PoloDriver

Now here’s an extreme take on the latest-generation Polo, propelling the model from its humdrum roots to the echelons of custom off-road vehicles. Crafted by DC Designs of India, this hot-rodded Polo mixes the looks of Volkswagen’s own Polo R WRC car and ratchets them up to 11, with a blend of extreme modification. As well as extended wheel arches, there is also a much slimmer front grille (framing squinty headlights), beefed-up side skirts, and a rear lighting strip (which we quite like) reminiscent of those fitted to early ‘90s Audis, such as the RS2 estate.

With every panel bar the roof looking altered to some degree, the Polo Midnight (yes, the customary silly name is present) is without doubt one of the most dramatically-changed Polo we’ve ever seen. DC Design hasn’t released any pictures of the Polo Midnight’s interior, so we’re guessing that – for now – it’s standard Polo fayre. The engine certainly is, with the 1.6-litre, 104bhp TDI unit being left untouched. An on-sale date is unlikely, but as some of DC Design’s creations have sold to ‘automotive connoisseurs’, if this wild Polo appeals to you, then who knows?

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The Polo is still popular in the UK, according to the latest sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for May 2012. Holding firm as the seventh best-selling car in the UK, Volkswagen’s evergreen small car also retained its sixth place in the year-to-date sales chart. In a change of fortunes, the Vauxhall Corsa finally usurped the Ford Fiesta as not only the top-selling supermini, but also the best-selling new car on the UK market. UK new passenger car registrations rose 7.9 per cent in May to 162,288 units, the largest percentage rise for 23 months.

‘May’s 7.9 per cent increase in new car registrations is good news for the motor industry and the UK economy, particularly the steady growth in demand from private buyers,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘There is no doubt that vehicle manufacturers and their dealer networks are working hard to deliver value for money to motorists and the consistent climb in new car registrations during the first five months of the year suggests that confidence is returning.’ The top 10 UK best-selling cars in May 2012 and for the year overall (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Vauxhall Corsa: 8143 (38,347, 2nd)
2 Ford Fiesta: 8337(50,507, 1st)
3 Ford Focus: 6983 (36,916, 3rd)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 5867 (28,261, 4th)
5 Vauxhall Astra: 5433 (25,011, 5th)
6 BMW 3 Series: 3520 (17,205, 8th)
7 Volkswagen Polo: 3228 (18,971, 6th)
8 Nissan Qashqai: 3179 (18,660, 7th)
9 Vauxhall Insignia: 2949 (15,031, 9th)
10 Fiat 500: 2823

(The 2012 year-to-date top 10 best-selling car absent from May’s sales figures is the Mercedes C-Class selling 14,434 units in tenth place.)

At last! Volkswagen UK has today made hands-free Bluetooth connection kits standard on selected Polo models, which should make a lot of prospective Polo owners very happy. It’s something which has been lacking from the standard specification for quite some time, if comments on internet forums are anything to go by. Standard on models above the basic ‘S’ specification, the Touch Phone Kit was previously a £245 option, and consists of a 2.8-inch colour touchscreen which displays a phone book, call lists, reception status and more, depending on which make and model of mobile device is connected.

The kit also offers voice control of answering and dialling functions and can ‘read’ text messages aloud as well as any emails which may be received. The Touch Phone Kit is just one of the technological additions which has been added to UK-bound Polos in recent months. All models now come with DAB digital radio as standard, while an MDI multi-device interface connection for iPods and MP3 players has also been fitted to models of Match specification and above. Bluetooth is also now standard on all High Up city cars; all Golf, Golf Estate, Golf Plus, Jetta, Touran, Tiguan and Sharan models above S specification; and all Golf Cabriolet, Scirocco, Eos, Passat, Passat Estate, CC, Touareg and Phaeton cars.

In a repeat of recent months, the Polo Vivo maintained its grip on the South Africa new passenger car market, once again taking the best-seller top spot for May 2012, selling 2789 units. And, once again, the fifth-generation Polo was right behind, with 2343 examples finding new homes. A total of 4909 Polo 6Rs were also exported, further boosting the production tallies. Volkswagen Group South Africa was the leader in the passenger car market overall, too, with total sales of 8260 units and a market share of 23.7% in May. The Polo’s closely-related Audi A1 cousin sold 101 units last month in the South African market, having had its official launch at the same time.

‘Volkswagen Group South Africa maintained its dominance in the passenger car market for the fifth consecutive month in 2012. Polo Vivo was the best-selling brand in the country with 2789 units. At the same time, Polo was the second best-selling Brand in the passenger car market with 2343 units. Both models are still market leaders in the A0 segment, in spite of the new models being introduced in the most competitive segment in South Africa,’ explained Mike Glendinning, Director, Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa. In May 2012, a total of 34,820 new passenger cars were sold in South Africa, an increase of 18% when compared to April 2012 and a growth of 20.8% against the same period in 2011.

The Polo Vivo was launched in March 2010 as an entry-level model for the South African market, replacing the Series 1 Golf-based CitiGolf, and is available as a three or five-door hatchback and four-door booted saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. Costing from R106,100 for the base-model 1.4 hatchback to R153,200 for the top 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the 2012 Polo Vivo is based on the revised version of the Series 4 Polo (9N3), built from 2005 to 2009. The fifth-generation Polo (6R) is available as both a three and five-door hatchback, in addition to the traditionally-styled four-door Polo Sedan.

The statements haven’t been confirmed, but Noticias Automotivas reports that Volkswagen is to launch a new BlueMotion version of the Polo, powered by the fifth-generation model’s existing 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine, developing 104bhp. The current Polo BlueMotion can only be ordered with a 74bhp 1.2-litre diesel engine, and reports state that the petrol model will incorporate the same economically-minded changes as the TDI car, with low rolling-resistance tyres, regenerative braking and Start/Stop all expected to make an appearance. A reprogrammed ECU and longer gear ratios will also aid fuel economy. CO2 is expected to be 115g/km, while price is expected to be around €400 above the more mainstream Polo 6R models on which the new BlueMotion will be based. Whether this points to the new car being a BlueMotion Technology version of current trim levels or a completely new standalone BlueMotion version is unclear.

[Source: Noticias Autmotivas]