Volkswagen Fox Road Test

Volkswagen Fox

The front seats are well contoured and very comfortable, almost to the point of being ‘sporty’. Only the driver’s seat has height adjustment to compliment the rake and reach adjustable steering wheel - an unusual feature in cars of this price.

The interior is typically Volkswagen - clean and well thought out but the materials reflect the price structure. The seats in the test car were covered in a quirky brightly striped fabric and the instrument cluster is equally fun in that it is tiny, featuring an easily read, main dial with two semi-circular gauges either side.

A further word about the interior materials; Volkswagen is keen to reduce, recycle and generally lessen the environmental impact of its vehicles. The Fox is built in Brazil, the land where the Curaua plant grows. The fibres from this member of the pineapple family are mixed with a recyclable synthetic material to make a base material for the roof lining and rear parcel shelf.

The Fox may be light in weight but underneath, it is quite substantial. As a result of laser-welding and other hi-tec manufacturing processes, the Fox has a very rigid body and has gained Euro NCAP, 4-star ratings for both front and side impacts as well as child occupant safety protection.

Other safety measures include ABS as standard and the Electronic Stabilisation Programme or ESP is available as an option with both trim levels as are alloy wheels, fog lights an electric tilt and slide sunroof and Climatic semi-automatic air conditioning. Two extra side airbags are also an option, to go with the front passenger and driver’s cushions.

Entertainment comes in the form of an integrated radio/CD player with six speakers throughout the cabin and you can specify the optional iPod cradle, if wished.

I found the Fox to be a curious beast - it has features that you wouldn’t expect in a small car and it gives off an air of quality that we’ve come to expect from Volkswagen. Nonetheless, it is a departure from the norm and very different in its styling compared to the competition, which includes the Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo. Moreover, the cute little Lupo is a hard act to follow.

Volkswagen Fox