By Leonard Kucinski The Morning Call April 8, 1989
For
followers of ancient history, it might be of some interest to note that back in
1949 the first two Volkswagen Beetles were officially imported into the United
States.
That's about as humble a beginning as a car company can get.
Over the years, though, more than nine million Volkswagens have been sold in
America. In fact, at one time VW accounted for about 60 percent of the imported
car market. All of that, of course, changed with more and more countries getting
into the act.
These days, this German manufacturer has more upgraded
products than the loveable, slated-for-sainthood Beetle, right up to the
run-with-the-best-of-' em Jetta GLI 16V performance sports sedan. And before
1989 is over, the company will introduce three all-new models: the Corroda
sports car; a supercharged, four-wheel-drive Rallye GTI, and the new flagship
Passat.
But getting back to the present and basics, Volkswagen does have
a relatively inexpensive economy car, which, at least in spirit, is the closest
thing to the Beetle. Because, although times have changed and even economy cars
are more upgraded, the Volkswagen Fox, besides having a name borrowed from an
old popular Audi model, does include a touch of the past.
Here is all
that neat German automotive engineering wrapped up in a smaller package. The
package, though, happens to be built in Brazil. But the Fox does not seem to
suffer from the translocation. The test car (a two-door sedan supplied by Lehigh
Valley Volkswagen, Allentown) was as Teutonic as mom's homemade
wienerschnitzel.
At a glance, the Fox bears some resemblance to the
Jetta, particularly in the front end. But that's about it. Styling is simple and
clean; no breakthroughs, no statements. The styling, though, is clever enough to
make the car look bigger than it actually is.
In reality, it has a
wheelbase of 92.8 inches, length of 163.4 inches, width of 63 inches, height of
53.7 inches and curbweight of about 2,100 pounds. The EPA interior index is
rated at 88 cubic feet (78 interior/10 cargo) putting it on the low end of the
subcompact class (85 to 99 cubic feet).
Front-seat room is decent,
though tall persons will find head room tight because of high seats, not a low
roof line. As with other subcompacts, back- seat leg room will depend on how far
back the front seats are positioned. The seats themselves are done up in a
heavy-duty tweed and have side bolsters. The feel is snug and
comfortable.
Even with a full-sized spare tire (standard) mounted to the
side, the trunk measures 10 cubic feet. The trunk isn't large but it is
efficiently laid-out. (For those who have a need for a large cargo carrying
area, the Fox Wagen has a capacity of 33.4 cubic feet, which increases to 61.8
cubic feet with the rear seat folded.)
Instruments and controls are few
and easy to figure out; no hunting around the Fox's instrument panel.
As
should be no surprise, the Fox is not a difficult car to drive. It is
maneuverable, easy to judge and easy to park. Perfect for the beginner, one
might say. It does not come with an automatic transmission so one does have to
learn to shift for oneself. The test car had a four-speed manual transmission,
which had an easy clutch and a nice spacing of gears.
A four-speed is a
much easier transmission to use than a five-speed. All one has to do from second
to third is just go all the way over; no problem of shifting into fifth by
mistake. Also, downshifting is simplified with this traditional ''H'' pattern.
Although still basically an economy car, the Fox is not a bad-handling
vehicle; sort of like the old Rabbit. The four-wheel independent suspension has
MacPherson struts up front and a ''V'' profile torsion-beam axle with integral
trailing arms in the rear. Nothing exotic, nothing complicated. Also, the ride
is decent for a short wheelbase. There is some torque steer on har acceleration.
Performance is peppy, proving once again that an economy car doesn't
have to be dull. Supplying the juice is a 1.8-liter/109-cubic-inch four-cylinder
engine with overhead cam and fuel injection. It is rated at 81 horsepower at
5,500 rpm and 93 foot pounds torque at 3,250 rpm. Put it in first, feed it the
gas, let that clutch go and you're on your way to blending into
traffi
And since it is an economy car, the fuel mileage is what should be
expected. The test car averaged 31 miles per gallon for highway driving and 22
mpg around town. Unleaded regular can be used.
Base price for the basic
two-door Fox is $6,890. In addition to items mentioned, standard equipment
includes tinted glass, power brakes, steel- belted radials and quartz clock.
Since the test car had no options, the final price, after adding $320 for
transportation and $295 dealer prep, was $7,515. Of course, one could spend more
on this car.
The Fox is protected by a 2-year/24,000-mile basic car
warranty and a six- year warranty against corrosion and rust perforation.
