PoloDriver

The third race weekend of the Volkswagen Polo R Cup India 2011 at Chennai on 20-21 August 2011 saw two different drivers emerge victorious. In the first round, Vishnu Prasad took the chequered flag, with Ajay Kini coming in second, while Rahil Noorani finished third. Avdumber Hede meanwhile was unbeatable in the second race. The 24 year-old relegated Prateek Dalal and Oshan Kothadiya to positions two and three on the podium. Championship leader Prasad retired after a collision. The next rounds of the Volkswagen Polo R Cup India 2011 are once again at the 3.7km Irungattukottai Race Track, Chennai from 16-18 September. The series is run by Volkswagen India Motorsport in conjunction with JK Tyres. The field of 20 young racers drive identical and centrally-prepared 129bhp TDI Polo R Cup cars.

According to the latest batch of UK sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT), the supermini segment rose by 17.6% to account for 37.3% of the overall August market. Taking advantage of the downsizing trend, the Polo was still the eighth best-selling car in the UK, with 1467 cars finding new owners. It was a good month for Volkswagen, as the Passat was placed at number seven (1526 units) and the Golf at number four (1995 units). The Polo’s long-standing nemesis the Ford Fiesta was once again the top-seller, with 3213 sales recorded. The Vauxhall Corsa was runner-up with 2901 examples shifted. Despite the upturn in sales of smaller cars, August is expected to be the smallest volume monthly new car market in 2011. In 2010 it accounted for just 2.7% of the market. The new ‘61’ number plate was launched on 1 September.

‘New car registrations in August rose for the first time since June 2010, up 7.3% to 59,346 units. August represents a small share of the new car market and the September new 61-plate registrations will be far more important for vehicle manufacturers and franchised dealers,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘The September new car market is always important for the UK motor industry, accounting for around 17% of the full year’s registrations. Consumers are nervous about the future, but with unprecedented improvements in fuel economy, competitive finance offers and a wide variety of new models, buyers will find there is something to suit every taste and pocket.’ The UK’s top 10 best-selling cars in August 2011 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 3213 (61,551, 1st)
2 Vauxhall Corsa: 2901 (46,620, 3rd)
3 Ford Focus: 2858 (52,918, 2nd)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 1995 (39,385, 4th)
5 BMW 3 Series: 1739 (27,298, 8th)
6 Vauxhall Astra: 1613 (38,580, 5th)
7 Volkswagen Passat: 1526
8 Volkswagen Polo: 1467 (28,048, 7th)
9 Nissan Qashqai: 1312 (24,695, 9th)
10 Audi A3: 1125

(The 2011 year-to-date top 10 best-sellers absent from August’s sales figures are the Vauxhall Insignia, selling 31,063 units in 6th place and the Peugeot 207, selling 21,402 units in 10th place.)

It’s good news once again for Volkswagen South Africa. The biggest-selling car for August 2011 was once again the Polo Vivo, closely followed by the Polo 6R. The entry-level Polo Vivo/Polo Vivo Sedan range sold 3322 units last month, while 2343 fifth-generation Polo hatchbacks and recently-launched Polo Sedans found South African homes. Both sets of sales figures are a rise on those released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) for July 2011. Additionally, a total of 8920 fifth-generation Polos were exported to markets around the world, again up on last month’s tallies.

The Polo Vivo was launched in March 2010 as an entry-level model for the South African market, replacing the Series 1 Golf-based CitiGolf, and is available as a three or five-door hatchback and four-door booted saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. Costing from R104,065 for the base-model 1.4 hatchback to R156,220 for the top 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the 2011 Polo Vivo is based on the revised version of the Series 4 Polo (9N3), built from 2005 to 2009. The fifth-generation Polo is also available as both a three and five-door hatchback as well as a four-door saloon (Polo Sedan) and was voted European and World Car of the Year in 2010.

Lee Thompson was the standout driver at the sixth race meeting of the Engen Volkswagen Cup (also known as the Volkswagen Polo Cup South Africa) last weekend, scoring first place in race one and second position in race two at the South African BMSC circuit, East London. Winner of race two was Kosie Weyers, while championship leader Devin Robertson took third place in race one, and finished one place lower in the second.

The 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup series is similar to the other racing VW Polo Cup single-series championships run in both Europe and India. Just as in those series, the one-make format particularly highlights a wealth of new young driving talent. In the Engen championship, as many as thirty drivers regularly take to the track in technically-identical, 2.0-litre, 234bhp Volkswagen Polo Vivo racing cars. The next two rounds of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup are scheduled for 1 October at the Killarney circuit, Cape Town.

Volkswagen UK have today confirmed pricing and specification details of the celebratory Golf GTI Edition 35, celebrating 35 years of its iconic hot hatchback. First announced back in May (see here for our previous story), the most powerful Golf GTI to date features a 1984cc turbocharged engine, producing 232bhp (235PS) – 23bhp more than the standard car – at 5500rpm. Maximum torque of 221lb ft (300Nm) is produced at 2200rpm. The GTI Edition 35 posts a 0-62mph time of 6.6 seconds, while top speed is 153mph, and CO2 emissions are 189g/km (185g/km on DSG cars).

Special exterior identifiers include a more sports-orientated bodykit which includes new side skirts and front bumper, bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, 18-inch ‘Watkins Glen’ alloy wheels finished in ‘Dark Steel’ or silver, an ‘Edition 35’ front wing badge, gloss back door mirrors, darkened rear windows and darker LED rear lights. ‘Edition 35’ badges also feature on the front seats, door sills and floor mats, while the seatbelts feature a red stripe and the legendary ‘golf ball’ Golf GTI gearknob (fitted to both manual and DSG-equipped cars).

Prices for the Golf GTI Edition 35 start at £27,525 (RRP OTR, £2220 over the standard car) for the six-speed manual three-door model. There is a £1,295 premium for the DSG gearbox and £585 for five doors. Volkswagen Retailers will begin taking orders from today with first customer deliveries due next month. For more information contact your nearest Volkswagen Retailer or visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 35 UK prices
2.0-litre TSI, 235PS, 6-speed manual 3-door, 189g/km: £27,525
2.0-litre TSI 235 PS, 6speed auto DSG, 3-door, 185g/km: £28,820
2.0-litre TSI, 235PS, 6-speed manual 5-door, 189g/km: £28,110
2.0-litre TSI 235 PS, 6speed auto DSG, 5-door, 185g/km: £29,405