The Volkswagen Fox is a supermini produced and designed by Volkswagen do Brasil and sold in Latin America and Europe. Currently the Fox is produced as a three-door and five-door hatchback. There is also a mini XUV version called CrossFox, and a mini MPV/station wagon model called Suran, SpaceFox, SportVan or Fox Plus depending on the market.
In South America, it fits between its two supermini brothers, the low cost Gol and the Polo. Despite its height (1545 mm), inner room is quite similar to its competitors Opel Corsa, Fiat Palio, Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Peugeot 206. In Mexico it is called the Lupo, due to the last name of then-current President Vicente Fox.
It was introduced to the European market in 2005, replacing the ageing Lupo city car as the entry-level car in the lineup and at a far cheaper price
Cross Fox
The Volkswagen CrossFox is a mini SUV version which sets it apart from the standard Fox. As other similar models vehicles, it is only available with front-wheel drive.
It is produced in Brazil and sold in Latin American markets; there are plans to export it to European markets to compete in the expanding mini SUV market (see Ford EcoSport and Fiat Idea Adventure).
Suran/Spacefox/Fox Plus./Space van
A mini MPV/station wagon crossover version was presented in April 2006, and was named Suran in Argentina [1], Chile and Uruguay, SpaceFox in Brazil [2] and Peru [3], SportVan in Mexico [4] and Fox Plus in Algeria [5]. It is built in General Pacheco, Argentina, and may be exported to Europe in 2007.
Because of its 360 mm-extended tail (4165 mm vs. 3805 mm), it has a larger boot and more rear leg room than the hatchback versions. Its main competitors are the Peugeot 206 SW, Fiat Idea and Chevrolet Meriva.
Facts
The roof liner and rear parcel shelf are made from the renewable resourced Curaua plant. The European-market Fox has a four-star EuroNCAP safety rating. The static torsional stiffness of the Fox is 17941 Nm and has a dynamic torsional stiffness of 39.2 Hz. An optional rear bench seat slides 150 mm lengthways and the backrest can split 50/50 in the middle, depending on the configuration, the boot volume is adjustable between 260 and 1016 L.
South American spec Fox EA-111 1.6 8V Specifications Engine: 1599 cm³, cast iron cylinder head, RSH (roller rocker arm) Power: 101 hp (74 kW) @ 5750 rpm Torque: 140 Nm @ 3250 rpm 0-100 km/h: 10.5 s Top Speed: 170 km/h Boot: 260-1236 L Transmission: 5-gear manual (Audi MQ200 manual gearbox) Fuel capacity: 50 L
In Europe
The Fox was introduced to Europe at the AMI Leipzig Motor Show in 2005, on debut in Europe the Fox was only available as a three-door hatchback and with three engine options: the 1.2 L 40 kW (55 hp) and 1.4 L 55 kW (75 hp) petrol engines and the 1.4 L 51 kW (69 hp) TDI engine.
The Fox was sold with a long options list to reduce its tag price, therefore letting the European customer specify the Fox to their liking. It did come with standard twin airbags and anti-lock braking system for safety measures. Upon its debut the Fox scored four stars in EuroNCAP's crash rating system proving that small cars can be safe.
Options Alloy Wheels Electronic pack with electric windows and mirrors Sunroof ESP with electronic differential lock and traction control system Front and side airbags Semi climatic air conditioner law CD player
Note: The electronic differential lock (EDL) employed by VAG is not - as the name suggests - a differential lock at all. Sensors monitor wheel speeds, and if one is rotating substantially faster than the other (i.e. slipping) the EDL system momentarily brakes it. This effectively transfers all the power to the other wheel[1].
Other Volkwagon foxes
North American Fox
US-spec Volkswagen Fox GL sedan
Fox and Fox Wagon was also the name of a subcompact sedan and station wagon sold by Volkswagen in North America as an entry level model. It was a USDM version of the Gol range, produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Brazil. It was a design unique to South America, although it bore a family resemblance to the Volkswagen Jetta. After 1990 the Wagon was discontinued from the North American market; it was the last two-door wagon offered in the US. However, the Fox sedan and coupe lasted until 1993 in the US. Early models (1987-1989) feature Bosch Jetronic mechanical fuel injection and a squared off front end with rectangular sealed beam halogen headlamps, while the final U.S. version (1990-1993) had Bosch Digifant electronic fuel injection and a more modern styled front end with plastic headlamps
South African Fox
In South Africa, the Volkswagen Fox was a model based on the original Jetta, but featuring the front end of the Citi, the Citi is a facelifted version of the original Golf Mk 1 & is still in production in South Africa.
Audi Fox
In the United States and Australia during the 1970s, the Audi 80 was badged as the Audi Fox. The Australian version was assembled locally by Volkswagen Australasia Ltd.