These days, everyone's all abuzz about the, um, VW Buzz—the reborn Volkswagen Microbus which has been confirmed for U.S. release in 2022. On Wednesday, however, Auto Express revealed that another popular model from the past will be reborn in electric form—the Scirocco.
Though Volkswagen's other electric models will be part of the I.D. line, it seems that the electric Scirocco will retain its name, and that Volkswagen knows exactly what that name means. “For me, we can only use [Scirocco] for a sporty two-door coupe,” Volkswagen's head of development, Dr. Frank Welsch, told Auto Express. “We are not clear on how we will do such a car, and are thinking whether we do an interesting concept based on our electric platform; this could be a great and fun car.”
Welsch also said, "If it had totally different proportions from the current car we would not call it Scirocco. It would not fit. It’s like having a new Tiguan concept and calling it 'Golf.'" (Mitsubishi could learn from VW's example.)
The Scirocco will utilize the same MEB platform as Volkswagen's other upcoming electric offerings. This will allow a variety of battery sizes and engine options, as well as the possibility of all-wheel-drive versions. The car's range is expected to be between 200 and 375 miles, depending on the model. The entry-level Scirocco is expected to generate around 170 horsepower, with a hypothetical Scirocco R making as much as 300 ponies.
It seems that Volkswagen may be looking to avoid the issues that Honda had with its sporty hybrid coupe, the CR-Z. Its size, shape, and callback to the popular CRX gave the impression of a sports car—yet aside from the available manual transmission, it was essentially an Insight under the skin, with all of that model's lack of sporting qualities. Less-powerful electric Sciroccos may appeal to people looking for a small, efficient car, like the old Honda CRX HF, while the more powerful models could deliver the performance that enthusiasts demand, like the CRX Si did.
The last car to bear the Scirocco name in the U.S. disappeared after 1988, when it was replaced by the Corrado. Volkswagen revived the name in 2008, but the car was not brought to North America out of fear it would negatively affect GTI sales. So far, there's no word as to whether the electric Scirocco will be available in the U.S.