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Volkswagen Corrado (1989 - 1996)

COUPE TEARAWAY (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

Introductionword count: 98

Once upon a time, Volkswagens were, as the name suggests, in German, 'people's cars' - sensible and solid transport. Even in the mid-Eighties, despite the success of the Golf GTi, people still thought of Volkswagens as dependable rather than desirable. All that changed in 1989 when the company unveiled the Corrado. It was undoubtedly the most elegant Volkswagen to date and would go on to be the company's fastest ever car. It died at the hands of Volkswagen's cost-cutting accountants, after an all-too-brief six years in production. It seems there's no longer any room for low-profit image leaders...

Modelsword count: 19

Models Covered: 3-door Coupe, 1.8, 2.0 8v & 16v, 2.8 V6 [1.8 16v, 2.0 8V, 2.0 16v, G60, VR6

Historyword count: 198

Right hand drive Corrados arrived in the UK in May 1989. The first cars had the Golf GTi's 1.8 litre 16-valve engine. It took a further two years before the Corrado began to realise its potential, with the April 1991 release of the supercharged G60 model in right-hand-drive form (it was previously a special-order left hooker). All these early models had alloy wheels and featured standard central locking and power steering. The rear spoiler was electrically powered and programmed to rise automatically at 40mph. It probably did more for conversation in following cars than it did for Corrado aerodynamics at such relatively low speeds. In March 1992, the 1.8 litre engine was enlarged to 2.0 litres, and a catalytic converter became standard, as did anti-lock brakes. Power remained the same 136bhp but torque increased to improve driveability. The Corrado's best engine arrived in September 1992 with the six-cylinder VR6. It was a bigger, 2.9-litre version of the Golf VR6's 2.8 and turned the Corrado into the first 150mph Volkswagen. Automatic transmission was also introduced in combination with the VR6 engine. Production of the G60 ceased at the same time and the car was, sadly, phased out in 1996.

What You Getword count: 79

Equipment levels are high, though later cars were better specified, which adds both desirability and resale value. Whatever you spend, you'll be buying a great-looking sports car that can seat four adults - something lacking in many other coupes. The other advantage to Corrado ownership is the Volkswagen dealer network. Parts are plentiful, though not always cheap. In VR6 guise, this is a 150mph car, though not a temperamental one. Look after it, and it should return the favour.

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Scoring (subset of scores)

Category: Coupes

Performance
70%
Handling
90%
Comfort
50%
Space
50%
Styling, Build, Value, Equipment, Depreciation, Handling, Insurance and Total scores are available with our full data feed.

This is an excerpt from our full review.
To access the full content library please contact us on 0330 0020 227 or click here

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