PoloDriver

The Polo has been announced winner of the 2011 Wesbank/SAGMJ Car of the Year, a title it shares with the BMW 530d. Both cars were declared winners at a gala dinner in Midrand on Tuesday 8 March. The Volkswagen Golf won the honour in 2010. ‘Volkswagen Group South Africa is delighted to have the new Polo named as the winner of the 2011 South African Car of the Year. This is an immense recognition of the Volkswagen brand following Golf’s win in 2010,’ said David Powels, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group South Africa (pictured centre, in photograph above).

‘We would like to dedicate this accolade to our employees at the Uitenhage plant where the Polo is produced for local and international markets. Their commitment to producing world class quality vehicles has been acknowledged by the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists,’ Powels added. The Uitenhage factory builds Polos for all global right-hand drive destinations such as Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, and the UK. The Polo adds the 2011 South African Car of the Year award to its extensive trophy haul, which also includes the 2010 European Car of the Year, 2010 World Car of the Year, and 2010 Japanese Import Car of the Year.

Saturday 5 March saw the opening rounds of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup, and Devin Robertson in the Sparco/Big Boss Auto Polo proved the most successful driver of the day, with second and third place finishes in each of the rounds. Missing a second place in the championship last year, his performance at Kyalami is a good indication of his determined spirit to score a higher spot on the podium in 2011. Kyle Barnes in the PG Glass/CFP Tyres/Conti Partner car took overall second place, while Kelvin van der Linde filled the third spot on the podium in the Ferodo Racing Polo Vivo.

The 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup series is similar to the other racing Polo Cup single-series championships run both in Europe and India. Just as in those series, the one-make format particularly highlights new young driving talent. In the Engen championship, as many as 30 drivers regularly take to the track in technically-identical, 2.0-litre 234bhp Volkswagen Polo Vivos, with full grids ensuring close-fought races. The full race report from Volkswagen South Africa and mini-gallery follows. The next rounds of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup are scheduled for 2 April at the Kilarney circuit in Cape Town.

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The 81st Geneva Motor Show threw open its doors today, and aside from the Italdesign Volkswagen Tex coupé concept we reported on earlier in the week, VW itself has more than a handful of debuts and new models on show. The Swiss expo sees the world debut of the new Golf Cabriolet – only announced last week – and the rejuvenated Tiguan. There’s also the BlueMotion variant of the new Passat, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, a new take on the iconic Type 2 (T2), called the Bulli – the original T2’s name in Germany. Here’s a quick round-up of the latest Volkswagen unveils from the show floor. The 81st Geneva Motor Show is open until 13 March at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland.

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Famed design house Italdesign has been part of the Volkswagen Group since the middle of last year, and the first fruits of the companies’ joint cooperation were unveiled last night on the eve of the 81st Geneva Motor Show. Leaked online last week, the two concepts are both less than four metres long, and feature twin-drive hybrid drivetrains. But, most intriguingly, does the Tex, the sportier of the the two models – the other, the Go! is a compact MPV, maybe another future Polo variant – point to a new spin on the ‘80s Polo coupé? The current Polo is 3970mm long, and lacks a true out-and-out sports focused model, so could the Tex fill the void and be a baby brother to the successful Scirocco?

Building on current and reported future Volkswagen design cues, we think the Tex already looks like a slightly edgier Polo, with echoes of the current model in its side profile. The front grille is an even slimmer version of that seen on current VWs, while the rear features a glass hatchback, with hidden rear lights (first shown on the Up! concept from 2007) and a mounted blade-type spoiler. A full-length panoramic glass roof lets light into the brown and read leather interior, while deeply-sculpted ‘quarterlight’ windows provide a new Volkswagen design flourish. Large spider-like multi-spoke wheels fill the pronounced wheelarches, while the red pinstripe evokes that of the original 1982 Polo coupé.

Powered by a Twin Drive plug-in engine built by Volkswagen, the Tex showcases modern hybrid technology. A 1.4-litre turbocharged engine is paired with a 114bhp electric motor, which, when used together, can produce 295lb ft of torque, enough for 0-62mph in around six seconds and a top speed of 137mph. All this power is driven through a seven-speed DSG gearbox, with paddles on the steering wheel, as seen on the latest Polo GTI. As well as being a sporty powerhouse, the Tex is also eco-minded, too, and can travel around 20 miles in all-electric mode only. If given the green light for production, both the Tex and Go! could be on the market by 2018. The full Italdesign/VW press release follows.

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One of the trailblazers for car manufacturer digital apps, Volkswagen UK has launched an iPhone configurator, showcasing its full range of models. Using it is simplicity itself. Just choose a model, and add your choice of engine and transmission, upholstery, colour and wheels. Optional equipment is also available to specify, and the app will also check that your chosen options are available with the configured model and even show an accurate price based on the boxes ticked. Different models can also be compared in terms of specification and performance, while your ideal chosen Volkswagen can even be sent to your friends for a pally approval or a scathing thumbs down. Whatever next, an iPhone virtual showroom? If you’re in the market for a new car and want a pocket-sized VW to try before you buy, download the Volkswagen UK Car Configurator app here.