PoloDriver

80.7mpg and 91g/km: Volkswagen launches most efficient Polo yet

The most efficient Polo yet is available to order from Volkswagen retailers today, the company has announced. Starting at £14,445 on the road for the three-door, the five-door model carries a £600 premium. Powered by an all-new 1.2-litre three-cyliner TDI common rail diesel engine, the new eco Polo develops 74bhp and 133lb ft of torque available from 2000rpm. Longer ratios for the five-speed manual gearbox are coupled with a regenerative braking system and automatic Stop/Start to help the miserly newcomer sip fuel more efficiently.

Cosmetic changes
How efficiently? Volkswagen’s official figures state 80.7mpg on the combined cycle, equating to over 800 miles on one tank of diesel. But it’s not only the most fuel-efficient new Polo yet; the 2010 BlueMotion is the cleanest fifth-generation version, too, emitting just 91g/km of CO2. Cosmetic changes help grab those headline figures; bespoke deep bumpers, side skirts, an extended rear roof spoiler (similiar to the Mk 2 Polo Formel E’s of 1983), faired-in radiator grille and 15-inch ‘Greenland’ alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tyres all contribute to making the new Polo BlueMotion one of the most efficient vehicles currently available in the UK.

High comfort levels
Predictably, performance isn’t in the GTI league. The new Polo BlueMotion reaches 62mph from rest in 13.9 seconds and cruises onto a top speed of 107mph. So, while it’s no road burner, it’s not hair-shirt basic, either. Comfort levels are high with standard equipment including manual air-conditioning, cruise control, leather steering wheel, unique ‘Power On’ upholstery. As with other new Polo models, safety equipment is high with four airbags, ABS and ESP all fitted. If ordered from a Volkswagen retailer now, the first customers can expect to take delivery of their new Polo BlueMotions in May.

The last year of the ‘Noughties’ was a big year for the Volkswagen Polo and one of the busiest ever in the model’s 34-year history. We look back at the major Polo developments and happenings of 2009.

January

• German motoring weekly Auto Motor und Sport names the Polo as the Best Car of 2009 in the supermini class.

March

• Volkswagen surprises everyone and pulls the covers off the new Polo (in five-door form, above) at the Geneva motor show. New model is cleaner, lighter and safer than ever before. New fifth-generation has a new, sharper-looking body and new engines including a 1.2-litre 104bhp TSI and 1.6-litre common-rail TDI. New BlueMotion concept emits 87g/km of CO2, and will do 83.4mpg.
• Rumours circulate about a US market launch.
• VW Polo Challenge racing game app launched on the iPhone, topping 1.4 million downloads.

April

• Volkswagen India starts pre-production of the new Polo at its Pune plant in India, ready for a 2010 market launch.

May

• UK motoring monthly Car publishes its first online road test of the new model: ‘The new Polo isn’t perfect, but it’s an impressive step forward from a model that was well past its sell-by date.’
• Volkswagen release more details of the new model after the International Driving Presentation in Sardinia.

June

• First TV advertising commercials ‘Neon’ and ‘Ready For A New Class’ appear, using Pink’s Bad Influence as the soundtrack.

July

• New Polo launched in selected contintental markets.

August

• UK prices and specifications for the new Polo are released. S, Moda, SE and SEL trim levels announced, with prices starting at £10,635 for the 1.2 59bhp S, rising to £14,910 for the 1.6-litre 89bhp SEL TDI.
• Euro NCAP awards the new Polo a five-star safety rating, making one of, if not the, safest car in its class.
• First official pictures of the three-door model are released.

September

• New Polo three-door (above) and production version of the BlueMotion concept appear at the Frankfurt motor show.
• iMotor magazine publishes its first road test of the 74bhp 1.6-litre TDI, pitting it against its omnipresent foe, the Ford Fiesta.
• UK motoring weekly Auto Express publishes its first group test of the new Polo. The car faces established competition from the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2 and Renault Clio.
• German motoring publication Auto Motor und Sport publishes renderings of the new Polo GTI flagship and SUV-style CrossPolo, while the UK’s Autocar states that GTD, cabrio, estate and MPV versions of the car could also be coming.

October

• ‘Cool’ TV advertising commercial airs and takes inspiration from Hollywood, mixing Grease-style looks to a Back To The Future idea.
• PoloDriver gets behind the wheel of the new Polo and is deeply impressed with the newcomer, stating: ‘The fifth-generation model is the most refined, luxurious and capable incarnation of the Polo to date and may at last get the recognition it has been deserving of.’
• UK prices are announced for the three-door new Polo range, taking the cost of the entry level model down to £9435.
• Polo Sedan (saloon) spyshots published online. Could this be the model for India and the US?
• New 1.2-litre TSI turbocharged engine released for ordering, slated to arrive in the UK in January 2010.
• New Polo launched in the UK on 16 October 2009.
• What Car? magazine tests the new Polo against nine rivals – Polo is victorious.

