Volkswagen Fox Expert Reviews

Competition in the economy city car sector is tougher than ever, but the Fox has a broad range of abilities. Good value, a desirable badge and excellent space efficiency will make it a popular choice, although the comparative lack of flair and average economy puts in behind some rivals. Given its compact dimensions the VW Fox offers remarkable interior space. Headroom is very good front and rear, while legroom, even in the rear seats is impressive. This helped by the sliding bench seat on Urban models which allows the split between boot space and rear leg room to be adjusted.

With a simple cabin and a relatively modest specification, the interior of the Fox should present no problems for the driver. The ventilation controls are simple rotary items, although they are set quite low in the dashboard, while the fog and hazard warning light switches are mounted clearly on the top of the fascia. The instrument panel is also simple and clear, taking up little space.

For a simple city car, the Fox is quite fun to drive. The three-cylinder 1.2-litre engine is not powerful but it revs keenly, so it is not a hardship to keep the right pedal pressed to make decent progress. All the major controls are easy to use, and visibility is good. When pressing on the Fox does suffer from body roll in corners, but it hangs on well and will not surprise or catch out inexperienced drivers.

Despite its size the Fox could perform the role of a family car. With a full complement of passengers and luggage even the 1.4-litre version may struggle, but it has enough space to manage a family of a reasonable size. The lack of five doors may be more of an issue.