PoloDriver

With testing over, Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa contested the first round of the 2012 South African National Rally Championship in KwaZulu-Natal last weekend. The first outing of the newly-developed BP Volkswagen Polo S2000, the cars posted both competitive stage times and stage wins on the 200km, 16-stage event. Setting the pace on the first stages, Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson finished at the front of the field, with fellow Polo pairing Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries following behind. The Polo S2000 duo led their opponents home by more than a second, and continued in the latter stages, where Kuun and Hodgson claimed stage victories and top 3 positions.

Electrical system problems forced Fekken and Arries into retirement, while BP Volkswagen newcomers Hans Weijs Jnr and Björn Degandt continued the fight with Kuun and Hodsgon. ‘The new Polo S2000 has great potential,’ says Fekken. ‘We were in front at one stage before our problems surfaced so the potential is obvious. I can feel the new Polo S2000 is a stronger car – it pulls better and feels better. The potential is awesome.’ Kuun and Hodgson showed their experience, rallying hard. Weijs and Degandt didn’t take long to find a rhythm and the pair soon found themselves competing amongst the top five on several occasions, rising to claim a third place finish in stage 12. Kuun and Hodgson claimed fifth overall, while Weijs and Degandt came home in sixth place.

The first rally of 2012 saw a welcome return to form for Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin. Competing in the S2000 Challenge category, they make use of a BP Volkswagen Polo Vivo S2000. Zulu and Peskin rallied to second place in the new S2000 category, marking a strong start to their 2012 season. The BP Volkswagen Polo Vivo S1600 of Megan Verlaque and Hilton Auffray also made good headway in the start of their 2012 season campaign, crossing the finish in stage 16 to claim fourth place in the S1600 class. The next round of the South African national championship will be the Sasol Rally in the Nelspruit area on 20-21 April.

‘We are satisfied with the first rally performance,’ says Mike Rowe head of Volkswagen Motorsport in South Africa. ‘There is a long season ahead with many stages to go, though. We have found some things that need improvement and will be stronger in round two. The development cycle of the new BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 is on track and it won’t be long before we have the pace and finishing capability we are aiming for. The new Polo S2000 is very young, and a great deal of the work that lies ahead involves understanding the car’s performance and how it responds to the adjustments we make,’ said Rowe.

The latest Vento (Polo saloon) has proved popular in India, and Volkswagen has responded to customer demand and launched a third mid-spec Comfortline model with a 1.6-litre, 104bhp diesel engine. Priced at Rs 8.56 lakh ex-showroom in Maharashta and Rs 8.74 lakh ex-showroom in the rest of India, the Vento Comfortline Diesel features body-coloured door handles and mirrors front fog lights, CD/MP3 radio system, rear centre arm rest, ‘Livon’ fabric upholstery, and height-adjustable driver’s seat. All of this equipment is above the standard specification of the lower Vento Trendline models. ‘Since the introduction of the Vento, we have received requests for a mid-level trimline,’ Neeraj Garg, Member of the Board and Director of Volkswagen India Passenger Cars said.

Following on from 2011’s special edition Vento IPL Edition, Volkswagen India launched the Polo and Vento IPL Edition II last week. Continuing its cricketing association with the Indian Premier League, the Polo and Vento IPL Edition II cars receive a rear passenger touchscreen multimedia player with built-in navigation system, social media integration, iPod control, micro SD slot with mini-USB interface, and Bluetooth. Leatherette seats, IPL-embossed door sill trims and floor mats, and an ‘IPL Edition II’ badging also feature.

Commenting on the launch of the latest special editions, Neeraj Garg, member of the Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said: ‘Last year we launched our first special edition model, the Vento IPL Edition, and then introduced the Breeze models of both the Polo and the Vento. The immense response we received towards these special editions has prompted us to continue with the IPL Editions, and this time with both our popular Polo and Vento car lines.’ The Polo IPL Edition II starts from (ex-showroom, Delhi) Rs 6.13 lakh, while the Vento IPL Edition II is available from (ex-showroom, Delhi) Rs 7.08 lakh.

PRICES
Polo IPL Edition II (ex-showroom, Delhi)
1.2 petrol Highline: Rs 6.13 lakh
1.6 petrol Highline: Rs 6.48 lakh
1.2 diesel Highline: Rs 7.16 lakh

Vento IPL Edition II (ex-showroom, Delhi)
1.6 petrol Trendline: Rs 7.08 lakh
1.6 petrol Highline: Rs 8.23 lakh
1.6 petrol Highline (auto): Rs 9.21 lakh
1.6 diesel Trendline: Rs 8.28 lakh

The first round of the South African 2012 National Rally Championship kicks off the country’s rallying season this weekend (23-24 March) and the BP Volkswagen team will pull out all the stops to get ahead early. With the brand new Polo S2000 car unveiled a few weeks ago, the squad will be hoping that the stages in KwaZulu-Natal will be kind to them. Volkswagen Motorsport has six consecutive national rally championship titles to its name with the previous generation Volkswagen Polo S2000 after all.

The latest version of the super-supermini has been crafted for the single purpose of winning rallies, and is packed with the latest rallying technology. A 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine producing 270bhp/200kW driving all four wheels powers the new-for-2012 Polo S2000, pumping 184lb ft/250Nm of torque at 7200rpm, and making use of a Sadev 4/45 six-speed sequential ‘Powershift’-equipped gearbox. As well as a new car, the BP Volkswagen team have two new drivers. Hans Weijs Jnr and Bjorn Degandt are two international competitors who have experience in IRC and WRC championships.

Seasoned campaigners Lnzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson are carrying on as before, and have won the Total Rally twice before – the last time in 2006 – and are eager to claim the event for the new car. Kuun and Hodgson are also two-time winners of the national championship title, and will definitely be in the hunt for a third. Teammates Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries are in a similar position. They know the territory, they are seasoned campaigners, they have a national rally title under their belts, and they will be in full flight searching for another title.

Meanwhile, Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin have a huge challenge ahead of them in KwaZulu-Natal. They will contest the new S2000 Challenge category of national rallying – and their efforts will be backed up by the BP Volkswagen Polo Vivo S2000. The challenge that lies ahead this season is going to test them, but their rally car that has a pedigree which stretches back to include six national rally titles to help them to the end. Finally, Megan Verlaque and Hilton Auffray tackle the S1600 category with their two-wheel drive BP Volkswagen Polo Vivo in search of national rally championship honours – and the start of their first full season as a team.

Just as spring finally rears its head in the UK, the aptly-named Polo Vivo Zest goes on sale in South Africa. Designed with the young at heart in mind, the latest addition to the Polo Vivo range is distinguished by a tailgate spoiler, 14-inch ‘Portland’ alloy wheels, and unique ‘Zest’ badging. Inside, there’s rainbow-patterned ‘Bunt’ seat fabric, and gunmetal dashboard inserts. The 1.4-litre 74bhp engine comes paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, while standard equipment includes driver and passenger airbags, and a digital clock and mileage trip recorder. The five-door only Polo Vivo Zest costs R122,300 and is available now.