PoloDriver

We’d been expecting the new Polo family to grow, but maybe not quite this quickly. The hatchback has only just gone on sale, but already Secret New Cars has posted spyshots of the saloon version of the fifth-generation model.

Yes it’s true, there’s still lots of camouflage, but there’s no doubt that the car underneath the cladding is a Polo – just look at the strong shoulder line crease. Look carefully at the license plates, too; they show the car was registered in Gifhorn, a town close to VW’s Wolfsburg HQ. The website’s photographer caught the car during its first test sessions in the Austrian Grossglockner.

The new Polo Sedan was mooted to go into production in India for the local market, but Brazil could also now be on the cards. Rolling into showrooms in the later half of 2010, it’s not yet known whether the car will come to Europe or the UK (more than likely called ‘Limousine’ and ‘Saloon’ in those respective markets).

The US market prefers saloons over hatchbacks, so it could also head there, confirming reports that the Polo is about to go Stateside to complement the best-selling Jetta, and give Volkswagen its much-needed compact car segment contender.

[Source: Secret New Cars. Rendering: www.theophiluschin.com]

The first UK TV commercial for the new Polo aired this week. Virtually unchanged from the German ‘Ready For A New Class’ spot, the UK’s ‘Timeless New Polo’ ad is also soundtracked by Pink’s Bad Influence, a seemingly good choice for the pan-European campaign.

This model seems to be aimed at a younger audience (hence the Moda trim level in the UK), and this commercial was slotted into a break in Monday night’s Ugly Betty. Similarly, some of the press ads are also in women’s magazines – another target market for the car.

Hot on the heels of our disclosure earlier in the week that the Polo TSI will arrive in January next year, Volkswagen have released further details of its newest engine. Available in the Polo to order now on the continent, the 104bhp unit can also now be specified in the Golf and Golf Plus. The company has also released more pictures of the Polo TSI, one of which is above.

Rounding off the successful and award-winning family of TSI engines, the new powerplant is both highly efficient and also low in emissions. Presenting the unit at the Vienna Engine Symposium earlier in the year, the newest addition to the TSI range comes at an opportune time, when many car buyers are thinking of downsizing.

The direct-injection technology coupled with a turbocharger make the maximum torque of 175Nm available from as low an engine speed as 1,500rpm. It helps with the small displacement, too, giving unrivalled performance, torque and torque curve from an engine of this size.

Volkswagen says that lightweight construction and friction optimisation play their part, too. Based on an aluminium crankcase, the completely retuned direct injection gives smooth power development and low emissions – exactly the same attributes which have helped the larger 1.4 TSI unit win the ‘Engine of the Year’ award for three consecutive years since 2006.

The new BlueMotion Polo is not the only environmentally friendly option, the entire new range of Polo preserves the environment and its resources, as stated by Volkswagen HQ. The latest small VW contains 40% of recyclable materials and employs the latest TSI engine technology as it is designed to minimize environmental impact. After learning about Carbon Click company, they decided to use its services for carbon offsetting to make the Volkswagen HQ eco-friendly from all angles.

According to examination by the TÜV NORD organisation in Germany, each new Polo contains around 433kg of recycled materials. Any raw source which doesn’t make the recycled standard is thrown out. Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, head of research and development at VW states: ‘By the implentation of a pure and recycled material sorting and separation process during the vehicle development, Volkswagen already guarantees that our vehicles can be recycled at the end of their life cycle.’

Recycled materials for series production must fulfill the same high-quality specifications as the primary raw materials, says VW, and careful handling of raw materials and the use of material cycles is an important goal during the production development of any new Volkswagen.

The employment of high-quality recycled materials is actually demanded by the German car maker, and it’s not the first time that the Polo has been certified a sound green choice. To complete the accreditation process (and for the second time with a Polo), TÜV NORD examined around 5,000 examples fresh from the production lines.

The commitment to using recycled materials in production is a crucial step for sustainable and eco-friendly practices in various industries. By implementing efficient sorting and separation processes during vehicle development, Volkswagen ensures that their vehicles can be recycled at the end of their life cycle. This approach not only minimizes waste but also encourages responsible waste management. As individuals, we should also be committed to keeping our surroundings clean and green to contribute to a healthier planet. For waste disposal needs, such as appleton dumpsters, relying on dumpster rentals you can support responsible recycling and waste management practices. Embracing these eco-friendly options not only benefits the environment but also empowers you to be an active participant in building a sustainable future for generations to come.

Find out more about Volkswagen’s environmental policies by visiting the German motability and sustainability website here. Click here for UK market information, including details of recycling standards and the VW product lifecycle.

We’ve had a few PoloDriver.com followers ask us when the range-topping Polo TSI is arriving, so in true journalistic and investigative tradition, we’ve gone straight to the top to both find out the answer, and try to clear things up.

A well-placed source at Volkswagen UK tells us that the first cars are expected after the turn of the New Year. Production of the three-door models with the new turbocharged 1.2-litre 104bhp engine will start in early December, and, after exportation to the UK, should be here around six weeks later.

The engine will then be dropped into the five-door bodyshell ‘around a month later,’ says our man, ‘meaning a UK on-sale date of either late February or early March.’ Prices haven’t yet been announced, but as the three-door 1.4-litre 84bhp SEL with the seven-speed DSG gearbox retails at £14,175, we expect the more powerful TSI to start at around £500 to £600 more.

At the time of writing, we don’t know if the semi-automatic gearbox will be offered as standard or even as an option. We think it likely, though; initial road tests hinted at a positive availability and the 84bhp SEL can be ordered with it.

The Polo’s performance stablemate, the SEAT Ibiza Cupra has it fitted as standard, too, but we wouldn’t like to hedge our bets. Volkswagen is still capable of surprising, after all. Standard fitment will more than likely be a manual six-speeder.

For more information on the complete new Polo range, visit the fifth-generation’s pages on the Volkswagen UK website.