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VW FOX


willcrook
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These Fox threads are getting tedious, its a little city car, its cheap (ish), why the endless debate?

And haven't we now got a specific forum for this too?

We do! shades.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shades:" border="0" alt="shades.gif" />

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The chassis is alot stiffer.

I saw the figures yesterday somewhere...

Another VW Fox trait which should be noted is the static torsional rigidity of the body structure. At 17,941 Nm/degree it is an important measurement for body safety and comfort but also provides some insight into overall body responsiveness which affects driving dynamics. For comparison the Volvo S60 and BMW E46 3 Series both measure in at 18,000 Nm/degree. If the Fox Sport is to fill the shoes of the original GTI a tight stiff body structure is mandatory.
how can there be less roll!! theres a big enough gap under those arches to stash a small country in there
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There is a silver 1.2 next road down, and i like it aswell, needs lowering and a nice set of wheels and it will look the buissness smile.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Its a shame they are not going to make a sport or GTi verson for this country sad.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />

Edited by VWR Lupo
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Model Tested and Reviewed

Car Manufacturer Volkswagen

Car Model Urban Fox 1.2

Body Type 3-Door Hatchback

Colour Tornado Red

Performance [ Manufacturers Figures ]

0 - 62 mph 17.5 Seconds

Top Speed 91 mph

Transmission 5-Speed Manual

Fuel Type Unleaded Petrol

Economy [ Manufacturers Figures ]

Urban 36.2 mpg

Extra Urban 55.4 mpg

Combined 46.3 mpg

Insurance Group 1

Euro NCAP Rating 4 Warranty 2-year unlimited mileage manufacturers warranty

Plus a further 1-year / 60,000 miles (whichever is soonest) retailer warranty Price £7,190 OTR

The Fox is Volkswagen's interpretation of the city-car and replaces the Lupo as the company's entry-level, 'baby'.

It is longer than the Lupo and much the size of the Polo but just a bit shorter and taller. So why would Volkswagen produce such a similar sized car? It's almost as if the company is competing with itself. But that isn't the case - it is built for a specific purpose and that's easy, urban life.

The extra height gives the game away because it makes for more interior space whilst retaining a small car footprint. The higher roofline means that the seats can be more upright resulting in lots of legroom. The occupants sit taller, which is important for better visibility, especially in town, whilst the hip-height and tall doors makes it easier to get in and out of, particularly for people with difficulties in that area.

The Fox is only available as a three-door hatch with two trim options: standard and Urban. Both are available with a choice of two petrol engines - the 3-cylinder, 1.2 or a 4-cylinder, 1.4 units. Prices start at £6,590 but the test car was the £7,190 Urban Fox with the 1.2 engine, which produces 55PS (54bhp) at 4,750rpm and 108Nm of pulling power at 3,000rpm. It takes 17.5 seconds to reach 62mph from stand-still and the top speed is 92mph.

Remember that this is an urban Fox and it is unlikely that town-dwellers are going to get the opportunity to test the acceleration time or the top speed unless they go elsewhere. I went elsewhere and put it to the test, making a discovery in the process; the engine doesn't respond to brute force. In order to get the best acceleration from this 3-cylinder engine you have to be patient. The temptation to put the pedal to the metal results in very little increase in forward motion whereas gentle but progressive pressure on the accelerator pedal gets the job done more efficiently.

It has to be said, that the smaller engine cannot be described as speedy and while the top speed is well above the limit, motorway overtakes require a bit more planning than usual. Even dropping to 4th or 3rd gear of the non-optional 5-speed manual 'box, doesn't produce enough oomph to accomplish the manoeuvre in a hurry. Moreover, because the Fox is quite 'slabby' and lightweight, it is susceptible to cross-winds and turbulence from passing trucks.

Put the Fox in its natural environment and its benefits of all-round visibility and easy manoeuvrability are a distinct bonus when it comes to negotiating today's traffic and tight parking spaces. It actually feels at home in town.

That said, the country section of the test route brought to light the surprising stability of the car. Despite its height, it doesn't give the impression that it is going to fall over, on fast bends, the way some of this ilk do, thanks to a fairly wide track and longer than normal, wheelbase. The countryside drive also revealed the flexibility of the engine and gearing - I would almost describe it as sprightly.

The benefit of a small engine is evident in the fuel consumption figures of 36.2mpg and 55.4mpg for the urban and extra-urban cycles, which results in a combined of 46.3mpg and the CO2 emissions, are measured as 146g/km.

I have already mentioned that the Fox is quite slab-sided with a lot of metal but it is a necessary evil when the packaging of passengers has to kept as simple as possible in order to keep the price at a reasonable level. Volkswagen has, however, made a detail of the front end, which features the company's new-style grille. This is in black rather than chrome in an effort to disguise the car's height. The bonnet also displays crease-lines that are, not surprisingly, very reminiscent of SEAT's new look.

Inside, the Fox seats four adults in comfort. The rear passengers are divided by an unusual central tray with two cup-holders that are set into the squab. For extra legroom the seat in the Urban Fox have the ability to slide fore and aft by 15cm. This, in combination with 50:50 split and fold function, increases the boot space from 260- to a maximum of 1,016-litres.

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 Review

and Road Test Conclusion

Performance2-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Ride and Handling2.5-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Ease of Use2.5-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Safety and Security2-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Comfort and Refinement 2.5-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Interior Styling2.5-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Exterior Styling2-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

In Car Entertainment & Navigation2-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Build Quality2.5-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Value for Money 2.5-star.gif border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />

Overall 46%

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Theres one a little way down the road from my dads house - its not so bad in the metal....

It hasn't quite got the character of some cars you see around (and has anyone noticed how the rear end of it, and a new clio look really similar??), okay its on stilts, but a few cheap mods and you'd have a nice little city car smile.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

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It takes 17.5 seconds to reach 62mph from stand-still and the top speed is 92mph.

Hahaha, does this make it the slowest (petrol engined) car currently on sale today?

with the 1.2 engine, which produces 55PS (54bhp) at 4,750rpm and 108Nm of pulling power at 3,000rpm
The benefit of a small engine is evident in the fuel consumption figures of 36.2mpg and 55.4mpg for the urban and extra-urban cycles, which results in a combined of 46.3mpg

The engineers did a good job with that engine didnt they, all that power and they still only get that economy. Give me a 1.6 Lupo Gti with 167bhp that averages 35mpg and peaks at 45mpg on the motorway anytime biggrin.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

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insurance group 1

why cnat my car be insurance group 1

...because yours says Sport on the ass!

If you want to swap so you get cheaper insurance I'm sure someone would oblige! wink.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

You might change your mind when you put your foot down though!

S!

Edited by Silver!
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  • 3 weeks later...

Been to VW recently, enquiring about a Fox but do you know that it takes 5 MONTHS to get them to you!! People are ordering them now for March's reg!! I relly wanted one as well!! biggrin.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Edited by BananaGirl
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Been to VW recently, enquiring about a Fox but do you know that it takes 5 MONTHS to get them to you!! People are ordering them now for March's reg!! I relly wanted one as well!! biggrin.gif style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

It takes 3 months for them to stop laughing before they actually start building the car

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