PoloDriver

While the latest set of sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the Polo may have slipped out of the monthly top 10 best-selling cars in the UK list, it’s standing firm at number seven for the year-to-date registrations with 19,467 units sold. The Ford Fiesta is still top dog, shifting 42,184 examples, while Vauxhall’s Corsa posted a tally of 30,792 units. Last month, registrations of superminis posted their first rise in figures since June 2010. Other notable statistics from the SMMT’s figures show that the Golf was the best-selling diesel model and that the new Passat has crept into the top ten for the first time this year with 2981 units sold, no doubt helped by the increasing fleet market.

Overall, UK new car registrations declined minimally last month, with May 2011’s sales figures just 1.7% (2664 units) down on the same period last year. Registrations over the first five months of 2011 were down 7.3% to 846,513 units. However, the SMMT forecasts that the market is on track to achieve its full year forecast of 1.93 million units. ‘New car registrations for May 2011 were down just 1.7% on 2010 levels, with strong performances in the fleet and business sectors,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘Consumers remain cautious, but with significantly improved fuel economy, service plans and more affordable finance, there is great value on offer across the market.’ UK fleet market sales were up 11% in May. The UK’s top 10 best-selling cars (number of units sold) for 2011 year-to-date are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 42,184
2 Ford Focus: 35,770
3 Vauxhall Corsa: 30,792
3 Volkswagen Golf: 27,615
5 Vauxhall Astra: 27,161
6 Vauxhall Insignia: 20,021
7 Volkswagen Polo: 19,467
8 BMW 3 Series: 17,332
9 Nissan Qashqai: 16,074
10 Peugeot 207: 14,968

Fresh from day of driving the latest Volkswagens last Wednesday, here is our first drive report of the 2011 Polo GTI. We tested both three and five-door versions, and can report that the 178bhp performance Polo is a real firecracker and a lot of fun. Yes, it costs £18,795 (which is twice as much as our Polo GT Coupé did in 1994), but as a cut-price Golf GTI, it’s an enticing proposition. See how we got on driving around the leafy lanes of Berkshire by clicking on the magazine graphic below, or if you can’t see the preview, visit this link. The fifth of our special digital ‘mini-magazines’, check out the PoloDriver bookshelf for our previous four titles. The first issue features mini-tests of the current Polo range in general, while the third is an account of our first drives of the SEL 1.2 TSI and 1.2 BlueMotion TDI.

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German tuner Oettinger has recently released details of its upgrade to the Audi A1’s 1.6-litre TDI engine, which in standard form develops 89 and 104bhp. Now, as these engines are fitted to the Polo (104bhp is continental-specification only, though), we presume the same upgrades are applicable to the 6R. Oettinger takes the 89bhp TDI up to 109, while the 104bhp gains another 20 ponies to play with. With both upgrades, performance is improved lower down the rev range, with an additional 33lb ft of torque. Acceleration is improved, too, with the 0-62mph dash taking 0.6 seconds less time.

Oettinger has offered Volkswagen tuning parts for over 50 years, and offers two years’ guarantee on engine, gearbox and drivetrain upgrades. Until 30 June, the price of the 1.6 TDI upgrades is €990.00 plus fitting (list price €1090.00). This rate is valid for all Oettinger 1.6 TDI upgrades for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Continental Polo owners can take their car to any one of Oettinger’s Performance Centres, located in 150 Audi and Volkswagen retailers in Germany and Austria.

The fourth race weekend of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup was ultra-competitive. In the first round at the Phakisa circuit in Welkom, Lee Thompson clinched a commanding victory in front of Devin Robertson. The second race meanwhile was won by Robertson, who celebrated revenge and beat Thompson by a razor-thin margin of 0.234 seconds. Third place on the winners’ podium for both races went to Kosie Weyers.

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 racers. The next rounds of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup are scheduled for 6 August at Scribante in Port Elizabeth.

[Source: Volkswagen South Africa // Images: keino@quickpic]

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We spent yesterday at Cliveden, driving the latest additions to Volkswagen UK’s ever-expanding range around the sunny and leafy lanes of Berkshire. The star attraction of the press office event was the Polo GTI, which although having been on sale for almost a year, we still haven’t yet driven. Thankfully – at last – that has now been rectified, and it exceeded our expectations. Proving that the Polo can wear trainers when it wants to, it felt performance-focused, out-and-out sporty, but with a comfortable and mature edge. Come back in a few days when we’ll post about our findings proper (and also report on the other cars that we drove), but in the meantime, here’s a snapshot from the day’s fun activities.