PoloDriver

The Polo’s word domination continues. The car is already a hit in Europe and some countries in the Middle East as well as the Far East – now it’s the turn of Australia. The outgoing Series 4 has been sold on the far flung continent since the mid-2000s, but now, the fifth-generation is on the horizon. Prospective Australian new Polo buyers can register their interest, ahead of the car’s market launch in May. It has also been reported that the new GTI version will be landing later, too. If you want to be one of the first Australians to be in the know about Polo, head over here to find out more.

The first in an occasional series on the market launches of the Polo sees us dock in South Africa for the high-tech introduction of the fifth-generation model

When it comes to individual market launches of the fifth-generation Polo, Volkswagen has not so much pushed the marketing boat, but chartered a cruise liner and wined and dined all sorts of industry representatives. In Germany for example, there was a ‘Polo Kongress’ spread over numerous days, while Volkswagen South Africa recently staged a ‘Polo Skylab’ launch event for its retailers and management.

The concept for the new Polo launch there was ‘out of this world’, the company stating that the newcomer’s ‘cutting edge innovation delivers on its promise of being ahead of its time’ and ‘a benchmark in its class.’ That explains the ‘Expect Big Things’ marketing campaign, which some onlookers have described as misguided, because the car has been on sale there for a number of years now.

But, when it came to launching the car on the unsuspecting South African market, the local arm of the German giant thought very big. Taking its cue from space, the Polo Skylab showcased not only the new model’s technological advancements but also the best in cutting edge digital technology. Featuring interactive iBars with touch-sensitive surfaces and 3D Polo visual projections and uTouch screens to navigate through the new Polo’s specifications and brochure, a multimedia experience was guaranteed for all guests.

But that wasn’t all. In addition, augmented reality kiosks used live video to make both 3D components and versions of the new Polo appear from brochures and drive across the pages, while booths housed yet more swirling 3D holograms. The 2010 Polo Skylab launch event was the single largest showcasing of holographic and 3D technology showcased in one South African venue and housed two thirds of such available tech in the world. And there could only be one guest suitable for such a space-inspired theme: Commander Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

[Source: Volkswagen Marketing Communications, South Africa]

Six thousand readers of Autoflotte (Auto Fleet) magazine have awarded the Polo the Best Small Car award in the publication’s list of 2010 honours announced last week. Awarded at the AMI Leipzig 2010 motor show, the Volkswagen Group took 12 first place prizes, with the Golf awarded Best Compact Car and the Touran the Best Compact Van. Stefan Brungs, Head of Volkswagen Group Fleet International was pleased with the result: ‘We are delighted, especially as these awards are chosen by fleet managers. The Autoflotte awards underline the outstanding position of the Volkswagen Group’s economic and energy-efficient vehicles and the quality of our extensive service offering for our large customers.’

‘Polo Van – never has a small car been so great.’ So goes the marketing slogan on the Danish Volkswagen website. There hasn’t been a proper small commercial-type Polo Van since the model based on the Series 2 from the mid-1980s. With metal panels in the hatchback body where the rear windows would usually be fitted, the first Polo Van was a stripped-out special, complete with wooden rear deck and bulkhead just behind the front two seats. Trimmed similarly to a basic Polo Fox, it was a Volkswagen approved and made city commercial vehicle, ideal for scooting through urban landscapes.

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Timed while it is showing the latest accessories for the Polo at the AMI Leipzig 2010 motor show – which ends this week – Volkswagen has recently introduced a promotion for German customers who want to add that little extra style to their new Polo, Golf and Scirocco. From 1 April to 30 June 2010, the ‘Enter low, get out large’ promotion (yes, the English translation seems to make little sense, we know, but all will become clear) enables customers who drive three of VW’s most popular models to get ‘attractive discounts’ on styling products and lowered suspension kits.

Official products for the Polo which qualify include front and rear aprons, side skirts, roof spoilers, racing pedals and lowered suspension springs. In addition, Motorsport-style multi-spoke 17” alloy wheels and carbon fibre-effect interior trim panels are also available. From what we can translate from the German press release, there is also an online ‘backwards’ auction, from which the winner with the lowest bid will receive a full body kit, a complete set of alloy wheels and a lowered suspension package, all to be fitted by a Volkswagen retailer. The promotion runs both in retailers’ showrooms and online. Visit Volkswagen Accessories’ German-language ‘Stylingaktion’ microsite for further details of the incentive.