PoloDriver

Apprentices at Volkswagen’s Pune factory in India have built a firefighting car as part of their final year Dual Apprenticeship Programme. The Volkswagen Academy India students made the car for the Fire and Safety Department of the Volkswagen India plant.

Fourteen young people used parts from a Vento (Polo saloon) and CrossPolo to make the project car. Numeous modifications were made. The basic design of the Vento was used, but a pick-up body style was fabricated from the B-pillar rearwards.

The tailgate was built with its hinges at the bottom to facilitate easy loading and unloading of items from the rear storage space. Approximately 160 parts of the car were created especially for the project. Powering the firefighting Polo is a 1.6-litre TDI engine.

The Pilot Hall team at Volkswagen’s Pune factory – which is responsible for experimental projects – mentored the apprentices throughout the process of building the car. The project gave the apprentices a unique opportunity to have hands-on experience with the activities associated with building a vehicle.

Volkswagen Academy India started its three-year Dual Apprenticeship Programme in 2011. A mechatronics course that educates the students in various disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, electronics and IT, the first batch of students are now their final year.

As a part of their syllabus, the apprentices had to undertake a practical project. To keep the focus on manufacturing, it was decided by the apprentices to build a low-budget car. The firefighting Polo will be used for daily inspection around the factory as well as the movement of material by the Fire and Safety Department.

K T Vijayan, Head of Volkswagen Academy, Volkswagen India Private Limited said: ‘The well-accomplished project of building the firefighting car shows the diversity of education our academy students receive and the course’s unique approach towards practical learning.’

April 2014 was another successful month for Volkswagen’s Polo in the UK sales charts. As the first drives of the refreshed model are published, buyers are still flocking to buy the current car. Last month 3449 Polos were sold according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That puts VW’s evergreen supermini in eighth place in the top 10.

The SMMT reports that new car registrations rose 8.2 per cent in April to 176,820 units, the 26th consecutive month of growth. Volumes for the year-to-date reached 864,942, an increase of 12.5 per cent. Therefore, the SMMT has revised its 2014 market forecast from 2.3 million to more than 2.4 million registrations.

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

1 Ford Fiesta: 10,250 (49,490, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 6772 (31,531, 2nd)
3 Volkswagen Golf: 5302 (24,462, 4th)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 3949 (27,788, 3rd

5 Audi A3: 3754 (15,337, 8th)

6 Nissan Qashqai: 3753 (16,690, 7th)
7 Vauxhall Astra: 3562 (21,027, 5th)

8 Volkswagen Polo: 3449 (17,080, 6th)

9 Nissan Juke: 3053

10 Fiat 500: 2928 (14,613, 9th)

(The 2014 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the BMW 3 Series with 13,523 units sold.)

The Indian-built Volkswagen Vento was recently subjected to a series of crash tests by the Asean NCAP, following a reassessment of the closely-related Indian-built Volkswagen Polo. The notchback version of the Polo hatchback scored 4 out of a possible five stars in both adult occupant and child occupant safety tests.

The car tested was sourced from Volkswagen Malaysia – the Vento is exported to Malyasia in CKD form where it is sold as the Volkswagen Polo Sedan – and was fitted with front side airbags and dual front airbags. Indian Autos Blog states that only the lack of ESC (Electronic Stability Control) prevented it from scoring a maximum five-star rating.

The Vento also passed a side impact protection test. It is interesting to note that although the test car lacked ESC, both the ‘sports’ Vento TSI and Polo GT TSI models sold in India are fitted with this feature. The model tested was fitted with a 1.6-litre engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, and was built in late 2013.

[Source: Indian Autos Blog]

Another Polo milestone was reached this week, with the production of the 1.5 millionth ‘A05’ model Type 6R at Volkswagen Navarra in Spain. The Pamplona factory has produced the fifth-generation car since its launch in 2009, and has also started to make the revised model which PoloDriver.com drove in Germany last week.

Over the last four months, the Spanish workers have made the outgoing and new models simultaneously, making 1524 units per day. In 2011 over 353,000 fifth-generation Polo 6Rs were made, contributing to the highest annual production figures seen by the Pamplona plant.

The Polos built in Navarre are exported to 75 countries globally, with European markets taking the bulk of supply. Volkswagen Navarra’s 5000 workers also make the bodies for the Polo R WRC rally cars. This year, 308,000 Polos are expected to manufactured in Spain, both pre- and post-facelift 6R models. Volkswagen has sold over 14 million Polos since its launch in March 1975.

As journalists start to drive versions of the New Polo, the freshly-minted BlueMotion TDI model has been released for ordering in Germany. Billed as ‘the world’s most economical five-seater in its class’ by Volkswagen, the eco Polo is the latest in a line of miserly VW superminis that started with the original Polo BlueMotion in 2006 (which incidentally launched the BlueMotion brand).

The New Polo BlueMotion TDI isn’t coming to the UK – buyers there will get a new petrol-powered version instead – but its headline figures are impressive. Volkswagen states it is capable of 91mpg (3.1 litres per 100km) and 82g/km of CO2. Powered by a newly-developed three-cylinder diesel engine, the 2014 Polo BlueMotion TDI produces 74bhp and is said to be able to travel 870 miles (1400km) on a single tank of fuel.

As with previous versions, the New Polo BlueMotion TDI achieves its attention-grabbing values by ways of aerodynamic enhancements. A modified underbody, faired-in front grille, and aerodynamically-optimised front and rear spoilers help the New Polo BlueMotion TDI slip through the air more easily. Low rolling resistance tyres aid economy, too.

Unique features of the model include new 15-inch ‘Buenos Aires’ alloy wheels, the ‘Clearwater Blue’ paint finish, while interior comforts include chrome accents, unique ‘Link’ upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, gear gaiter and handbrake lever, as well as Volkswagen’s latest infotainment system. Cruise control and a Stop/Start system with brake energy recuperation up the New Polo BlueMotion TDI’s ante in the eco stakes, too.

As with all New Polos, a wide range of safety technologies including an Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Driver Alert System and Front Assist with City Emergency Braking will be available. Prices for the New Polo BlueMotion TDI start at 16,850 euros for the three-door.