PoloDriver

Selected versions of the new sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo will be fitted with Kuhmo tyres, it has been announced today. Designed for optimum fuel economy, the South Korean company’s Ecowing ES01 KH27 is now standard on Polos leaving the production lines in the Spanish Pamplona factory and wearing tyres of 185/65 R15 88H size.

Kuhmo was already an approved tyre supplier to the fifth-generation Polo, too, but the KH27 has been developed to ‘meet the needs of compact and medium sized vehicles and is characterised by its notably low-rolling resistance’, which results in lower fuel consumption and rate of wear, as acknowledged by ADAC tyre tests (ADAC Motorwelt 03/2016).

To find out more about Kuhmo’s full range of both road and track tyres, visit www.kuhmotyre.co.uk.

After months of speculation, Volkswagen has unveiled the new sixth-generation Polo this morning in Berlin, and we are delighted to bring you first details. At first glance, the latest chapter in VW’s small car story doesn’t look that much different to its predecessor, and while it was always going to be evolution not revolution, there’s a great deal more going on under the new, more characterfully-sculpted skin.

Here are the key facts of the new sixth-generation Polo:

• the sixth-generation is the largest Polo ever at 4,053mm long, up 81mm
• first Polo based on new ‘MQB A0′ platform with a 94mm longer, 2,564mm wheelbase
• more space: luggage capacity is now 351 litres, up around 70 litres on the outgoing car
• five-door only range
• first Polo with ‘Active Info Display’ digital instruments
• technology laden: Front Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control and LED headlights all feature
• more personalisation: 14 body colours and 13 dashpad colours
• broad range: engines have outputs from 64bhp/48kW to 197bhp/147kW
• natural gas version for the first time with 88bhp/66kW
• Trendline, Comfortline, Highline, GTI, and Beats versions (European markets)

Design
Let’s start with the looks. While the overall silhouette and shape is in no doubt similar to the outgoing fifth-generation car, the new five-door only sixth-generation Polo looks a lot sharper and distinctive thanks to more prominent surface detailing. More obvious flared rear shoulders lead into an arrow-shaped line down the side of the car, which Volkswagen calls the ‘tornado line’.

Heavier lower door sculpting also breaks up the visual bulk on the side of the new Polo, while a more complex front bumper design features more structured elements. A bonnet ‘beak’ extends into the front grille, while the headlights cut through the same line as the bumper join, giving them a pointed appearance as they extend rearwards. The twin-grooved bonnet is also a great deal more curved than before.

Due to the more stretched dimensions of the smallest ‘A0’ version of the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Transverse Matrix (‘MQB’) platform and wider 1,525mm front and 1,505mm rear tracks, the wheels of the new Polo are pushed further into the corners, which, along with shorter front and rear overhangs, gives it a more dynamic stance.

The wheelbase has increased by 94mm to 2,564mm, while a 4,053mm length sees the sixth-generation car become the largest Polo ever. Width is up 69mm at 1,751mm. Luggage space has increased by an amazing 70 litres – 25 per cent – to 351 litres.

The interior of the new Polo takes recent Volkswagen concept car themes and transfers them to a production model. A horizontal design differs from the current fifth-generation car, and sharp geometric shapes lend a more futuristic appearance, helped by digitised technology. The instruments and touchscreen blend into one another, framed by a new dashpad similar to the smaller Up, which can also be personalised with 13 colours.

The all-new Polo also premieres Volkswagen’s new generation of infotainment systems. Using glass-covered surfaces and more digital operation than before, even the entry-level new Polo gets the Composition Colour infotainment system with a 6.5-inch display as standard. And while not as large as the 9.2-inch version on the recently revised Golf, an 8.0-inch touchscreen will also be available.

The optional new generation of Volkswagen’s Active Info Display digital instruments is a small car first. With more information, a more logical structure, and even more graphic clarity, operation is easier, too, with just one steering wheel-mounted button used to activate different graphic menus.

“The Polo is a young, fresh car. It combines charisma with strong technology. No other car offers so much space for its size. This makes the Polo the number one compact, and it will remain number one.”

Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen

Engines
A total of nine Euro 6 engines (six petrol, two diesel, and one natural gas) are available for the new Polo. A three-cylinder 64bhp 1.0 TSI kicks off the range allied to a five-speed gearbox. A trio of 1.0 TSI engines with 74, 94 and 113bhp bolster the entry-level unit, while a new 1.5-litre 148bhp ‘Evo’ engine with cylinder deactivation – as seen on the recently-revised Golf 7.5’ also features.

Top of the new Polo tree is a hot 197bhp GTI model – the hottest series production Polo ever if you discount the 2013 Polo R WRC limited edition – which can be had with both a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox. The dual-clutch shifter can also be specified on the 94 and 113bhp 1.0s, as well as the 148bhp 1.5.

In a Polo first (but not for the UK) is a new 1.0-litre TGI natural gas engine. Developing 88bhp with a five-speed gearbox, the Polo TGI can, Volkswagen states, be CO2-neutral, depending on the energy source it is refuelled from. A brace of 1.6-litre diesels with 79 and 94bhp round out the range for now. Both are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, with the more powerful unit available with the seven-speed DSG gearbox, too.

Rumoured electric and hybrid versions of the new car will not appear, Volkswagen citing a lack of market demand and non-recoverable high development costs as the reasons why. Emissions are also thought to be at their lowest in small cars anyway, according to the company.

Trim levels
At launch, Volkswagen is only quoting specifications for continental markets only, so for the UK market, we’ll have to await further details. Going by these first details, though, the range will be very comprehensive.

Trendline
Entry-level Trendline models have LED daytime running lights, a Front Assist area monitoring system with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring, as well as 14-inch wheels. In Germany, prices will start at 12,975 euros, and this offers more value than before.

Comfortline

Move up to Comfortline spec, and new sixth-generation Polo drivers gain 15-inch wheels, a Composition Colour infotainment system, Climatic air conditioning, a Driver Alert system, front and rear electric windows, ’knitted velvet’ seat covers (!), and a multi-function steering wheel.

Highline
A Park Distance Control safety system is standard on Highline models, along with white ambient front door and instrument LED back lighting, a leather-covered gear knob and handbrake handle, as well as 15-inch ‘Salou’ alloy wheels.

Beats
Just as with the current car, the Beats model has a 300-watt Beats Audio sound system. There are also 16-inch alloy wheels, black mirror caps, bonnet and roof decals, and ‘Beats’ badges on the B-pillars. Inside a ‘Velvet Red’ dashpad and sport seats add distinctive flourishes, while the 300-watt sound system can be ordered as an option on other models.

2017 Volkswagen New Polo Beats

2017 Volkswagen New Polo Beats

2017 Volkswagen New Polo

2017 Volkswagen New Polo Beats

2017 Volkswagen New Polo R-Line

GTI
We’re surprised this has been announced from the off, but a new 2.0-litre, 197bhp GTI rounds out the new sixth-generation Polo range. While power isn’t up that much on the current 189bhp model, the car borrows the Golf GTI’s engine and has a standard ‘sport chassis’ as standard.

A ‘Sport Select’ chassis with adjustable dampers will be optional, while a unique front bumper with integrated fog lights, gloss black trim and a lower lip spoiler help the new muscular-looking GTI stand out. Now a modern GTI tradition, the front grille’s red trim is carried though into the headlights, while traditional honeycomb elements and a ‘GTI’ grille badge also feature. 



At the rear, the new power-Polo gets twin chrome tailpipes, LED tail lights, a ‘GTI’ badge, and a high-gloss black rear roof spoiler. Side sill extensions and red brake calipers display the new Polo GTI’s credentials in profile view. Inside there’s the now mandatory ‘Clark’ check upholstery, leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, black headlining and ‘GTI’ gear knob. When it comes to wheels, 17-inch rims are standard, with 18-inchers an option.

