Volkswagen Fox Review
Published: 25th June 2006
Volkswagen Fox
It has to be said, that the smaller engine cannot be described as speedy and while the top speed is well above the limit, motorway overtakes require a bit more planning than usual. Even dropping to 4th or 3rd gear of the non-optional 5-speed manual ‘box, doesn’t produce enough oomph to accomplish the manoeuvre in a hurry. Moreover, because the Fox is quite ‘slabby’ and lightweight, it is susceptible to cross-winds and turbulence from passing trucks.
Put the Fox in its natural environment and its benefits of all-round visibility and easy manoeuvrability are a distinct bonus when it comes to negotiating today’s traffic and tight parking spaces. It actually feels at home in town.
That said, the country section of the test route brought to light the surprising stability of the car. Despite its height, it doesn’t give the impression that it is going to fall over, on fast bends, the way some of this ilk do, thanks to a fairly wide track and longer than normal, wheelbase. The countryside drive also revealed the flexibility of the engine and gearing - I would almost describe it as sprightly.
The benefit of a small engine is evident in the fuel consumption figures of 36.2mpg and 55.4mpg for the urban and extra-urban cycles, which results in a combined of 46.3mpg and the CO2 emissions, are measured as 146g/km.
I have already mentioned that the Fox is quite slab-sided with
a lot of metal but it is a necessary evil when the packaging of
passengers has to kept as simple as possible in order to keep the
price at a reasonable level. Volkswagen has, however, made a detail
of the front end, which features the company’s new-style grille.
This is in black rather than chrome in an effort to disguise the
car’s height. The bonnet also displays crease-lines that are,
not surprisingly, very reminiscent of SEAT’s new look.
Inside, the Fox seats four adults in comfort. The rear passengers
are divided by an unusual central tray with two cup-holders that
are set into the squab. For extra legroom the seat in the Urban
Fox have the ability to slide fore and aft by 15cm. This, in combination
with 50:50 split and fold function, increases the boot space from
260- to a maximum of 1,016-litres.
