PoloDriver

Following his stellar performance at the World RX of Great Britain, PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver Johan Kristoffersson swept all before him and took his 570bhp Polo GTI Supercar to victory at the 2017 World RX of Norway on 10-11 June, the sixth round of the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The win at the 1.019km-long mixed surface circuit in Hell saw the young Swede extend his lead in the 2017 drivers’ points table, and, with 151 points, Kristoffersson is now ahead of current world champion Mattias Ekström by eight points who sits in second with 143.

Fastest driver
Setting the pace in free practice where he was the fastest driver, Kristoffersson never let up. The Swedish driver’s second victory of the year was even more impressive as he was driving in pain, with a badly injured right foot, sustained when it got caught under Sebastien Loeb’s car at a ‘pre-grid’ gathering earlier in the weekend.

A visibly pained Kristoffersson explained: ‘The car needed to be reversed to get my foot back out which was really painful but nobody’s fault. It was really painful between the semi-final and final races, but painkillers helped and I will go to the hospital to get it properly looked at.’

Even a puncture in the fourth qualifying heat couldn’t stop his pace-setting progress, and the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden young gun was also the fastest in the third qualifying heat where he passed Team Peugeot Hansen’s Loeb with a round the outside overtake in the joker on lap one of race four.

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson

2017 PS2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: KristofferssonRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Solberg and Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson and Holberg

‘Really fantastic’
A jubilant Kristoffersson was elated at his victory: ‘It is fantastic. I cannot say it often enough, but our team is rather special. The way we work and achieve these results together is really fantastic. That was a tough weekend. The wet conditions were not easy yesterday. However, my Polo GTI was just superb.’

Speaking ahead of the event, the 28 year-old said: ‘It’s great to lead the World Championship. I was equal with Petter after the first round a couple of years ago but now finally I’m leading on my own. It’s started to sink in a bit more and it’s a very, very good feeling.’ Kristoffersson had never made the final race in Norway until this year.

Team boss and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver Petter Solberg enjoyed limited success at his home event. The Norwegian failed to qualify for the final race for the first time this season and finished in seventh place overall. However, a consistent performance helped the ex-world rally star keep his third place in the Drivers’ Championship behind Ekström.

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Solberg

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Solberg

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Solberg and Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Solberg and Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Norway: Solberg and Kristoffersson

‘So disappointed’
The ex-World Rally and World Rallycross Champion was frustrated at being knocked out in the semi-final: ‘Obviously it’s disappointing that we can’t keep this incredible run going for getting two cars to the final. I have to say I am so, so disappointed with what happened in the semi-final; this is the second time I have been pushed out by this guy in my home race. I don’t know what else to say. It’s not right.

‘It’s been a tough weekend, but still we made some good results. The win in Q4 was really good for me and I was positive coming to the semi and then this happens. But we have to look on the positive. Johan won and I’m so proud for him and for the whole team. We extend the lead in the championships and that’s what we take away. Norway and Hell bite me again, but I’ll be back next season,’ the 43 year-old continued.

Elsewhere in Hell, 2017 European Rallycross Championship leader Anton Marklund finished second in his Marklund Motorsport-prepared Polo RX. Kristoffersson’s Norwegian victory meanwhile was a sensational second win from three rounds, the third in a hat-trick which boosted the Volkswagen Motorsport-supported Torsby squad.

With 285 points, PSRX Volkswagen Sweden is now a massive 81 points clear of its Team Peugeot Hansen rival as the World RX circus rolls onto Sweden for round seven of the 2017 series at Höljes Motorstadion. There’s no doubt Kristoffersson will be keen to make it two consecutive wins as he entertains his home crowd. See what happens on 1-2 July.

https://youtu.be/hh6l9e2TzHI

2017 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo GTI: 151
2 Mattias Ekström, Audi S1: 143
3 Petter Solberg, Volkswagen Polo GTI: 134
4 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 102
5 Sebastian Loeb, Peugeot 208: 102

2017 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden: 285
2 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 204
3 EKS: 198
4 Hoonigan Racing Division: 166
5 MJP Racing Team Austria: 115

[Images: FIAWorldRallycross.com / PSRX Volkswagen Sweden]

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released its new car registration figures for May 2017, and we’re pleased to report that the Volkswagen Polo has risen in the charts to become the UK’s fifth most popular new car. A total of 4,247 examples of the evergreen small VW found new homes last month, while 22,500 Polo registrations have been recorded in the year-to-date.

As in the past few months, Ford’s Polo sparring-partner the Fiesta is top dog once again: 7,617 small Fords were registered in May, adding to the car’s cumulative figure of 50,779 for 2017 so far. This means it still tops the charts for the year to date, too. The Polo’s bigger brother the Golf was in second place during May, no doubt buoyed by the arrival of the refreshed Mk ‘7.5’ model.

