PoloDriver

The traditional sales spurt afforded by the twice-yearly registration plate change in the UK, benefited the Polo in September. It rose two places in the top 10 best-selling cars sales chart according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for September 2014, sitting at number five with 10,312 examples finding homes.

Once again the Ford Fiesta was top dog, with 23,266 cars registered. Volkswagen’s Golf rounded out the top three (13,011 sold) one place below the Ford Focus (13,508 sold). Overall, the Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK for 2014 so far, with 36,772 models driving off the forecourts.

The SMMT reports that 425,861 new cars were registered in September a 5.6 per cent rise on the same period last year and the biggest September since 2004. The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during September 2014 and the year so far (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 23,266 (106,930, 1st)

2 Ford Focus: 13,508 (67,015, 2nd)

3 Volkswagen Golf: 13,011 (58,664, 4th)

4 Vauxhall Corsa: 12,506 (62,693, 3rd)

5 Volkswagen Polo: 10,312 (36,772, 7th)
6 Fiat 500: 9122 (35,032, 9th)

7 Vauxhall Astra: 8661 (47,482, 5th)

8 Audi A3: 7317 (35,596, 8th)
9 Peugeot 208: 6968
10 Nissan Qashqai: 6847 (38,920, 6th)


(The 2014 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the BMW 3 Series with 29,655 units sold.)

It’s official. On the eve of the 2014 Paris Autosalon (and ahead of its VW Group Night preview unveiling), Volkswagen has released details of the hottest Polo to date: the 2015 Polo GTI. As widely reported, the new car has 189bhp (192PS), can get to 62mph from rest in 6.7 seconds, has a top speed of 146mph (236km/h), and, joy of joys, has a six-speed manual gearbox as standard – a seven-speed DSG is an option.

1.8 litres, 189bhp, 236lb ft
The pre-refresh Polo 6R GTI had 178bhp from its 1.4-litre TSI engine. The new car ups that by 11bhp and is powered by a new 1.8-litre turbocharged unit, which has also seen service in the Audi A3. The new engine develops 236lb ft (320Nm) of torque – an increase of around 30 per cent compared to the now discontinued 1.4.

Performance of the new Polo GTI is close to that of the limited edition Polo R WRC road car, which has a 2.0-litre TSI engine and 217bhp. The 2015 Polo GTI is only 0.3 seconds slower to 62mph and only 4mph down on top speed. The new GTI is relatively clean, too – the manual emits the same CO2 figure as before – 139g/km – while the DSG is better still, rated at only 129g/km.

The new Polo GTI is 10mm lower at the front and 15mm lower at the rear than other Polos, and Volkswagen states it is ‘exceptionally agile’. Volkswagen has traditionally curtailed the Polo GTI’s agility a little in favour of the Golf GTI, so it will be interesting to see if this is still the case. Steering is by an electromechanical power-assisted rack, and electronically adjustable dampers are available for the first time.

‘Sport Select’ suspension
The ‘Sport Select’ suspension with ‘Sport Performance Kit’ allows for more performance-focused handling when the ‘Sport’ button is depressed. An electro-mechanical switching valve in the dampers alters their tuning from a sports yet comfort-oriented basic setting to ‘the stiffer characteristic of a sports suspension’ according to VW.

The ‘Sport Performance Kit’ is said to give both the new electromechanical power steering and the accelerator pedal response an even sportier feel. At the same time, the engine noise heard inside the car also changes as the sound actuator does its work. And if the Polo GTI is equipped with the seven-speed DSG gearbox, the transmission changes automatically from D to S mode.

GTI styling
Of course, a GTI isn’t a GTI without some external cues. And they are all present and correct on the new hot shot Polo. The refreshed Polo 6R’s headlight and tail lamps are fitted, along with a unique mesh-filled front bumper, honeycomb front grille with lower red trim strip (which extends into the headlamps like the on the Golf GTI) and ‘GTI’ badge, and front fog lights.

The rear of the car gets an extended rear spoiler with gloss black lip, a rear diffuser, twin exhausts, and ‘GTI’ badging. The finishing touches are ‘GTI’ side insignia on the front wings, red brake calipers, and a new design of 7.5J x 17-inch alloy wheel, which echoes that of the Golf GTI. The Polo GTI is the first Polo to come with LED headlamps as an option, as well as LED daytime running lights. Seven paint colours are available, including the traditional GTI shades of black, red, silver and white.

Inside, the new Volkswagen GTI family member also has, unsurprisingly, echoes of the Golf GTI, while all the latest infotainment upgrades from the new Polo range are present and correct. The sporty Polo adds a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel with contrasting red stitching, aluminium pedals, gloss back trim inserts, ‘Clark’ tartan cloth, heated sports seats, black headlining, and a sound actuator, to highlight the more sports-orientated engine noise of the new model.

Kit count is high and includes footwell lighting, Driver Alert System, ‘Plus’ multifunction display, ‘Composition Touch’ infotainment system, front and rear ParkPilot, heated windscreen washer nozzles and a headlight cleaning system.

Performance Polo history
The history of the performance Polo could be described as patchy. The limited-production run 115bhp supercharged G40 arrived in 1985 (becoming a mainstay in the range with the Mk 2 Polo’s facelift in 1990), while a 120bhp 3,000 unit Polo GTI special model was introduced in 1998. Just as with the G40, the first full production run 125bhp Polo GTI was ushered in with the arrival of the Mk 3 Polo facelift in 1999.

The Mk 4 Polo GTI had 148bhp from its 1.8-litre turbocharged engine and was launched in 2006, with the outgoing Mk 5 Polo GTI hitting the roads in 2010 with 178bhp from its 1.4 unit. This car only had the DSG option, so bringing the manual gearbox back is an encouraging move by Volkswagen – the lack of a self-shifter must have harmed sales a little.

