 Arosa
is actually designed and built in Germany by Volkswagen. It is another
"Sub-supermini" after Fiat Cinequecento, Renault Twingo and Ford Ka.
Basically,
Arosa is a baby version of Volkswagen Polo - based on a shortened Polo
floor pan and powered by Polo's entry level 999c.c. four with 5-speed
manual
box, or Polo's 1360c.c. multi-point injection (MPi) engine with a
choice
of 5M or 4A. (Update: now even with the 100 hp 1.4-litre 16v) No high
tech,
no radical new idea, no exciting performance, but you'll find Arosa is
irreasonably well built considering its price - high quality plastic,
narrow
panel gaps, big car-like NVH suppression....you must be amazed how
mature
it is. My only criticism is the short of leg room in the rear seats,
which
is the draw back of the short wheelbase. (VW's marketing executives
must
think, 'if it is spacious, who would buy Polo ?') Boot volume is also
tiny.
In
dynamic aspect, Arosa offers decent handling and ride but not very
inspiring.
Performance is disappointing because of the old engine. It feels far
less
exciting to drive than Ford Ka, but don't worry, even the 1.4 litres
Arosa
is still some 10% cheaper than the 1.3 litres Ka. The real trouble
comes
from Toyota Yaris, which eclipse Arosa in virtually all area.
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| The above report was last updated on 17 Apr 2001. All Rights Reserved. |