While we’d expect demand for the Polo to stay stable for a little while yet, the new sixth-generation model will be revealed later this month. Overall, the SMMT states that UK new car demand has fallen 8.5 per cent, with 186,265 vehicles registered, but still over 1.1 million new cars have been registered since January. The UK’s top 10 most popular passenger cars during May 2017 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 7,617 (50,779, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Golf: 5,449 (27,895, 4th)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,970 (28,471, 3rd)
4 Ford Focus: 4,455 (31,762, 2nd)
5 Volkswagen Polo: 4,247 (22,500, 8th)
6 Vauxhall Astra: 4,170 (25,431, 6th)
7 Vauxhall Corsa: 4,056 (27,821, 5th)
8 Mercedes-Benz C Class: 4,046 (23,284, 7th)
9 Mini: 3,535 (19,952, 10th)
10 Mercedes-Benz A Class: 3,367 (19,222, 9th)

In other sales-related news, during May 2017 the Polo lost its second best-selling car status in South Africa to the Toyota Auris/Corolla/Corolla Quest, losing out by just 39 units! However, the face-lifted Mk 4 Polo-based Polo Vivo still sat astride the top of the country’s sales charts, with 1,955 examples registered.

Elsewhere, according to JATO Dynamics, the Polo is the third most popular car in Austria so far in 2017, behind family members the Golf and Tiguan. It also shares the same place in Demark, behind the Peugeot 208 and Nissan Qashqai, and also in Germany, where it trails the Golf and Tiguan once again.

World’s most popular supermini
The Polo was also among the top ten registered cars in Italy for 2016, and so far during 2017, the small Volkswagen is – that’s right! – the third most popular car in Europe. With a total of 148,331 global registrations, it is also the world’s most popular supermini, even if those numbers are reportedly down 3.4 per cent. A total of 704,062 Polos were registered in 2016, making it the world’s eighth most popular car, according to the FM Global Mobility Database.

https://youtu.be/3FVQSNHMPWk

At last, the countdown has begun. Ahead of the new sixth-generation Polo making its first official appearance, Volkswagen has today released the first in a ‘short series’ of videos which highlights the characteristics that have defined our favourite small car over the past 42 years.

In a nod to its four-decade heritage, it’s nice to see previous Polo generations appear at the end of the video. While we don’t know how many films there will be, we do know that the all-new sixth-generation model will enjoy its world premiere on 16 June. And of course, PoloDriver.com will bring you all the details as and when we have them.

*UPDATE* The other videos in the series appear below.

https://youtu.be/82gA89ktnxg

https://youtu.be/De43cq6yofE

https://youtu.be/RFlDWE-Ud-Q

https://youtu.be/dXfkYZtPoRk

https://youtu.be/Om-HWQQ0xTQ

Following their dominance at the 2017 World RX of Belgium two weeks ago, Petter Solberg and Johan Kristoffersson were once again the World Rallycross Championship drivers to beat at the World RX of Great Britain over the Bank Holiday weekend of 27-28 May.

The fifth round of the 2017 series saw the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden take their Polo GTI Supercars to first and second spots on the podium, with Solberg rewarded for a third consecutive best qualifying time performance at Lydden Hill. Kristoffersson’s runner-up place moved him to the top of the drivers’ standings: the young Swede is now 4 points clear of EKS’ and current world champion Mattias Ekström.

A perfect performance
The last-ever World RX of Great Britain at Lydden Hill – the British round moves to Silverstone from 2018 – got off to a good start for Solberg. The Norwegian blew apart last year’s lap record in the free practice session, and from there on in, the double World Rallycross Champion didn’t put a wheel wrong. In fact, Solberg and his 570bhp Polo put in a perfect performance: the 42 year-old even delivered a lights-to-flag lead in the final!

Unsurprisingly, it was an emotional couple of days for Solberg: ‘You know I’m quite an emotional guy, but this is really something special. To see all of these people here at this fantastic track is so amazing and then for the team to go so well in front of them is unbelievable. We started this adventure in January and look where we are. I think this one really is unbelievable,’ he enthused.

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Solberg

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Solberg

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Solberg

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Solberg

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Solberg

‘I talk a lot about the team and the team performance, but that’s absolutely the way we work at PSRX Volkswagen Sweden. Every single person in the team – and I mean everybody – puts 100 per cent into what we do. But recently, we’ve been putting 110 per cent in and we’ve been getting the results. 2017 is the 50th anniversary of rallycross. And we have won this anniversary race: how incredible is that. That’s a really, really nice feeling,’ Solberg continued.

‘An incredible feeling’
‘And, with the move to Silverstone next year, this will be the last time the World Rallycross Championship will be here at Lydden for a while, so to win this race is fantastic for me. It’s been a while since I was on the top step of the podium, so to be back here is such an incredible feeling. To have Johan right there with me makes it perfect. Everything went the way we wanted it to – and when we got out of the car the sun was shining. It’s a beautiful day,’ he added.

Kristoffersson’s move to the leading points-scoring driver in the championship was also cause for celebration. ‘This result really is for the team,’ said the superstar Swede. ‘I still can’t believe what we have achieved in just a matter of a few months – and still the car is getting better and quicker.

‘This team just never stops working and Petter and I are the ones who get the chance to show off what the team can do. That’s a real honour and a real privilege. But today, like the last round in Belgium, we were able to give something back to everybody in the team,’ he reported.

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Kristoffersson

2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI Supercar, World RX of Great Britain: Kristoffersson

‘Quite an emotional win’
‘This one-two is the perfect way to say “thank you” to everybody in PSRX Volkswagen Sweden for all the hard work. It’s also quite an emotional win for the team. Rallycross is a very, very big part of my life and to score such a result on a weekend when we celebrate 50 years of this incredible sport is something which makes me and the whole team very proud,’ Kristoffersson said elatedly.

In addition to Kristoffersson’s catapult to championship leader, the Torsby squad’s first one-two of the season opens PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s lead to 69 points in the teams’ championship – and also follows hot on the heels of a double podium last time out in Belgium. The next round, the World RX of Norway takes places in Hell on 10-11 June, and you can bet the Polo GTI Supercars of PSRX Volkswagen Sweden will certainly be raising all sorts of… hell!

https://youtu.be/s_yT0El6ekc

2017 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo GTI: 124
2 Mattias Ekström, Audi S1: 120
3 Petter Solberg, Volkswagen Polo GTI: 117
4 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 91
5 Sebastian Loeb, Peugeot 208: 81

2017 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,

TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden: 241
2 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 172
3 EKS: 166
4 Hoonigan Racing Division: 125
5 MJP Racing Team Austria: 103

[Images: FIAWorldRallycross.com / PSRX Volkswagen Sweden]

Speculation has been gathering pace the past few weeks as more details on the sixth-generation Polo are leaked. The latest intelligence is first-hand, though, as both weekly UK motoring magazines Autocar and Auto Express have been out in the newest version of our favourite small Volkswagen, by way of prototype drives in South Africa. The Autocar first drive report is here, while this link leads to the comments from Auto Express. Volkswagen has even got in on the act, too, and has released its own teaser video (below).

Impressive refinement
Just as with the new SEAT Ibiza which is also based on the smallest ‘A0’ version of the new ‘MQB’ platform, impressive refinement and grown-up abilities are touted, and these are both qualities which, in the past, have served the Polo well. Increased space thanks to the new underpinnings looks set to increase comfort, while handling appears to point to the ‘secure’ end of the scale.

The Ibiza-previewing-Polo story is a familiar one: the second-generation Ibiza previewed the third-generation Polo, being based on the new small VW’s chassis, though with a longer front overhang and engine bay, the Spanish car was able to take more powerful engines. Even Skoda was at it in 1999: the platform of the first-generation Fabia then appearing in both the fourth-generation Polo and third-generation Ibiza.

Evolutionary appearance
Of course, with prototype drives, there’s always some supposition, and it’s the same with how the sixth-generation Polo’s looks. The prototype cars were shrouded in camouflage – though the basic silhouette and form suggests an evolutionary appearance – but photos which originated from Car magazine in South Africa caught an undisguised car undergoing testing. The latest images of the new car surfaced this week, and with the virtually no disguise, that evolution is very definitely clear to see.

Again, sharper lines update the design themes of the current car, but it’s a masterclass in caution. It’s the same with the round of speculative renderings which have surfaced from various sources. Although we’re not quite sure which direction the car could have gone in, Volkswagen was clearly not going to deviate from the successful template too much: the Polo is a best-seller both in Europe and the UK after all, and is gathering popularity in other far flung markets such as India and South Africa.

Turbocharged petrol engines
The biggest revolution appears to be both under the skin and bonnet. A range of small-capacity turbocharged petrol engines will make up the bulk of the new Polo family, with a trio of 1.0-litre TSI units with varying power outputs from 64 to 113bhp. Two versions of the just-launched new Golf’s 1.5-litre TSI with active cylinder shutdown will also feature, while the GTI model – yes, there will be one! – should get upwards of 200bhp. A brace of 1.6-litre diesels is also expected: the Polo’s not eschewing the black pump yet, even though diesel superminis don’t sell in big numbers.

Despite the presentation slides at the re-launch of the fifth-generation car in 2014 stating there would be a mild hybrid version of the current Polo, it never arrived, and although initial reports suggested otherwise, it appears that this will be the case with the new car, too. Cost is thought to be the primary reason for the change of heart at VW, which means the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris are set to have the supermini hybrid party to themselves for a little longer.

‘Big car’ technologies
Inside, the latest Polo is expected to continue its predecessors’ reputation for high quality, with yet again, many ‘big car’ technologies showcased. Most noticeably, the ‘Active Info Display’ digital instrument technology is thought to be optional on higher trim models, while reports suggest that the colour touchscreen infotainment system could boast a screen of 9.2 inches in size, again, most probably as a factory extra on more luxurious versions.

While PoloDriver.com isn’t usually one for speculation, there’s been so much going on with the the new-generation car recently, we felt we couldn’t ignore all that has been going on. We’ll bring you full details of the new Polo when we have them. While an official unveiling – and the start of production – is expected next month, the car itself is widely expected to make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt motor show in September, ahead of a UK on-sale of spring 2018. Prices are expected to start at around £13,000, rising to £21,000 for the sporting GTI version.

https://youtu.be/-ss8FchDuyI