2017 Volkswagen New Polo GTI

2017 Volkswagen New Polo GTI

2017 Volkswagen New Polo GTI

2017 Volkswagen New Polo GTI

2017 Volkswagen New Polo GTI

R-Line
An optional R-Line package (the orange car in our pictures) with ’Sebring’ 16-inch alloy wheels, a sports front bumper, a rear diffuser and spoiler, and black sill trims is also available.

Elsewhere, the new Polo is the most personalised Polo ever. A total of 14 exterior colours can be matched to 13 dashpad colours, and twelve wheels (from 14 to 18-inches in size), two interior trims and a total of 11 seat cover designs mean the Polo can be personalised more than ever before.

New high-tech options include wireless smartphone charging, LED headlights, an ‘Air Care Cimatronic’ system with air quality sensor and allergen filter and a panoramic sunroof. A ‘Sport Select’ system adds adjustable dampers, while Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is just one ‘big-car’ option.

https://youtu.be/-5jJOnVVZ6o

Volkswagen is bullish about this new, larger, technology-laden and digital world Polo. Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen brand, said at the Berlin reveal: ‘The Polo is a young, fresh car. It combines charisma with strong technology. No other car offers so much space for its size. This makes our Polo the number one compact, and it will remain number one.’

We’ll bring you more details of the this exciting new chapter of the Polo’s story as we get them, but this first details point to the most technologically-advanced as well as one of the best-looking Polos to date. UK specifications and overall prices still have to be released, but are predicted to be only slightly more than the current car’s £11,970 starting price. UK order books are expected to open in October, with first deliveries in January 2018.

Three days before its global unveiling in Berlin, Volkswagen has released a pair of ‘teaser’ images of the new sixth-generation Polo. The company states that the new model is ‘larger, more spacious and more comfortable’, and will ‘continue the success story of the compact model’: over 14 million Polos have been sold since the small VW was launched in March 1975.

‘Confident and sporty’
The teaser images reveal a front grille ‘beak’, with a fill-in panel which extends the bonnet into the front grille, as seen on the larger Passat. There’s a pronounced shoulder line, too, which is perhaps what Volkswagen is referring to in its announcement that the new car makes a ‘confident, sporty and emotional impression’. 



Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design Volkswagen Brand, explained: ‘This Volkswagen can immediately be made out as the original of its class, but also as a completely new generation. A Polo with an expressive design which makes the compact sportier, cleaner and unique within the brand range. This is a car that fits in perfectly with our times – both visually and technologically.’

Not much given away there, then. But what we can also ascertain is that the overall look won’t be too far removed from the current fifth-generation car, which first appeared in 2009. Revisions over those eight years have kept it fresh, while the new car also borrows the ‘Honey Orange’ paint colour from the limited edition Polo ‘Original’ model, built to celebrate 40 years of the Polo in 2015.

‘Charasmatic design’
Promising ‘charasmatic design, increased interior space and numerous technological highlights’, the ‘MQB’ A0 modular platform-based sixth-generation Polo has a lot riding on its newly-pronounced and broader shoulders. Volkswagen is revealing the car on a live telecast on Friday 16 June 2017 from 11.00am-11.45am CEST / 09.00am-09.45am GMT. If you want to watch live, click the language links to take you to the relevant feed: German / English.

Volkswagen is using the hashtag #VWPolo to spread interest in the new model on social media, and as we sadly can’t be in Spandau, we’ll be joining in, so be sure to follow PoloDriver on Twitter at @polodrivercom during the day. And don’t forget to visit PoloDriver.com for full details on the next exciting chapter of the Polo’s story!

https://youtu.be/3FVQSNHMPWk

At last, the countdown has begun. Ahead of the new sixth-generation Polo making its first official appearance, Volkswagen has today released the first in a ‘short series’ of videos which highlights the characteristics that have defined our favourite small car over the past 42 years.

In a nod to its four-decade heritage, it’s nice to see previous Polo generations appear at the end of the video. While we don’t know how many films there will be, we do know that the all-new sixth-generation model will enjoy its world premiere on 16 June. And of course, PoloDriver.com will bring you all the details as and when we have them.

*UPDATE* The other videos in the series appear below.

https://youtu.be/82gA89ktnxg

https://youtu.be/De43cq6yofE

https://youtu.be/RFlDWE-Ud-Q

https://youtu.be/dXfkYZtPoRk

https://youtu.be/Om-HWQQ0xTQ

Speculation has been gathering pace the past few weeks as more details on the sixth-generation Polo are leaked. The latest intelligence is first-hand, though, as both weekly UK motoring magazines Autocar and Auto Express have been out in the newest version of our favourite small Volkswagen, by way of prototype drives in South Africa. The Autocar first drive report is here, while this link leads to the comments from Auto Express. Volkswagen has even got in on the act, too, and has released its own teaser video (below).

Impressive refinement
Just as with the new SEAT Ibiza which is also based on the smallest ‘A0’ version of the new ‘MQB’ platform, impressive refinement and grown-up abilities are touted, and these are both qualities which, in the past, have served the Polo well. Increased space thanks to the new underpinnings looks set to increase comfort, while handling appears to point to the ‘secure’ end of the scale.

The Ibiza-previewing-Polo story is a familiar one: the second-generation Ibiza previewed the third-generation Polo, being based on the new small VW’s chassis, though with a longer front overhang and engine bay, the Spanish car was able to take more powerful engines. Even Skoda was at it in 1999: the platform of the first-generation Fabia then appearing in both the fourth-generation Polo and third-generation Ibiza.

Evolutionary appearance
Of course, with prototype drives, there’s always some supposition, and it’s the same with how the sixth-generation Polo’s looks. The prototype cars were shrouded in camouflage – though the basic silhouette and form suggests an evolutionary appearance – but photos which originated from Car magazine in South Africa caught an undisguised car undergoing testing. The latest images of the new car surfaced this week, and with the virtually no disguise, that evolution is very definitely clear to see.

Again, sharper lines update the design themes of the current car, but it’s a masterclass in caution. It’s the same with the round of speculative renderings which have surfaced from various sources. Although we’re not quite sure which direction the car could have gone in, Volkswagen was clearly not going to deviate from the successful template too much: the Polo is a best-seller both in Europe and the UK after all, and is gathering popularity in other far flung markets such as India and South Africa.

Turbocharged petrol engines
The biggest revolution appears to be both under the skin and bonnet. A range of small-capacity turbocharged petrol engines will make up the bulk of the new Polo family, with a trio of 1.0-litre TSI units with varying power outputs from 64 to 113bhp. Two versions of the just-launched new Golf’s 1.5-litre TSI with active cylinder shutdown will also feature, while the GTI model – yes, there will be one! – should get upwards of 200bhp. A brace of 1.6-litre diesels is also expected: the Polo’s not eschewing the black pump yet, even though diesel superminis don’t sell in big numbers.

Despite the presentation slides at the re-launch of the fifth-generation car in 2014 stating there would be a mild hybrid version of the current Polo, it never arrived, and although initial reports suggested otherwise, it appears that this will be the case with the new car, too. Cost is thought to be the primary reason for the change of heart at VW, which means the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris are set to have the supermini hybrid party to themselves for a little longer.

‘Big car’ technologies
Inside, the latest Polo is expected to continue its predecessors’ reputation for high quality, with yet again, many ‘big car’ technologies showcased. Most noticeably, the ‘Active Info Display’ digital instrument technology is thought to be optional on higher trim models, while reports suggest that the colour touchscreen infotainment system could boast a screen of 9.2 inches in size, again, most probably as a factory extra on more luxurious versions.

While PoloDriver.com isn’t usually one for speculation, there’s been so much going on with the the new-generation car recently, we felt we couldn’t ignore all that has been going on. We’ll bring you full details of the new Polo when we have them. While an official unveiling – and the start of production – is expected next month, the car itself is widely expected to make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt motor show in September, ahead of a UK on-sale of spring 2018. Prices are expected to start at around £13,000, rising to £21,000 for the sporting GTI version.

https://youtu.be/-ss8FchDuyI