Pricing details are still elusive, but the Polo GTI is available for advance order in Germany later this month, with a European launch slated for February 2015. The car will have its world debut at the Paris Autosalon this month, which runs from 4 to 19 October 2014. We can’t wait to drive this latest GTI-badged firecracker and have to ask if if will finally propel the Polo to the performance hatchback big league?

2015 VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI – 
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION:
Displacement (cc) 1798
Power output 189bhp (192PS)
Maximum torque 236lb ft / 320Nm @ 1400-4200rpm (manual); 184lb ft / 250Nm @ 1300-5400rpm (DSG)
Top speed (mph) 146
0-62mph (seconds) 6.7
Front suspension MacPherson struts, coil springs
Rear suspension Torsion beam, trailing arms, coil springs
Steering Electromechnical power-assisted rack
Brakes 310mm discs (front), 230mm discs (rear), ABS, ASR traction control, ESC, XDS+
Wheels 7.5J x 17 alloy
Tyres 215/40 R17

In an unsurprising move, Volkswagen India unwrapped the latest version of the Polo 6R-based Vento this week. A refreshed model in a similar vein to the updated Polo which recently went on sale, the updated three-box saloon now includes a 1.5 TDI model available with a seven-speed DSG gearbox – a first in the class.

Standard features on all models include twin front airbags, dual-beam headlamps, an upgraded instrument panel, redesigned alloy wheels, footwell lights, Bluetooth connectivity, and a flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel, as seen on the refreshed Polo. Following the Indian trend for brown-coloured saloons, new colours include Toffee Brown (pictured) and Night Blue.

The new 1.5-litre engine also sees service in the New Polo. Producing 103bhp and 183lb ft (250Nm) of torque, the TDI unit joins the 1.2-litre TSI and 1.6 MPI engines already in use. Volkswagen India states that all of the New Vento powerplants offer ‘an excellent blend of power, performance and fuel economy’.

The seven-speed double-clutch DSG gearbox can be coupled to both the 1.2 TSI and 1.5-litre TDI, and offers improved fuel economy and lower tailipipe emissions. The 1.2 TSI produces 103bhp as before, while the 1.6-litre petrol engine has the same power output but less torque (112lb ft vs 129lb ft).

Overall, the changes echo those of the Indian-market New Polo and bring the three-box Vento into line with the hatchback range. Available in three trim levels, the New Vento is on sale now priced from Rs 7.44 to Rs 10.94 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). Visit www.volkswagen.co.in for further information.

2014 VOLKSWAGEN VENTO PRICES
1.6 MPI: Rs 7.44 – Rs 8.87 lakh
1.2 TSI DSG: Rs 9.35 – Rs 9.92 lakh
1.5 TDI: Rs 8.57 – Rs 9.90 lakh
1.5 TDI DSG: Rs 10.49 – Rs 10.94 lakh

2014 VOLKSWAGEN VENTO MODELS
1.6 MPI: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline
1.2 TSI DSG: Comortline, Highline
1.5 TDI: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline
1.5 TDI DSG: Comortline, Highline

It may have dipped out of the top 10 sales charts for a couple of months, but the Polo is is one of the most popular cars in the UK once more. According to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for August 2014, the Polo was the seventh best-selling car in the UK with 1299 units sold, no doubt helped by the appearance of the refreshed model.

The Ford Fiesta once again topped the table with 4657 cars finding homes, while Volkswagen’s Golf was sitting pretty at number four, having sold 2376 examples. Overall, the Polo is the eighth best-selling car in the UK for 2014 so far, with 26,460 models leaving dealers’ forecourts. The SMMT states that 72,163 new cars were registered in August, a 9.4 per cent rise on August 2013 and the 30th consecutive month of growth.

The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during August 2014 and the year so far (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 4657 (83,664, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 2740 (53,507, 2nd)
3 Vauxhall Corsa: 2435 (50,187, 3rd)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 2376 (45,653, 4th)

5 Vauxhall Astra: 2043 (38,621, 5th)

6 Audi A3: 1641 (28,279, 7th)

7 Volkswagen Polo: 1299 (26,460, 8th)
8 Fiat 500: 1203 (25,910, 9th)
9 Vauxhall Insignia: 1201 (17,509, 9th)

10 Nissan Qashqai: 1154 (32,973, 6th)

(The 2014 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the BMW 3 Series with 23,736 units sold.)

Hot in the tyre tracks of its latest successful launch in Australia, the New Polo has just hit the streets of Japan. On sale in the Far Eastern country since 1982, the revised version of Volkswagen’s evergreen supermini costs 2,239,000 Yen, around €16,329 or £12,909 with current exchange rates.

That buys Japanese drivers a New Polo Comfortline five-door powered by the revised model’s 89bhp 1.2-litre TSI turbocharged engine, coupled to a seven-speed DSG gearbox. Much the same as Australia, Europe, India, South Africa and the UK then. Interestingly, the mid-range five-door SE with the same engine and gearbox costs £14,960 in the UK.

On the outside, it’s a familiar story, too, with the Japanese New Polo gaining the same subtly refreshed exterior tweaks as its cousins in other countries. The same grown-up safety kit is available, too, including the Adapative Cruise Control and Automatic Post-Collision Braking System.

The new car also gets the interior upgrades applied to other markets. The Japanese version of the New Polo will fight its corner against the Ford Fiesta and Renault’s Clio, known in the Far East as the Lutecia. To find out details of exact specifications and options, visit the Volkswagen Japan website here.