FirstDrive: the VW Fox: The Lupo is dead: auf wiedersehen to the Lupo. Truth be told, no one is going to miss it.
While it might have been a bright idea in someone's mind on the drawing board - a small version of the already small Polo - it was overpriced when it came over here.
Starting at €13,250 it was only €1,000 less than the bigger Polo, but without any of its appeal.
Now VW has replaced it with the more youthful Fox. Complete with trendy interior stripes and a fancy little dial, the new supermini has yet to be priced for Ireland, but having driven it recently on the continent we can happily say that VW has finally created a more likely alternative to the bigger sibling.
Just as it has done with the Jetta - making it look more like the Passat - so it has with the Fox.
In both cases, buyers will be left wondering whether they actually need to bother trading up to the larger models.
It's not that the Fox is eyecatching or original in its looks. Most non-motor heads will easily mistake it for a Polo.
It's just that on the road and behind the wheel, the package seems very solid and - dare we say it without knowing the Irish price - value for money.
Of course, the cool stripes on the interior trim are a little loud. Yet it's a sign that VW is determined to make this work in the younger urban segment.
The Japanese have done well here, but their more futuristic designs will not appeal to all, particularly on the continent. There, buyers carry a sort of badge loyalty to European models that must annoy their Asian counterparts.
We tested the 1.2-litre 55bhp petrol engine version and were very impressed, not only by its power output but also by the soundproofing and handling, even on country roads.
This feels well-grounded, solid and surprisingly more nippy than many of the larger more powerful cars we've driven in recent times. It's also surprisingly roomy. With two adults in the back there was still ample legroom in the front.
Whether our test car was some form of Tardis version or not, there was space aplenty, with a sliding rear seat giving you the choice between Golf-rivalling boot space and Golf-beating rear legroom.
The roomy interior is also helped by the relatively long stretching windscreen that lets in plenty of light. It could all go wrong, of course. VW could price the car out of the market here.
That would be a great pity. While there are several contenders for our favourite set of wheels this year, the Fox - not something we even considered as an also-ran - greatly surprised us.
It's actually fun to drive, and whereas the 1.2-litre engine feels stodgy and sluggish in the Polo, here it feels just right.
We'll have to wait until the end of the month for prices to be released, with the Fox officially arriving in Ireland in February. In the couple of hours we spent behind the wheel, we believe it might be worth the wait.
While VW has failed in its move upmarket with the likes of the Phaeton, the Fox demonstrates that when it pays attention to its traditions and roots in the small car sector, it can come out smelling of roses.
