PoloDriver

According to the latest batch of registration figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) the Polo has risen one place in the August 2016 UK top 10 best-selling cars chart. Now in sixth place, an uplift of one position, the 1765 Polos were registered in the UK last month. In the year-to-date chart run-down, the small evergreen Volkswagen sits in seventh place.

In a repeat of many months past, the Ford Fiesta tops both charts: 4547 examples of the small Ford were registered during August, while a massive 76,370 registrations have been recorded in the first nine months of 2016. The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during August 2016 and the year so far (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 4547 (76,370, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 2519 (46,145, 3rd)
3 Vauxhall Corsa: 2393 (50,355, 2nd)
4 Vauxhall Astra: 1931 (35,276, 6th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 1855 (43,951, 4th)
6 Volkswagen Polo: 1765 (33,877, 7th)
7 Vauxhall Mokka: 1762 (27,545, 9th)
8 Kia Sportage: 1540
9 Ford Kuga: 1515
10 Nissan Qashqai: 1491 (39,674, 5th)

(The 2016 top 10 best-selling cars absent from last month’s sales figures are the eighth-placed Mini and the tenth-placed Mercedes-Benz C-Class with 27,713 and 26,931 cars registered respectively.)

Cobra Sport has announced a series of new performance exhaust upgrades for the current Polo GTI 1.8 TSI, which was first introduced in 2014. Following a similar series of upgrades for the previous 1.4-litre supercharged and turbocharged TSI engine which powered the 2010-2014 Polo GTI, the latest system ‘greatly improve the exhaust pitch and tone and add the sporty edge which was missing from the factory system,’ according to Cobra Sport.

Weight saving of 41 per cent
The resonated 2.5-inch cat-back system weighs only 9.52kg compared to the original’s 16.20kg, an impressive saving of 41 per cent. Cobra Sport claims that the de-­cat and sports cat front pipes have been enlarged to 3-inch bore and offer a weight saving of 0.60kg. The new offerings for the Polo GTI have the usual Cobra Sport best quality refinements, including Grade 304 stainless steel used throughout the system.

The Cobra Sport upgrades fit from the catalytic converter rearwards and replace the middle and rear sections. Owners looking for maximum performance and sound improvements, the company also offers both a 3-inch (76.2mm) high flow sports catalyst and de-cat front section to complete the turbo-back system.

Volkswagen Polo GTI 1.8 TSI Cobra Sport performance exhaust system upgrade

Volkswagen Polo GTI 1.8 TSI Cobra Sport performance exhaust system upgrade

Volkswagen Polo GTI 1.8 TSI Cobra Sport performance exhaust system upgrade

Twin 3-inch and 3.25-inch tailpipes
A choice of twin 3-inch and 3.25-inch tailpipes in a highly polished T304 stainless steel finish is available, while a less obtrusive oval slash cut version can also be optioned. Cobra Sport states that the resonated cat back system offers a subtle 10db aural upgrade over the original (benchmarked in a 4000rpm static test) and that it is designed to ‘provide a purposeful but unobtrusive pitch perfect sound quality, which in no way interferes with day-­to‐day drivability’.

Matt Thomas, Sales Manager at Cobra Sport says: ‘The new Mk 5 Polo has been a big hit with initial owners and journalists who rate the naturally-aspirated 1.8 litre engine as a big improvement over the previous 1.4 TSI. We are very excited to have developed a full range of exhaust systems to offer an upgrade to suit the wide range of buyer requirements.’

The Polo GTI 1.8 TSI Cobra Sport non-resonated cat-back system starts at £427.20, while resonated cat-back upgrades are priced from £506.40. The most expensive upgrade is the turbo-back exhaust system with sports catalyst and resonater which retails at £1,202.54. For full details of the new systems, visit the Cobra Sport website.

Volkswagen has received approval from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) for the ‘technical solution’ of models fitted with the 1.2-litre EA189 TDI engine embroiled in the ‘Dieselgate’ issue, first announced in September 2015.

460,000 vehicles recalled
Over 460,000 vehicles which have the three-cylinder engine installed will be recalled, including fifth-generation Polo BlueMotion ‘6R’ models built from 2009-2014. Autocar reports that in the UK, 18,018 Polos are affected. Selected SEAT Ibiza and Skoda Fabia models will also have to be taken back to local retailers to receive the fix.

