PoloDriver

The New Polo market roll-out continues. South Africa is the latest country to take the refreshed Polo 6R under its wing. A consistent strong sales tool for Volkswagen South Africa (23,501 found new homes in 2013), the Polo hatchback is built in Uitenhage for both local and export markets.

Along with Europe, new South African Polos come with visual and technical enhancements. Driver assistance and infotainment systems are, as with other markets, the big news. The 1.2-litre 66kW/89bhp TSI engine is the sweet spot of the range according to Volkswagen South Africa – just as well, as that is the only engine which will be offered intially.

Sharper looks
Externally, as with European models, new head and tail lights contribute to sharper looks, while chrome trim around the fog lights widens the frontal apsect. At the rear, a wider numberplate recess, reprofiled bumper and embedded rear reflectors are the main changes.

In profile, new 15-inch and 16-inch alloy wheels offer visual differentiation, while the ‘Rivazza’ rim featured on European ‘Fresh’ and UK ‘SE Design’ models can be added to the mid-range Comfortline specification.

Base colours are Black, Flash Red and Pure White, but, as with other markets, the new – and favoured in these parts – Cornflower (read ‘Mayan’ in the UK) Blue can be chosen to really brighten up your choice of New Polo. The stand-out colour in the CrossPolo range is Honey Orange Metallic.

1.2-litre TSI engines
Two 1.2-litre engines of 66kW (89bhp) and 81kW (108bhp) will be available at launch. Both offer low emissions (117 and 120g/km CO2 respectively) and good fuel consumption (4.9l/km, 58mpg and 5.1l/km, 55mpg respectively), along with nippy performance with 160Nm of torque available from 1400-3500rpm.

Trendline and Comfortline cars will have the lower output engine and a five-speed gearbox, while Highline models have the choice of the higher-output unit, a six-speed gearbox or a seven-speed DSG. CrossPolo models also feature the 108bhp engine. Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESC), ABS, Hill-Hold, engine drag torque regulation (MSR) and Electronic Differential Locks (EDS) are fitted to ensure safety at all times.

As with European models, the South African New Polo offers the most driver assistance systems in its class. These include the standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System and Driver Alert System (visit our ‘Polo 6R (F)’ pages for full description of these systems).

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Moving up the range, Comfortline models feature 15-inch ‘Torsa’ alloy wheels are an option), leather multifunction steering wheel, and multifunction display. Chrome accents on the exterior and body-coloured door handles are outside signifiers, while standard equipment includes electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors, under-seat sliding drawers, and ‘Rail’ fabric.

The range-topping Highline has 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels, gloss black grille trim, graphite grey centre console trim, centre armrest, and sport seats trimmed in ‘Cell’ fabric upholstery.

All South African New Polos have three-spoke steering wheels, instruments housed in ‘tubes’ and the new centre console controls already seen in Europe. Two touchscreens are available for the infotainment system: ‘Composition Touch’ is five inches in size and has SD card and AUX-IN ports and a monochrome display for all standard entry-level Trendline models.

A five-inch ‘Composition Colour’ system is standard on mid-range Comfortline and top-end Highline models, and boats SD card, USB and Bluetooth connectivity. Additional chrome highlights on the door panels and air vents and gearshift surround lend an additional air of sophistication.

The design-led CrossPolo can also be chosen by buyers wanting something a little more rugged. It offers unique ‘off-road’ styling including a silver underbody protection panel front and rear, black wheel arch cladding, silver finish door mirrors and roof rails, 17-inch ‘Canyon’ alloy wheels, and unique ‘Link’ interior trim.

Optional extras
High-specification optional extras include bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights (only available with CrossPolo at launch), panoramic sunroof, removable towbar, climatronic air-conditioning, light and vision package (includes auto-dimming interior mirror, rain sensor wipers and low beam assist), Park Distance Control, ‘Rear Assist’ rear view camera and cruise control.

For more information on the South African New Polo, click here.

2014 VOLKSWAGEN POLO (ZA) PRICES

(VAT and CO2 emissions tax included)

1.2 TSI 66kW Trendline, R188,300
1.2 TSI 66kW Comfortline, R209,700
1.2 TSI 81kW Highline, R233,300
1.2 TSI 81kW Highline DSG, R247,800
1.2 TSI 81kW CrossPolo, R241,000

South African New Polos come with a standard with a 3-year/45,000km Service Plan, 3-year/120,000km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service intervals are 15,000km.

With the first examples of the New Polo set to hit UK shores in the next month, PoloDriver.com has just published a 14-page mini-magazine which features our first drive findings from the International Press Presentation in Germany of the refreshed 6R model.

