Insurance Group: 1
MPG: 48.7
CO2: 136
0-62 Mph: 15.9 secs
BHP: 59 BHP
Range: 536 miles
PROS: Great for city driving, surprisingly spacious for passengers and luggage, frugal engine, cheap to insure and run.
CONS: Very basic level of equipment, uninspiring interior, not as fun to drive as some other small city cars in its class.
Inside the cabin, finding a good driving position is easy thanks to the adjustment on the driver’s seat, and the height and reach adjustment on the steering wheel, which is a bonus in such a small car. All round visibility is good, except when you have two adult passengers in the back, and then the rear view can be obstructed somewhat. The dash is well designed, functional and all the controls are easy to use. Compared to other newer cars in this class, the dash and interior of the Fox are a bit uninspiring.
The 1.2-litre 3 cylinder 6 valve engine fitted in this model produces 59bhp and a reasonable 80lb-ft of mid-range pulling power. Capable of a top speed of 95mph, and 0-62mph in 15.9 seconds, it’s by no means a powerhouse, but it’s capable enough and ideal for city driving.
Around town the Fox’s light steering and quick changing five-speed manual gearbox make it a pleasure to drive. It handles well and manoeuvring and parking are easily accomplished thanks to its tight turning circle. On faster roads the Fox suffers from body-roll when cornering and the steering doesn’t feel as responsive as at slow speeds. The ride is generally comfortable and it copes with most surfaces well, although rough surfaces can unsettle it a bit.
You’ll be aware of the engine noise most of the time, even in city driving, and at higher speeds road noise becomes obvious too.
The Fox is beginning to show its age in the looks department. It doesn’t have any of the chic or edgy styling of its more modern rivals and while both the exterior and interior of the Fox are uninspiring – it’s reliable and well built.
The standard Fox comes with ABS, height adjustable driver’s seat, steering wheel height and reach adjustment, speed sensitive power steering, stability control, immobilizer and CD. Volkswagen offer a range of optional extras such as remote central locking (£435), alloy wheels (£635), air conditioning (£1,060), electric door mirrors (£535), electric front windows (£535), metallic paint (£445), front-side airbags (£255) and alarm (£720).
The Fox is surprisingly good for moving large loads, thanks to its split, fold flat rear seats. Boot capacity is 260-litres normally and can be extended to 1,016-litres with the seats down. It has a wider than average tailgate too which makes it easier to cope with larger or awkward loads than some other city cars. There’s plenty of space for passengers, with a generous amount of legroom in the rear, where two full grown adults can sit in comfort, even on longer journeys.
The VW Fox received four-stars in the EuroNCAP crash-tests, which is comparable to many of its more modern rivals. Standard safety features include driver and front passenger airbags, ABS, ISOfix child seat mounting points and electronic stability control programme. Side airbags can be specified as an optional extra.
An engine immobilizer is fitted as standard to deter thieves. An alarm and remote central locking can be specified as optional extras.
The Fox borrows much from the Polo and other proven VWs, so it is mechanically strong, and reliability is everything you’d expect from a Volkswagen. It comes covered by VW’s three-year, 60,000 mile warranty, with regular service intervals of 10,000 miles.
The Fox 1.2 3-door represents good value for money if you’re looking for a car that’s well built, has lots of space and a premium badge. However, it lacks some equipment that you would expect to see in a city car such as air conditioning or electric front windows. Add this to the list price of £7,795 and it looks a little less competitive alongside its rivals.
Running costs for the Fox are low and on a par with others in its class. Insurance is in group 1 and Road Tax in VED band E. Average fuel economy is 48.7mpg so it’s ideal for anyone looking for budget motoring in a reliable and well proven car.
Selling it on shouldn’t pose a problem either, as small cars are more and more in demand and the Fox is frugal, cheap to run and comes with the desirable VW badge on it.
The VW Fox 1.2 3-door is roomy and an easy to drive city car that’s frugal and well built. It may not have the charm or edgy styling of some of its rivals in this class like the Fiat Panda or Toyot...
The Fox is a decent city car but is outclassed by most of its main rivals. The performance is mediocre, it is not especially fuel efficient and the interior feels very cheap. However, refinement...
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