PoloDriver

The latest NAAMSA figures have been released. During November 2010 a total of 29,530 new passenger cars were sold in South Africa, an increase of 28.9% when compared to November 2009, bringing the year-to-date November market in 2010 to a level 30% above the same period for last year. The Polo Vivo and fifth-generation Polo have contributed to Volkswagen South Africa’s strong finish to 2010, selling 1939 and 1265 units respectively.

‘As a result of record offline production from our plant in Uitenhage in October and November, we are finishing 2010 strongly,’ commented Mike Glendinning, Director of Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa. ‘Polo Vivo has now become firmly entrenched as South Africa’s favourite passenger car brand, while the Polo sold 1265 units in November, rounding off a very successful performance for the two brands built in South Africa,’ Glendinning continued.

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. Available as both a three or five-door hatchback and four-door saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines, two trim levels are available: base and Trendline. Costing from R104,065 for the most basic 1.4 hatchback to R156,220 for the 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the Polo Vivo is based on the facelifted version of the Series 4 Polo, built from 2005 to 2009. Changes include reprofiled front and rear bumpers, as well as a revised front grille and other minor bodywork-based alterations.

Australian car website Drive have crowned the fifth-generation Polo their Car of the Year 2010. Also winning the Best City Car award, the Polo beat off competition from the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20 and Nissan Micra to take the tiddler title. Interior quality, an array of safety features, competent road manners and punchy turbocharged 1.2-litre 104bhp TSI engine, the judges from Drive agreed that, ‘In terms of being a city car, it sets so many benchmarks. The Polo is the first in this class to bring in six airbags, and it sets a standard the other city car competitors have to beat on both engine and gearbox,’ adding, ‘It’s in another land for refinement. It feels like a small car, not a city car.’

A best overall fuel consumption figure was only one of the values that made the Polo win the coveted Car of the Year 2010 title, though, the judging panel citing the ‘fun factor’ of the latest model and the way that, ‘the tiny Volkswagen Polo delivers so many rewards for enthusiastic drivers looking to reduce their carbon footprints.’ The newly-developed turbocharged engine was a major asset when the judges were considering their verdicts. Beating category winners from 14 other segments, the Polo and its larger stablemate the Golf fought for top honours, with the Polo securing leading votes from nine of the judges, who, according to Drive, ‘thought it shifted the goalposts of its class more than the Golf did – and for less of a premium over its competitors.’ Full coverage here.

In a similar prize, Carsguide has also awarded the Polo the ‘2010 Carsguide Car of the Year’, title, establishing itself as the benchmark in the light car class. It’s the second consectutive year Volkswagen have taken the award; last year’s winner was the Golf. Carsguide Managing Editor, Ged Bulmer, said the latest Polo was another example of the company delivering an extremely well-equipped and well-engineered small car at an affordable price. ‘Many of the attributes of the popular Volkswagen Golf have trickled down into the Polo, with the result that it looks like a scaled down version of that winning combination.’ Judging panel member Paul Pottinger said: ‘The Polo scored a convincing win, not because of its $16,690 starting price but because of its impressive safety, quality, comfort and driving enjoyment. The Golf’s little brother is the world’s best small car.’

Two world champion Tango dancers, reams of fake tattoos, one Volkswagen Polo and a wire brush. They’re just some of the ingredients of the new Polo TV commercial, currently airing in the UK. The new advert seems to be getting positive responses from user of Facebook, which proves that Volkswagen’s choice of an online social media marketing campaign to promote the commercial could be the right one. Since our first post about the 60-second spot’s debut on 10 November, we’ve learnt that the ad is called ‘Last Tango In Compton’ and was directed by supremo commercial director Jonathan Glazer.

With quite a track record, having made easily recognisable campaigns for Guiness (‘Surfers’), Sony (‘Paint’) and Levi’s (Odyssey), Glazer has actually shot a Polo commercial before, working on 1998’s ‘Protection‘ series of TV spots. Shot in North London, ‘Last Tango in Compton’ features Gasper Godoy and Manuella Rossi dancing a commissioned piece by one of the world’s foremost choreographers with a setup of over 20 different cameras simultaneously following their moves. Volkswagen UK plan to release behind the scenes footage, and above is the first film. Watch through to 03:39 for the commercial itself; more details and photos can be seen on Volkswagen UK’s Polo Facebook campaign page.

Volkswagen Polo ‘Last Tango In Compton’ TV campaign credits
Project Name: Volkswagen Polo
TVC: Last Tango in Compton
Client: Sarah Clayton-Jones, Nigel Brotherton and Rod Mcleod, Volkswagen UK
Creative Agency: DDB UK
Executive Creative Director: Jeremy Craigen
Copywriter: Dave Henderson
Art Director: Richard Denney
Account Planner: Leo Rayman and Tom Lloyd
Production Company: Academy Films
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Director of Photography: Dan Landin
Agency TV Producer: Sarah Browell and Lucinda Ker
Producer: Ben Link
Media Agency: MediaCom
Media Planner: Louise Pastou, Emma Franklin
Account Team: Jonathan Hill, Paul Billingsley, Matt Delahunty and Harriet Bates
Sound Design: Soundtree/Wave
Editor: Paul Watts, The Quarry
VFX Supervision and Post production: One of Us Studios

Volkswagen’s BlueMotion technology not only helps the Polo achieve exceptional fuel economy. Victoria Stubbs from Volkswagen retailer group Vindis explains how a Passat BlueMotion recently entered the record books

A new Guinness World Record for fuel economy has been set by a journalist from The Sunday Times driving a Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion. The car was a standard production model with no adjustments or alterations, and it travelled a staggering 1526 miles on one tank of normal diesel. The record was witnessed by two AA engineers who followed the Passat in their van, and has been officially accredited by Guinness.

The 77.25 litres of fuel was enough to get the Passat, its driver (and a navigator) from Maidstone in Kent to the South of France, and nearly as far back as Calais. Where possible, travel was on French autoroutes to minimise town driving (which uses more fuel), and over the three-day journey the average speed was a little over 45mph.

The car used for the record-breaking run was fitted with a 104bhp, 1.6-litre TDI engine using Volkswagen’s new common-rail system. The Passat’s official combined cycle fuel economy is 64.2mpg, but on this journey, a figure of 89.8mpg was attained. The cost of fuel for the journey worked out at an amazing 6.17p per mile!

In common with the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models, the Passat is fitted with aerodynamic modifications to the bodywork, a lower ride height, Stop/Start, programmed battery charging, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tyres. The result is a vehicle that is completely conventional to drive, service and maintain yet among the most efficient vehicles on the road today.

Using the same technology, a Polo BlueMotion recently took part in the inaugural RAC Future Car Challenge. With a combined economy of 80.7mpg from its 74bhp 1.2 TDI engine, it was forecast that the Polo BlueMotion would complete the 57-mile run from Brighton to London using just 3.21 litres of diesel (0.70 gallons) costing a total of £3.78 based on today’s average fuel prices.

Victoria Stubbs, Vindis
Vindis are VW dealers for all models including used Volkswagen Passat

[World Record image: Media Inventions Ltd]

It’s Polos to the double in the latest issue of Volkswagen Driver magazine. The latest version of the eco-minded Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI is put through its paces in a 6-page road test, while the 4-page model profile centres on the 2006-2010 1.8T-powered Polo GTI 9N3 (0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, top speed of 134mph). The GTI profile also features information on the Polo GTI Cup Edition, which boasted 178bhp – 30 up on the standard car – and was only available in European markets.The December 2010 issue of Volkswagen Driver magazine is on sale now or can be ordered via the Autometrix Publications website.