PoloDriver

The new range-topping 104bhp 1.2 supercharged and turbocharged engine used by the forthcoming Polo SEL TSI has gone into production at Škoda’s Mladá Boleslav factory in the Czech Republic, famed for building the company’s range of power units. Production of the new four-cylinder powerplant has forced expansion of the plant. Speaking last week, Škoda’s head of engine manufacturing, Milan Stanek said: ‘This new unit is going to be one of the most important engines for the Volkswagen Group, and we are pleased that it is our plant that is going to manufacture it.’

[Source: CarAdvice]

We already thought that Volkswagen had pulled out all the stops marketing the new Polo in both the UK and European advertising campaigns. But, the headline stats at the end of this new video posted by the production company for the making of the ‘Ready For A New Class’ pan-European TV commercial make for interesting reading.

For a start, the spot was shot in Los Angeles (the car’s not even sold in the US, but rumours persist that it could be, so is this why two Polos were shipped there) in May of this year, using 10,370 metres of film. There were 115 crew members, who consumed 976 burgers and 1,643 cups of coffee and cumulatively travelled over 155,000 miles.

Seventeen locations provided backdrops for 20 actors and the whole shoot lasted 60 hours. Anything else? Oh yes, two identical red five-door Polos and one P!nk soundtrack. Not surprisingly, no budget figures are mixed in with all the other stats, but we can see why Volkswagen has used the same basic footage for all markets and adapted the marketing message for each territory.

Watch through or skip to 03:36 for the finished commercial.

From 10 July to the end of November, Volkswagen Austria is offering visitors the chance to win a brand new Polo, if you take part in the Polo Cup. In an innovative multiplayer game for the PC (sorry, Mac users), gamers can drive a new Polo around a track, with the aim to win a car or one of 25,000 euros-worth of other prizes.

But, in a change from the Apple iTunes store Volkswagen Polo Challenge app, it’s not all about speed. To win Volkswagen Austria’s Polo Cup, you have to get round in the fastest time, using the least amount of fuel. But, the company states on its website that the driving fun is still the centre of attention. And, like the Apple app, 3D graphics reportedly give good handling characteristics.

So, what are you waiting for? Download the game here, drive the fastest time and post your time online. You never know – if you post a fast time, your new Polo driving experience could be transformed from virtual to reality!

The internet is awash with stories about the notchback version of the Polo, currently under development for launch next year. CarAdvice in Australia is one of the latest places to find new renderings of the 2010 sedan, and they’re the best yet, looking almost official. But, the images shown here are depicted in Auto Bild’s ‘Cars of Tomorrow’ online feature.

Meanwhile, the German Car Blog reports that Volkswagen UK have made a decision not to sell the saloon version of the new car, echoing the decision the company made in 2003. The last version of the three-box Polo was sold on UK shores in 2001.

[Images: Auto Bild]

Longstanding Volkswagen monthly magazine Volkswagen Driver has a test of the Polo 1.2 SE five-door in its December 2009 issue, out today. The mid-range version of the new Polo, the 1.2 SE could become Volkswagen’s biggest-selling model in the UK and so is of great importance to the company.

Also expected to be the most popular new Polo variant in this country, Volkswagen Driver says of the £11,385 newcomer: ‘Volkswagen’s latest Polo is the biggest, best and most stylish yet.’ It seems that the car left an impressive impression. Grab a copy of Volkswagen Driver from all good newsagents (find your nearest stockist here), or contact Autometrix Publications on 01525 750500.