PoloDriver

The recently-unveiled Volkswagen Polo R WRC rally car made an appearance at the 2012 Race of Champions (ROC) event in Bangkok yesterday, as one of its drivers, Sébastien Ogier, failed in his bid to keep the ROC crown which he won in 2011. Ogier and the Polo once again wowed the crowd, ahead of the car’s competition debut next month. ‘Sébastien Ogier made a good impression competing against the great motorsport drivers. The appearance of the Polo R WRC was also a success. The winding stadium circuit at the Race of Champions is ideal for World Rally Championship cars. It was great fun to watch,’ said Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.

The format at the Race of Champions sees the ‘best of the best’ determined by a round of knock-out races in identical cars – including the Cup Scirocco used in the Volkswagen one-make cup in China. Legendary F1 champions Sebastien Vettel and Michael Schumacher (Team Germany) took the team spoils in Thailand, with Ogier and F1 driver Roman Grosjean (Team France) coming in second. The French F1 driver had a good weekend, taking the individual driver prize, while Ogier had to bow out to Danish Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the quarterfinals.

Australia’s Drive magazine has named the Polo 77TSI as the Best City Car for the third consecutive year in its annual Drive Car of the Year awards. A winner since its introduction in 2010, the Polo was described as being ‘the benchmark setter in this category – if not the one above’ and ‘hard to fault’. The Polo’s refined and confident nature during cornering and highway cruising were also highly praised. Other Drive Volkswagen winners included the Golf Cabriolet (Best Convertible) and the Up (Safety Innovation Award). The 2012 Drive Car of the Year Awards were judged by an experienced group of road testers over a week. The Drive awards are regarded as the ultimate consumer guide in Australia.

Adding to its trophy cabinet, the Polo 66TDI has also received two Australia’s Best Car Awards prizes. Taking the Best Light Car over $20,000 award, it was again the third consecutive year Volkswagen’s small car has taken the prize, it’s blend of remarkable fuel efficiency and class-leading build quality scoring highly. ‘On the road, the Polo continues to be a standout. On winding sections of road, the Polo is nimble and fleet footed. From the moment you step in and hear the reassuring thud when you close the door you know you’re in a special vehicle,’ said the judges. The Australia’s Best Car Awards represent the country’s most comprehensive and independent consumer-focused vehicle testing/awards programme.

The latest generation of the Polo has been awarded gold and the top spot in a report published by the German-founded independent service assurance organisation, TÜV and German motoring magazine Auto Bild. The Polo was the winner of the two-to-three-year old cars class, having the fewest defects (2.2 per cent of cars tested) over a period from July 2011 and June 2012 and over eight million inspections. The small Volkswagen beat off competition from the Japanese Mazda 3 and German Audi Q5 to emerge victorious. The official awards ceremony takes place in February 2013 in Berlin.

‘The award proves that with the new Polo, technical security is not a matter of price. After years of Japanese domination, Wolfsburg shows that high standards can be met at in affordable small cars,’ declared Hartmut Müller-Gerbes, editor of the TÜV/Auto Bild report. Professor Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of Volkswagen AG commented: ‘The excellent result of the Polo in the 2013 TÜV Report emphasises that Volkswagen is a leader in technology and quality in the compact segment. The Polo’s victory makes it clear that we can achieve quality, no matter what the vehicle class.’

Just four days after its official unveil in Casino Square, Monaco, the new Red Bull-liveried Polo R WRC has been caught on camera undergoing an asphalt testing session on a road course at an undisclosed location. Sounding for all the world like a very big swarm of very loud wasps and looking aggressively mean with its new squared-off wheel arches and scoops, Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala, their crews and the Volkswagen Motorsport team have 34 days to get the car ready for its competitive debut on the starting ramp of the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo which runs from 15-20 January. In related news, ex-WRC champion Marcus Grönholm has been reported as driver for the Polo R WRC test programme in Sweden.

[Video source: oneeightturbo.com]