Facelifted Volkswagen Scirocco on sale for £20,455

Order books have opened for the facelifted Volkswagen Scirocco, with the updated hatchback now on sale with prices starting at £20,455.

Having made its debut at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, first deliveries of the model are expected in October.

Among the changes brought to Wolfsburg’s six-year-old coupé are a series of subtle exterior styling changes, higher quality interior fittings and a new line of four-cylinder engines, including a 276bhp version of Volkswagen’s EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol unit in the new top-of-the-range Scirocco R.

Distinguishing the 2014 Scirocco from the existing model is a series of detailed exterior styling changes including a re-profiled front bumper, lightly reworked grille, new bi-xenon headlamps, reshaped LED tail lamps, a revised opening mechanism for the tailgate incorporated into the Volkswagen badge at the rear and a reworked rear bumper with a black diffuser element.

Standard models continue to roll on 17-inch wheels, although buyers can choose between optional 18-inch and 19-inch rims that include the traditional Talladega wheels fitted to the Scirocco R. Volkswagen has also widened the choice of exterior colours, adding new white, red and grey tones as well as additional metallic violet and gold hues.

The subtle changes continue inside with a new instrument binnacle taken from the Golf GTi and detailed trim changes to the dashboard. In a homage to the original model – launched 40 years ago at the 1974 Geneva motor show – the upgraded Scirocco also receives a set of additional gauges for turbocharger boost pressure, oil temperature and a stopwatch.

Under the bonnet of the upgraded Scirocco is a range of new or upgraded four-cylinder engines with greater power and improved economy than the units they replace.

The direct-injection petrol engines now include a 1.4-litre unit offering 123bhp and a 2.0-litre engine available in 177bhp, 217bhp or 276bhp tunes – the latter representing a 15bhp increase on the old EA113 turbocharged 2.0-litre engine in the Scirocco R. Joining them from the outset is Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel with 148bhp or 181bhp.

As before, buyers are be able to choose between a standard six-speed manual and, in all but the base 1.4-litre car, an optional six-speed dual-clutch gearbox offering both manual and automatic modes. Both units receive an automatic stop-start function and brake energy recuperation. As tradition dictates, the Scirroco continues to be sold in front-wheel-drive guise only.

All engines meet Euro 6 emissions sandards, and return between 35.3mpg and 67.3 mpg. The cleanest engine on offer is the 2.0-litre TDI, which emits 109g/km of CO2, while the 2.0-litre TSI emits 148g/km.

Prices for the Scirocco start at £20,455 for the entry-level 1.4-litre TSI, and rise to £29,520 for a top-spec 2.0-litre TDI in R-Line specification. Prices for the Scirocco R start at £32,295.