PoloDriver

Here’s the third of the four TV commercials in Volkswagen India’s ‘Made in India’ campaign for the Polo (watch them all on PoloDriverTV). Similarly to the first and second ads in the series, this 30-second clip uses comic humour to highlight a technical aspect of the car – in this case, the handling – and to convey the message that the Indian-built Polo is tailor-made for Indian drivers, but has the might of German engineering behind it. The ‘Made in India’ campaign also features a wide range of innovative print, outdoor and digital media. The new Polo costs from RS 4.5 lakh, and will face heated competition from the Maruti Swift, Ford Figo, Honda Jazz, Fiat Punto and Hyundai i20.

Volkswagen Polo ‘Made in India’ TV campaign credits
Creative agency: DDB Mudra
Chief creative officer: Bobby Pawar
National creative director: Rajeev Raja
Copy: Rajeev Raja/Hemant Sharma
Art: Ajmal Mohammad
Planning: Michael Follet
Client servicing: Ashish Marwah, Jay Mehta, Punit Bhatt, Vaibhav Bhargava
Agency film department: Tapan Sharma, Anil Sonawane
Production house: Stink
Director: Christopher Von Reiss
Post-production: Redrum
Media agency: Mediacom

The latest version of the Polo BlueMotion has been shortlisted for the WhatGreenCar Car of the Year 2010 award, which the organisers claim is the most scientifically-based green car prize in the UK. Now in its third year, WhatGreenCar uses unique ratings to rank the greenest new cars to come to market, and shortlisted cars are rated for environmental impact, value, driving experience and design.

To be eligible for the award, new models must be commercially available for purchase direct from the manufacturer or order in the UK during 2010. City cars, superminis, small family cars, large family cars, MPVs, executive and sports classes form the initial selection. The judging and test drives of the 10 shortlisted cars takes place on Wednesday 30 June at Imperial College, London, a university specialising in technological innovation. This makes it an ideal place for the judges to assess the final line-up. The overall winner of the WhatGreenCar Car of the Year 2010 awards will be announced on Thursday 1 July.

The 10 cars shortlisted for the WhatGreenCar Car of the Year 2010 award are as follows:

• BMW 320d EfficientDynamics; WGC rating 31; CO2: 109g/km
• Citroen DS3 1.6 HDi; WGC rating: 29; CO2: 99g/km
• Honda CR-Z hybrid; WGC rating: TBC; CO2: 117g/km
• Kia Venga 1.4 CRDi; WGC rating: 33; CO2: 117g/km
• Mitsubishi i-MiEV 47kW synchronous/Li-ion; WGC rating: 10; CO2: 0g/km
• SEATt Leon 1.6 TDI Ecomotive; WGC rating: 28; CO2: 99g/km
• Toyota Auris hybrid; WGC rating: TBC; CO2: 89g/km
• Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi ecoFLEX; WGC rating: 29; CO2: 98g/km
• Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion; WGC rating: 26; CO2: 89g/km
• Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe; WGC rating 29; CO2: 99g/km

(Note: WGC rating = WhatGreenCar rating)

Edit, 1 July 2010: WhatGreenCar have awarded the Toyota Auris Hybrid its Car of the Year 2010 prize, ahead of the SEAT Leon 1.6 TDI Ecomotive, the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics and the Citroen DS3 1.6 HDi. A missed opportunity we think, as the Polo BlueMotion makes use of existing technology to get the ideal pairing of low emissions and high miles per gallon, while Toyota reportedly uses more harmful environmental processes to manufacture the NiMH battery packs for both the Prius and Auris Hybrid – coincidentally launched today – while posting similar CO2 and mpg values.

The new Polo SEL has been declared the most secure supermini at the recent British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards (BIVSA), presented by Thatcham, the Motor Industry Repair Research Centre, in Berkshire. Claiming honours in the City Car/Supermini category and beating off in-house competition from the SEAT Ibiza and Škoda Fabia, Volkswagen won a raft of awards as well as the overall accolade for the best car manufacturer.

The British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards are hosted by Thatcham and supported by the Home Office, the DfT, What Car? magazine and the AA. Since their launch in 2004 the highly regarded BIVSA accolades have recognised all that’s best in vehicle security, on the newest cars and vans on the market, applauding the work of vehicle manufacturers and raising consumer awareness. Vehicles were judged on a number of criteria identified by the creators of the New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) scheme. Those that had a maximum five stars for ‘theft from’, had double locking, and an ‘E’ insurance suffix (indicating they had a feature that exceeds the required standard) were shortlisted for final evaluation and ranking.

Rod McLeod, Head of Marketing for Volkswagen said: ‘It’s a tremendous achievement for the Volkswagen range to be ranked as the best on the market here and one of which we’re very proud. To win the overall award is proof that security and safety features should not be the reserve of an elite few. Increasingly we aim to extend the technology available on our flagship cars such as the Phaeton right down to the volume models such as the new Polo.’

The latest version of the Polo BlueMotion is tested by Auto Express in this week’s issue of the magazine. Announced last year, the 2010 version of Volkswagen’s eco supermini has a 1.2-litre, 74bhp TDI engine and aerodynamic body modifications to help cut both drag and C02 emissions. The result? Emissions of 91g/km and a claimed 80.7 miles per gallon. Costing from £14,445 – and coincidentally the same Volkswagen UK press car we drove earlier in the week – how did the road testers at Auto Express rate it? Buy a copy of the 21-29 June 2010 magazine to find out.

Simon Kimber reported on an upcoming MoT in his last report. With that now out of the way and an advisory notice, he ponders the second replacement of track control arms on his 1991 Polo GT Coupé…

You might remember that it was nearing MoT time in my last report for H714 ERP. With advice of a worn nearside track rod ball joint, I thought that I might try and find a replacement at GTI International, on 26-27 June at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire. PoloDriver will be there, too – just look out for the bright orange T-shirts.

Of course, other joints are starting to play up a bit now, but I suppose it comes with increasing age. ERP has now started to get a creaking noise from the offside front over slight bumps and small steering inputs, which calls for some WD40. It can only be the bottom ball joint creaking the inside ones are spherical bearings on my car which are not normally prone to creaking.

That should keep it quiet for a bit longer, but I think that the main cause is the nylon bushing drying out, causing it to groan. A quick squirt of the anti-creaking spray should put off replacing them for now, as I don’t want the expense of buying two more track control arms. The last pair were fitted back in the summer of 2001 – some 60,000 miles ago – when I took the car to C&R Enterprises in Nottingham.

I have been going to GTI International now for years and haven’t missed one since it was held at the Transport Research Laboratory. It was there that I spoke to Steve Cresswell who informed me that adjustable track control arms had become available from a company called TAS (Trim Auto Sport). The standard track control arms are of fixed length with a rubber bush on the inside end and cannot be adjusted.

The manufacturer’s method for changing the camber was by elongating the mounting holes on the chassis, which to me sounds like a poor way to adjust camber, apart from the fact that you can never get enough adjustment without weakening it. The measurements of the camber before fitting the track control arms was 1 degree 50′ negative whereas it should be 0 degrees +/-30′ negative, so something had to give.

The main thing most owners of Polos up to 1994 (except G40 owners who have spherical bearings as standard) may notice as the miles have been piled on and if wear has made itself audible, are joggling noises from around the footwellls when traversing potholes or over bumps. This is mostly due to the rubber bushes hardening up and becoming loose, which can cause changes in wheel location and increased wear on all the components around them.

The replacement arm consists of the outer end of a standard track arm, the other half being binned in favour of double threaded adjuster with a motorsport spherical bearing (rose joint) at the other; spacers are supplied to fill the gap left by the rubber bush. They’re all put together very securely and it really shows the thought that went in to fabricating them, although I did additionally order a set of silicon rubber dust caps to prevent any dirt or muck getting to them from Demon Tweeks.

The upshot of fitting adjustable track control arms is as greater adjustment of camber to a better than factory setting, meaning that the tendancy to understeer is effectively moved to a higher speed. This also allows a more neutral handling behaviour and possibly oversteer – but not snap oversteer, although it is slightly more prone if the throttle is backed off mid-corner. But then, that is of course the same for all front-wheel drive vehicles as a whole, regardless of who manufactures them…

Costs this month: £0