PoloDriver

‘From super frugal to extra spicy! VW told us back in March (Issue 1107) that there would be no performance flagship Polo – but sources have now confirmed plans to produce a hardcore R.’

Source: Auto Express, 26 January 2010 (Issue 1150)

The latest issue of the UK’s Auto Express magazine reports a story that we thought was dead. The news weekly reports that Volkswagen bosses have now confirmed that the Polo performance flagship, the R, will follow the Golf and Scirocco versions into showrooms ‘early next year’. The ‘confirmation’ comes at a good time; the internet is still awash with rumours that the Polo R is on the cards, and following the good reviews and encouraging customer demand for the latest 178bhp Polo GTI, a 220bhp version of the Polo could sell. We got the denials straight from the horse’s mouth last May when Volkswagen UK rebuffed any possible Polo R development.

The current Auto Express story states little that we didn’t already know. The projected Polo R will more than likely develop 220bhp from a new 1.6-litre turbocharged TFSI engine, dispatching the 0-62mph dash in ‘around six seconds’, and have a price sticker of around £21,000, only £2500 more than the £18,790 GTI. Despite Audi developing a quattro four-wheel drive version of the Polo’s platform for the S1, any Polo R would be front-wheel drive only. Is there any truth in the latest rumours? We’re a little sceptical, but all will be revealed in due course. The reported possible demise of the Polo GTI’s 1.4-litre supercharged and turbocharged TSI engine could be a pointer, though.

The fifth-generation Polo is showcased in the latest issue of Volkswagen interactive magazine, Das. The third issue of VW’s innovative online and digital platform publication, Das features a digital section on the latest Polo, and includes videos about its design and marketing, an animated ‘Polo Time Machine’ showing the five different generations since 1975, as well as clips showing the recent ‘Last Tango in Compton’ UK TV commercial and the Polo GTI drifting in the snow. There’s also a car configurator and links to Volkswagen’s Facebook ‘Fast Lane’ digital media advertising campaign. All slickly done (if a little slow at times), the magazine is primarily aimed at Apple iPad users, but a web-based version is also available here. As well as the Polo section, there are features on Race Touareg pilot Carlos Sainz, Volkswagen quality testing, Volkswagen news, Argentina in 3D, and the latest BlueMotion initiatives.

The Volkswagen Polo has been announced as Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year 2010, beating 21 other finalists from a total of 16 manufacturers. The Australian publication’s shortlisted top three included the Nissan Micra and Renault Megane alongside the Polo. A back-to-back win for Volkswagen, the Polo’s larger Golf sibling took the Wheels prize in 2009. Bill Thomas, Wheels editor, commented: ‘Volkswagen has elevated Polo’s quality, safety, performance, efficiency, refinement, practicality and value to the top of its class. Polo feels like a bigger car, and is also a great all-rounder. Spacious, safe, efficient, easy to drive and easy to live with, the Polo is a very worthy winner of Australia’s most coveted motoring prize.’ The Wheels judging panel thought that the Polo range represented outstanding value for the motorist, starting at $16,690 for the base-model Trendline, through to the performance-orientated GTI at $27,790.

We’ve not come across that many stunning photos of Polos taken by their owners in our regular web trawls, but these are exceptional. Found on the Australian Volkswagen forum VWWatercooled.org.au, this Reflex Silver Polo 77TSI Comfortline is owned by Roxanne Turner, and her partner Adam Lee took the fantastic photos. Rox takes up the story about how and why she went the way of the Polo: ‘I was driving a well-worn little ’98 Ford Festiva that had clocked up over 350,000kms when I decided it was time to upgrade. After doing quite a bit of research about the best small cars around, I was nearly ready to buy the new Ford Fiesta.

‘That same week, the new Polo was released in Australia. It was getting rave reviews, and sounded good on paper, so I decided I’d head to the nearby Darryl Twitt Volkswagen dealership in Shepparton to take one for a test drive. I was won over straight away! I loved the six-speed gearbox, and the way it pulled so eagerly from low revs despite only being a 1.2-litre engine. The class-leading fuel efficiency was also very impressive, and it also has the RCD 510 Audio Pack, tinted windows and Bluetooth kit fitted. It took a while to arrive, but it was worth it! It’s a fabulous little car to nip around town in, and also a great tourer. Since it arrived in November 2010, I’ve done over 2000kms in my Polo, and I love it!’ And we love Adam and Rox’s photos.

[Images: Adam Lee – www.photosbyadamlee.com]

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) latest set of UK car sales figures are in, and it’s good news for the Polo. Re-entering the top 10 in November 2010, it charts in sixth place for December. Even more encouragingly, it was the sixth best-selling car in the UK last year, selling 45,517 units, 8000 more than Volkswagen UK’s early forecasts. December saw 3724 Polos find UK buyers. Rival to the Polo, the Ford Fiesta, was two places down on November’s placings, selling 4560 units (the Vauxhall Astra was first with 5377), but the small Ford grabbed the 2010 overall best-seller title for the second successive year, shifting 103,013 examples. Ford was again the best-selling brand.

Registrations fell by 18.0% in December, with the market a little below expectations. If scrappage volumes were removed completely from the December 2009 tally, then the December 2010 figure would have been up almost 6,000 units or 4.8%. On a more positive note, the SMMT reports that the 2010 market rose by 35,847 units to 2,030,846 units, ending 1.8% up on 2009 figures. The market is forecast to decline by 5% in 2011 to 1.93 million units as difficult market conditions continue. ‘2010 was a year of recovery for the motor industry,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘Economic conditions remain challenging, but the industry expects demand to strengthen in the second half of the year.’

To see the Volkswagen Polo’s UK sales figures for 2010, visit our fifth-generation Polo ‘Heritage’ sales figures page here. The UK’s top 10 best-selling cars for December 2010 and the year (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Vauxhall Astra: 5377 (80,646, 2nd)
2 Vauxhall Corsa: 4737 (77,398, 4th)
3 Ford Fiesta: 4560 (103,013, 1st)
4 Mini: 4236 (41,883, 9th)
5 Ford Focus: 3831 (77,804, 3rd)
6 Volkswagen Polo: 3724 (45,282, 6th)
7 Volkswagen Golf: 3267 (58,116, 5th)
8 Nissan Qashqai: 2841 (39,048, 10th)
9 Vauxhall Insignia: 2587
10 BMW 3 Series: 2477 (42,020, 8th)

(The 2010 best-seller absent from December’s sales figures is the Peugeot 207 selling 42,185 units in 7th place.)