November

• New Polo wins the European Car of the Year 2010 award fighting off competition from the Citroën C3 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 3008, Škoda Yeti and Toyota iQ.
• ‘Golden Steering Wheel’ and ‘Green Steering Wheel’ from Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag magazines awarded to the new model at a ceremony in Berlin.
• Volkswagen Driver magazine tests the 1.2 SE and says of the £11,385 newcomer: ‘Volkswagen’s latest Polo is the biggest, best and most stylish yet.’
• New Polo wins Small Car of the Year at the Scottish Car of the Year awards and is crowned with the Auto Trophy by Autozeitung.

December

• Continental order books open for the new Polo BlueMotion (above).
• Car magazine lists the new Polo in its Top 10 Cars of 2009.

With the launch of the new fifth-generation it’s been a busy year for the Polo and also for us here at PoloDriver. We would like to thank the readers who have sent us congratulatory comments and best wishes, and hope that you’ll enjoy the developments coming to the website in 2010.

[Click on the ‘Polo 2009-’ tag in the tag cloud in the right-hand sidebar of the website to see all entries pertaining to the new Polo.]

Volkswagen opened its continental order books for the new Polo BlueMotion yesterday, with prices starting at €16,500 (£14,766). The company state that its new eco-baby is the world’s most fuel-efficient five seater, and if that’s the case, it should sell well in these hardened times. The new Polo BlueMotion made its debut as a concept car at the Geneva motor show in March and will come to the UK at around the same time next year.

We’ve written about the new miserly Polo before, but the basics are a three-cylinder 1.2-litre 74bhp TDI engine with BlueMotion-specific modifications, including a Stop-Start system and regenerative braking. Emissions of left-hand drive cars are down to 87g/km and fuel consumption is up to around 83mpg, or 22 per cent down when compared to the regular Polo 1.6 TDI with the same power output.

There’s also a relatively light weight of 1,150kg, a closed-off radiator grille for better air flow, aerodynamic underbody panels, 15-inch ‘Greenland’ alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tyres, ‘sports’ bumpers with lower lips, rear spoiler, front fog lights and door handles and outside mirror housings painted in body colour. Inside buyers get leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, special ‘Power On’ upholstery and a tyre pressure indicator.

The production version of the new Polo BlueMotion has officially been launched at an International Driving Presentation in Hanover, Germany. Starring alongside new versions of the Golf and Passat BlueMotions, production of the eco-Polo starts early next year. Advance orders will be taken at the end of 2009.

The technical details and headline stats are nothing we didn’t know already. The high-tech BlueMotion Technologies (now a sub-brand in itself) package brings new a new 1.2-litre, 74bhp, three-cylinder common-rail TDI engine, regenerative braking, a Stop-Start system and aerodynamic body changes.

Volkswagen quote metric figures for the new car, meaning that the second-generation Polo BlueMotion will do 3.3 litres per 1000 kilometres. The company claim that this miserly consumption will make the new sip-sip Polo the most economical five-seater in the world. High hopes are also pinned on it being the most economical car in its market.

How achievable that ground-breaking fuel consumption is remains to be seen, but if the figures are possible, then brimming the 45-litre tank should only be needed eight times per year, based on a 11,000 kilometre annual mileage. One tankful should be enough, Volkswagen say, to cover over 1363 kilometres (or 851 miles if you get your calculator out).

The German carmaker quotes that a driver can do the 1148-kilometre journey from Hanover to Venice on a single tankful of fuel, costing only 40 euros (3.5 euros per 100 kilometres). In UK terms, that means approximately 85mpg on the combined cycle, beating its predecessor’s quoted figure of 74mpg by quite some margin.

With 87g/km of CO2, the new Polo BlueMotion should also be one of the least-polluting cars in the world, too – the old model beat even the hybrid Toyota Prius. The technological changes help here, too. Modified engine management software gives a lower idling speed; a gearshift indicator lets you know when to stir the gearbox for maximum efficiency; and low rolling-resistance tyres and aerodynamically-designed wheels help make a smoother passage through the air.

Keep checking back for UK market details – we’ll bring them to you as soon as we have them. But, in the meantime, this story gives us an excuse to post a pair of Volkswagen’s striking press photos. Download one of them as a wallpaper here: 1024px x 768px / 1920px x 1200px.

Fresh from its motor show debut last week as a production model, here’s some footage of the new Polo BlueMotion. Of course, so far we’ve only seen the new eco-Polo as a concept, but that was back in March. The production model goes straight from concept to reality with few, if any, changes. The biggest difference that Polo BlueMotion Version 2.0 has over its predecessor, is that is available in three-door form.

The sip-sip Polo has a new engine, too. A new 1.2-litre 74bhp TDI powers the 2010 Polo BlueMotion, giving it Toyota Prius-beating emissions of 87g/km. It sips even slower, too, with a theoretical 85mpg available with a light right foot. Revised gear ratios, a Stop-Start system and regenerative braking also all add to the cause. Volkswagen is chasing an early 2010 on sale date, after the rest of the models in the new Polo range have been rolled out.