability on the road cannot be faulted either. It may not be as fluent as the Fiat Panda but it does give a feeling of a much more sturdy vehicle than one would expect.
The steering is precise and nicely weighted and there seems to have been a great deal of attention paid to sound-proofing. Thanks in part to the four-cylinder engine, there's none of the high-droned rattle that emits from the likes of the three-cylinder unit in the Toyota. Its ride is comfortable as well, arguably more composed than even its supposedly superior sibling the Polo. The only obvious fault is a tendency to catch the wind on open roads.
It all sounds pretty positive, so far. Now we get to the bad news. Primarily, it's bad news for the aforementioned Polo in three-door format. Perhaps the cupholders in the back were an effort to protect the more expensive sibling.
Then there's the design. The look is functional and by now traditional for small Volkswagens. The Germans have been marketing the Fox as a youthful alternative drive for students. Up against the likes of the Panda and the trio of Toyota Aygo/Citroën C1/Peugeot 107 it looks staid and rather dated.
Given that it could come up with the glorious Beetle all those years ago, it begs the question: why not offer something a little snappier when it comes to entry-level motoring once more? It's surely a better idea than offering a dressed-up Golf as the inheritor of the Beetle heritage.
Young people are also keen to have a little pep in their step. The 1.2-litre version makes sense in financial and practical terms, but is let down by its rather lethargic performance. A 0-100km/h time of 17.5 seconds compares very unfavourably with the 14 seconds for the equivalently powered Panda or 14.1 seconds for the Ford Ka.
The Fox is a nice little drive and it makes the Polo seem that bit more redundant. Some nice interior touches set it off well, though a little more work on the exterior would have been appreciated.
Perhaps its greatest strength is the solid build and the little badge on the front. VWs are always a popular used purchase and the Lupo, for all its woes, remains a popular starter car for young drivers.
The Fox should do even better, which means that - all things going well - the net cost of ownership is more attractive than the purchase price might suggest. So it's plaudits to those at VW, with one request: why not take this basic package and add a little Beetle flair?