Variants covered are the 59bhp 1.0 MPI, 89bhp 1.2 TSI, 89bhp 1.4 TDI as well as the CrossPolo 1.2 TSI. There are technical specifications of each model, too, as well as engine availability for models destined for the UK, and a brief overview of some of the exciting new technology the car incorporates.

The mini-magazine is not only free, but now also fully downloadable, for offline reading, and is optimised for iPad and other tablets. Read and download here, or click on the magazine graphic below. The tenth of PoloDriver.com’s special digital mini-magazines, check out the PoloDriver bookshelf on issuu.com for the previous nine titles.

Just as the New Polo gears up to hit markets around the world, Volkswagen has released a range of accessories for the refreshed model. A 48-page PDF catalogue has appeared at www.volkswagen.de and covers everything from alloy wheels to suitcases.

Specific New Polo sports enhancements include a larger rear spoiler, chrome hatch trim, an exhaust finisher, carbon-fibre wing mirror and interior mirror caps, aluminium ‘racing’ pedals and ten different styles of alloy wheel and wheel cover.

Inside, owners can choose between a boot-mounted sub-woofer for enhanced aural pleasure, a Bluetooth phone kit, and a DAB+ radio system. A wide range of child seats is also available, along with floor mats, sill trim and kick plates, sun blinds, and luggage space dividers.

Touring accessories include luggage boxes and trays, and numerous roof and cycle racks. There’s even a plug-in coffee maker to make the perfect espresso! The usual official Volkswagen car care solutions and merchandise options can also be chosen.

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Once again the Polo proved popular for Volkswagen UK as it appeared in the country’s top 10 best-selling cars according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The figures for May 2014 show the Polo in eighth place with 3607 new cars finding homes. While not a rise, the small Volkswagen holds firm its position, appearing in the same place in the table for April. Once again, the Ford Fiesta was the best-selling car in the UK. It was good news for another Volkswagen model, too: the Golf sat in second place with 7134 examples sold.

The SMMT states that UK registrations rose 7.7 per cent to 194,032 units, the most in the month since 2004. The increase sees UK registrations pass the one million mark for 2014 so far. May 2014‘s uplift in sales also drives the UK new car market to 27 consecutive months of growth, breaking a record set in the late 1980s. The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during May 2014 and the year so far (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 9450 (58,940, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Golf: 7134 (31,596, 4th)
3 Vauxhall Corsa: 6536 (34,324, 3rd)
4 Ford Focus: 5824: 37,355, 2nd)
5 Vauxhall Astra: 5035 (26,062, 5th)
6 Nissan Qashqai: 4144 (20,834, 6th)
7 Audi A3: 3886 (19,223, 8th)
8 Volkswagen Polo: 3607 (20,687, 7th)
9 Fiat 500: 2896 (17,509, 9th)
10 Vauxhall Mokka: 2801

(The 2014 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the BMW 3 Series with 16,246 units sold.)

In related news, motors.co.uk has recently announced the UK’s most popular used cars for April 2014. The Polo rounded out the top 10, with 2427 used examples changing hands, while the Golf was five places higher. In a refection of the new car sales charts, the Ford Fiesta was the best-selling used car according to the car trading website. Volkswagen was the third most popular brand.

‘Drive Confident’. That’s just one of the slogans Volkswagen has decided upon as the lynchpin of the New Polo advertising campaign. An international launch campaign has been unveiled under the ‘Reassuringly safe. Calming innovative.’ banner and sees advertising materials focus on the New Polo’s extensive safety features and technology.

The car boasts many class firsts for safety, and so the TV and press advertisements focus on features such as the Front Assist monitoring system with City Emergency Braking function, ACC automatic distance control, as well as the new and innovative LED headlights. The campaign was launched in Germany on 16 April and will see a roll-out across Europe. Formats will include print and web media, as well as TV spots and ‘web specials’ such as microsites.

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The TV campaign meanwhile was created by DDB Team Blue and DDB Amsterdam and features a new composition of Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen. Showing drivers with animated and nervous passengers, the message is that the New Polo does a lot of the driving safety work for you, leaving passengers much calmer. Another features the MirrorLink function which enables control of a smartphone through the New Polo’s new infotainment system.

The star of the New Polo campaign is the limited edition Polo Fresh model, available for one year after the refreshed car’s introduction, and available in the UK as the SE Design model. The example used in the campaign has LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, and is painted in the eye-catching ‘Cornflower Blue’ colour, presumably to catch younger drivers’ attention (it’s also a great shade).

The New Polo is already on sale in mainland Europe, with UK deliveries starting in July. Priced at £11,100 for the 1.0 S, the range rises through S A/C, SE, SE Design and SEL, and tops off with the sporty yet frugal BlueGT featuring cylinder deactivation technology. BlueMotion and GTI models will follow later in the year. Visit our extensive New Polo pages for more information.