24/07/08

• Price8075
• We like...Cabin space
• We don't...Noisy engine, poor fuel economy

City car is roomy and solid, but falls behind rivals on fuel economy and CO2 output£8000. That much buys a surprising choice of little cars, each spanking-new. Should this version of Volkswagen’s smallest motor, the Fox, be on your list?
Let’s see. At first look, it’s good: neat, sober and purposeful in the way most VWs are. There’s fair room for four inside the tall-sided cabin and a generous boot. Better yet, the rear seat slides easily, so you can enlarge the boot whenever you need. And, as you’d expect, those back seats also drop flat to free up more space.

So far, so good. But, once inside the cabin is all dark, coarse-grained plastic. Tough and lasting, doubtless, but not so nice to look at or to touch. At least the stripey fabric on the seats brighten things up. Then there’s what you get for the price. Remote locking and electric windows are part of the deal, but the mirrors are manually worked and air conditioning costs a ridiculous £945 extra. When Hyundai’s i10 at £6945 has chilled air as standard (and five doors to the Fox’s three), that’s too much.

The dash is nothing special to look at, but the control buttons are at least big and easy to work. The instruments are groups in a pod ahead of the driver and, on this Urban model, feature a tiny rev counter cramped into one corner. It’s scarcely worth having. Just two airbags are fitted as standard - ahead of the driver and front passenger.

What’s it like to drive? Keeping it smooth wasn’t easy. A sometimes tricky-to-slot gearshift and an engine that didn’t always want to rev meant jerky starts. And then a motor that felt dopey for its 1.4 litres and 75bhp didn’t help. When goaded, it would rev, but sounded raucous when you did.

Which is odd, because we’ve driven its big brother the Polo, fitted with the same engine, and found it sweet and willing. The steering ds the job but feels lifeless, while the ride is composed until you hit a bad surface, where it’ll patter and thump.

A city car should be frugal with fuel. But where rivals such as Citrn’s C1 promise to top 61mpg overall, the Fox will travel just 42.2. Its CO2 emissions at 159g/km are higher, too, pushing up road tax costs.

If you want a Fox, the entry 1.2 model makes most sense. At £6600 it’s more basic than the one we test here but that’s no trouble for the cash you’ll save. It’s a decent buy.

But this 1.4 is £300 dearer than the entry Polo. For us, the Polo’s the car to have. But if you want a cheap and sensible city machine, we’d go instead for a Citrn C1, Peugeot 107 or Toyota Aygo (all basically the same car, aside from badges and other minor changes). Otherwise, we’d pick a Hyundai i10 or Kia Picanto. Each is cheaper, more fuel-efficient, better equipped and more fun for the money.

• Engines1.4
• Power75bhp
• 0-60 mph12.8secs
• Economy42.2mpg
• CO2g/km159
• Insurance groups2E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags2
• Seats4

Motors.co.uk value verdict: