PoloDriver

German car magazine Auto Bild has achieved the obvious and brought together the Audi 50 and A1 in its latest issue. We’re surprised that no-one has done it sooner. Comparing the two small cars with the same big idea is interesting to see, and the chaps at Auto Bild have tracked down an unbelievably immaculate Marino Yellow 50 for the meeting with its grandson. With its green interior, the 1974 Audi really is a time machine, and with that pretty, pretty body, the one that we’d pick from the two. Auto Bild’s UK sister title Auto Express has some photos from the comparison in issue 1,126 on sale now. Find the original Auto Bild test and photo gallery here (English translation on this link).

[Image: Auto Bild]

Dutch car magazine website AutoWereld.com has recently tested the 1.4-litre 84bhp version of the new CrossPolo. The testers seem impressed, too, although as with previous incarnations of the faux-by-four front-wheel drive, higher-riding Polo, they also criticise the more expensive price. Around €2000 more expensive than the continental Polo Highline at €18.690, the CrossPolo is a firm favourite with us at PoloDriver. Distinguishing it from lesser Polos are gunmetal-coloured 17-inch ‘Budapest’ alloys, anodised silver roof rails and door mirrors, grey plastic body cladding with unique front and rear bumpers, a 15mm higher ride height and unique interior trim. The Auto Wereld test (translated English version here) features a Flash Red car with a Hot Orange interior, a colour combination we’ve not yet seen.

[Image: AutoWereld.com]

Long-running UK modified Volkswagen magazine Performance VW features a pair of pristine Series 1 Polos in its ‘Mk 1 Madness’ August 2010 issue, on newsstands now. Part of Belgian pair Kevin Winnepenninckx and Luc Jani’s collection of Mk 1 Volkswagens, both the Miami Blue and Marino Yellow ‘70s cars are flawless and show, that with very few mods, how right the original Polo/Audi 50 styling was at the time and just how pretty those early cars are. As well as the pair of Polos, there is a smattering of Mk 1 Golfs (including a 500+bhp French fancy), a rapid Caddy and advice for giving your Mk 1 a big power performance transplant.

[Images: Performance VW]

The current issue of Auto Express pits the latest version of the Polo BlueMotion against its arch nemesis, the Ford Fiesta, in frugal ECOnetic guise. The £15,045 Polo costs £400 less than the Fiesta, but has 20bhp less, powered by a 1.2-litre TDI engine. The 94bhp Ford makes it power courtesy of a 1.6-litre TDI unit, but is 7g/km dirtier than the Volkswagen, quite literally soiling its scorecard in eco circles. We’ve tested the Polo BlueMotion recently and found it to be fun in a basic, economy kind of way. Which car wins the Auto Express eco pairing? Buy a copy of issue 1,123 (14–20 July 2010) to find out.

[Image: Auto Express/Pete Gibson]

The arrival of the new Polo GTI has certainly attracted a fair share of press attention here in the UK. At least three motoring magazines have features on it in their current issues; here’s a quick round-up of its latest appearances. Top Gear magazine tests it alongside its contemporaries and larger competitors in an 11-car, 30-page hot hatch mega test – the July 2010 issue might not be around for much longer, so grab a copy now – while Volkswagen Driver’s July 2010 GTI special features a brief drive of the new hot shot Polo. What Car? meanwhile tests the new Polo GTI against the Mini Cooper S, Renaultsport Clio 200, and the SEAT Ibiza Cupra in its August 2010 edition. The same copy of the magazine also features a brief drive of the latest Polo BlueMotion, while the 89bhp SEL TDI is tested in its annual towcar awards.