Just a software update, owners of affected cars will be contacted and instructed to take their vehicle to an authorised retailer have the update applied free of charge. Owners should receive two letters – the first stating that the car is affected, the second instructing to make an appointment for the update. All cars which need the remedial work remain safe to safe drive.

No effect on performance
The KBA has agreed that the fix should have no effect on affected vehicles’ fuel consumption, noise levels or performance, and that the vehicles will fulfil all statutory requirements once they have had the software update applied. Volkswagen has stated that it is ‘continuing to put every effort into implementing the technical solutions and will correct all vehicles affected by the NOx issue’.

The latest Volkswagen EA189 engine ‘modification’ follows the roll-out of the 2.0-litre EA189 TDI fix, which started at the beginning of 2016. Arguably the largest group of engines affected by ‘Dieselgate’ – the cluster of 1.6-litre EA189 TDI units – has yet to be called in for a remedial fix.

Volkswagen UK has announced new offers on the Polo range to tempt buyers, just as its is revealed that the car is still one of the best-selling cars in the country. The Polo is now available for only £139 per month via Retail Personal Contract Hire over 48 months, while customers who choose a Solutions Personal Contract Plan benefit from a deposit contribution of up to £1400 at 6.7 per cent APR representative. The offers are available for vehicles ordered by 30 September 2016 from participating retailers.

One year’s free insurance
Selected Polo models also receive one year’s free cover from Volkswagen Insurance, if ordered between 1 July 2016 to 30 September 2016 and registered by 10 January 2017. Participating drivers have to be 18 years or over while those choosing the Polo BlueGT and GTI models have a minimum age requirement of 25. Other eligibility criteria applies. The Polo range starts at £11,525: for comprehensive terms and conditions on all the new offers, visit volkswagen.co.uk or your local Volkswagen Retailer.

The Polo is once again one of the best-selling cars in the UK, according to the latest figures announced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Sitting in seventh place – a rise of one position – 4112 Polos were registered in July 2016, and it appears in the same position for the year-so-far best-sellers chart, too, where a total of 32,112 examples have been recorded. Once again, the Ford Fiesta tops both charts as it celebrates its fortieth anniversary.

The SMMT states that there was a marginal increase of 0.1 per cent for the month, with 1,599,159 new cars registered so far in 2016. Demand in the year-to-date is 2.8 per cent higher than for the same period in 2015. The UK’s top 10 best-selling passenger cars during June 2016 and the year so far (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 7990 (71,823, 1st)
2 Vauxhall Corsa: 5606 (47,962, 2nd)
3 Vauxhall Astra: 4939 (33,345, 6th)
4 Ford Focus: 4911 (43,626, 3rd)
5 Nissan Qashqai: 4527 (38,183, 5th)
6 Volkswagen Golf: 4519 (42,096, 4th)
7 Volkswagen Polo: 4112 (32,112, 7th)
8 Vauxhall Mokka: 3321 (25,783, 9th)
9 Mercedes-Benz A Class: 3040
10 Mercedes-Benz C Class: 3015 (25,084, 10th)

(The 2016 top 10 best-selling car absent from last month’s sales figures is the eighth-placed Mini, with 26,533 cars registered.)

The latest version of the Polo GTI has been added to Goodridge Performance’s Phantom line of brake hose kits. Priced from £74.95 in the UK, the fittings of the ‘High Performance Brakelines’ kit come in a choice of stainless steel or zinc-plated materials, while the hoses can be specified in one of nine colours.

PTFE inner, stainless steel outer
The hoses have a PTFE inner, with a stainless steel outer braid. Goodridge states that this eliminates ‘the spongy feel’ under arduous conditions, resulting in a greater clutch operation. The kits are also said to provide superior resistance to abrasion and corrosion, and ‘not only provide the reliability and safety demanded but offer brilliant good looks that improve the appearance of any installation.’

Drawing on professional motorsport heritage and use, the Polo GTI brake hose kit is, as with all hose kit applications, 100 per cent pressure tested and is guaranteed to be leak-free and give an improved braking performance. The lines are also 100 per cent TÜV, DOT, ADR and ISO approved. Each kit is supplied with a selection of brackets and contains both square and banjo type fittings, one at either end of the line.

The ‘6C’ Polo GTI 2014 > brake hose kit is product number SVW0706 and is available to order via the Goodridge Performance website. A range of brake line products is also available to fit Volkswagen Polo models from 1994 onwards. The full list is available here.