Car Star: Volkswagen Fox

When you think of cheap little run around towns, you probably don’t think Volkswagen. Not the cheapest carmaker, Volkswagen nonetheless has a reputation for quality and encourages car buyers to stretch their purses that little bit further.

The petite Fox-Volkswagen’s budget city car- however makes straining your finances unnecessary. In this cute little car, you can secure the Volkswagen quality from a tiny £7,110, cheaper than many rivals such as the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo.

Styled a little rustically, the Fox may not be the prettiest car, but for those aspiring to a Polo or Golf- it is nothing short of perfect.

At around £2,000 less than the entry-level Polo and £7,000 less than a Golf, you might expect to seriously lose out on space and quality of build, but the Fox skimps on neither. The equipment on the entry-level 1.2 may be a bit basic but the plus-side, the Fox is not much smaller than the Polo. In terms of headroom, it is surprisingly generous and its boot is only 20 litres less than the Polo’s. Compared to the Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107 models which are made from the same platform, it is extremely generous at 260 litres compared to just 139 litres.

It is not fast by any means, achieving 0-62 in 17.5 seconds, nor is the entry level petrol engine powerful, generating a fairly measly 80lb of torque at 3000rpm, but still better than the 1-litre engine of the 107, C1 and Aygo which produces just 68lb of torque at 3600rpm.

Fuel efficiency is keener in other similar small cars, and CO2 emissions could surely be reduced as the Fox currently produces 144g/km of CO2. As a result of the CO2 levels, the Fox surprisingly sits in tax band F at £125 a year. Still, at such a low purchase price even slightly higher road tax and fuel bills would not put many people off. There is nothing wrong with the Fox’s 46.3mpg on a combined cycle, it is just that compared to the Polo Bluemotion at a VED-free 99g/km of CO2 and 74.3mpg, it looks a bit pants. But to be fair to the Fox, this compares a petrol model to the diesel Polo. Sadly there is no diesel option on the Fox model, just a choice between a 1.2 and a 1.4 petrol engine.

True rivals come in the form of the likes of the Mitsubishi Colt or Hyundai i10 which offer similar space for comparable prices. Neither has the ride of the Fox even though they are quicker off the mark; but the Fox with its direct steering and grippy road holding has a feel of being a class above its market. Its not until you step back out of the car, you remember you are in a budget supermini.

For many people Skoda seems to be the best way to secure a budget Volkswagen, but as the Fabia starts at around £8950, I would argue that the best way to get Volkswagen quality for less, is to err well, buy a Volkswagen.

One word of caution, watch out for expensive extras like air-con which pushes up the price by £990. As long as you bear this in mind, it is definitely worth checking out this often forgotten and overlooked model.

For offering a slice of German quality at French city car prices, the Fox is unique and that is why it is this month’s Car Star.

Author: Faye Sunderland, December 3rd, 2009
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