PoloDriver

The special edition model had played a small part in the Mk 1 Polo’s history, the denim-upholstered Jeans of 1976 and the highly-equipped run-out 1981 LX being the versions of note. But, the arrival of the second-generation Polo in 1981 ushered in a whole new era of special editions which would litter the car’s life from the start until its face-lifted end in 1994.

Arguably the most prolific and the most popular, the Fox arrived 30 years ago in 1984, and was to eventually become a mainstay in the second generation Polo line-up. From special edition to permanent base model, the Fox started life as a unique Polo hatchback, but subsequently appeared as a coupé, both in pre- and post-facelift versions. Here is its story.

POLO FOX
1984: Polo Fox hatchback
The first Polo Fox appeared in June 1984, based on the basic version of the estate car-like Polo hatchback. Marketed with the headline ‘Polo – Fun at a great price. The new Polo Fox.’, it was easy to identify. A choice of two unique colours – Türkisblau and Saimagrün – marked it out as something different.

Both models featured colour-coded steel wheels (white on Türkisblau cars and Saimagrün on Saimagrün versions), special flank and rear hatch ‘Fox’ graphics, while Türkisblau models featured white bumper pinstripes and white badges front and rear. Saimagrün versions meanwhile had Saimagrün rear badges and a similarly-coloured Volkswagen badge on the front grille.

Inside, unique exterior body-coloured padded seats featured imitation leather upholstery and head restraints, and a simple canvas cover for the luggage compartment was fitted. The Fox was powered by the second-generation Polo’s most basic engine, a 1043cc petrol unit, developing 40bhp. The 4.5-inch wheels and 135 SR 13 tyres were driven through a four-speed manual gearbox. Price was DM11.490.

> Read More

Volkswagen UK is playing Santa and has opened its order books today for the new petrol-powered Polo BlueMotion TSI, which will be priced from £14,730. The 1.0-litre TSI emits 94g/km of CO2 and Volkswagen UK quotes a 68.9mpg combined cycle economy figure.

Traditionally a model with an eco mindset, the new Polo BlueMotion TSI marks the first time the car has been available with a petrol engine. The newly-engineered three-cylinder unit has 94bhp with maximum torque of 160lb ft (118Nm) produced between 1500-3500rpm.

Drive is through a five-speed manual gearbox, and the Polo BlueMotion will reach 62mph from rest in 10.5 seconds and has a maximum top speed of 119mph. A three-cylinder diesel 74bhp 1.4-litre TDI BlueMotion version is also available, returning 91.1 mpg and emitting 82g/km of CO2.

Polo BlueMotion models are based on the S trim level, and add a special styling pack consisting of uniquely-shaped front and rear bumpers, side skirts and rear roof spoiler. A faired-in radiator grille, body-coloured door handles, and body-coloured door mirrors with integrated indicators also differentiate the BlueMotions from other Polos.

Further exterior enhancements include front fog lights with static cornering function, BlueMotion badging, and 15-inch ‘Buenos Aires’ alloy wheels with low rolling resistance tyres.

Inside, there’s a multifunction leather steering wheel, air conditioning, a front centre armrest, touchscreen ‘Composition Media’ infotainment system, cruise control and Volkswagen’s Driver Alert System. The Polo BlueMotion comes with a ‘Think Blue’ trainer, which advises on how to drive in a more economical fashion by analysing journey patterns.

The Polo BlueMotion is available to order now, with first deliveries expected in March 2015. For more information on the Polo BlueMotion and other Polo models, visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

2015 VOLKSWAGEN POLO BLUEMOTION PRICES (UK)
Polo BlueMotion 1.0 TSI 3dr 94bhp 5-spd manual: £14,730
Polo BlueMotion 1.0 TSI 5dr 94bhp 5-spd manual: £15,360
Polo BlueMotion 1.4 TDI 3dr 74bhp 5-spd manual: £15,795
Polo BlueMotion 1.4 TDI 3dr 74bhp 5-spd manual: £16,425

The Volkswagen Polo R-Cup India 2014 came to an exciting and dramatic end on the weekend of 13-14 December, with Karthik Tharani crowned this season’s champion. The 20 year-old student took the spoils at the Formula 1 Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, ahead of Karminder Pal Singh who led the driver rankings before the championship finale.

Tharani was 70 points behind Singh at the start of the last round, but narrowed the gap between his compatriot, thanks to two race wins by the end of day one. Going into day two, Singh was leading by only 33 points. Race finishing positions of third, fourth and seventh were not enough for him to keep his championship lead.

Indian national karting champion Ameya Bafna triumphed in the second and third races ahead of Tharani, but was ineligible for points. Tharani therefore collected the full set of points for the victory as he came home in second place, helping him overturn Singh in the driver rankings.

As is usual in Polo racing, the last round of the Volkswagen Polo R-Cup India 2014 championship wasn’t without on-track drama. In race one, Anshul Shah lost control and rolled his car on the very first corner. Race two saw all the racing Polos switch to wet tyres to deal with the drizzly conditions.

Tharani went into a wet race three in pole position, but soon lost the lead to Lee Keshav. Tharani overcame Keshav, though, to clinch back the lead with Bafna following close behind at the head of the chasing pack. As the pair headed into turn three on the last lap, they were side-by-side with Bafna taking the inside line. Tharani ultimately lost the lead, but his job was done and the championship title was his.

Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, Sirish Vissa, said: ‘Karthik has shown excellent pace throughout the season and this weekend was just perfect for him. With 180 points scored in the three races of Round 4, he has proved to be the best of the lot and rightfully deserves to be the champion.’

Tharani meanwhile was pleased with his result: ‘I came to the last round of the season determined to put up the best show and with a win and a second place yesterday, I was even more motivated for today’s race. Ameya and I had a good battle on the last lap but he proved to be the better one.

‘Nonetheless, I was happy to earn the most important points which helped me lift the championship today. I would like to thank Volkswagen Motorsport India for giving us all a truly international racing platform and developing us throughout the season.’

Volkswagen Motorsport India runs the Volkswagen Polo R-Cup India 2014 series in conjunction with JK Tyres. The field of young largely Indian racers drive identical and centrally-prepared 1.4-litre TSI-engined, 178bhp Polo R-Cup cars.

JK TYRE VOLKSWAGEN POLO R-CUP INDIA 2014,

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Karthik Tharani, 358
2 Karminder Pal Singh, 347
3 = Bonnie Thomas, 296
3 = Anindith Reddy, 296

It’s official, the UK-bound new-for-2015 Polo GTI range will start at £18,850 when deliveries begin in March next year. With order books now open, the heavily revised version of the range-topping performance Polo will be available with three or five doors, and a choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG gearboxes.

The Polo GTI will cost £18,850 RRP OTR for the three-door manual with a £630 premium for five doors and an extra £1245 for the DSG gearbox. The most expensive version, the five-door seven-speed DSG, will be £20,725.

The New Polo GTI had its debut at the 2014 Paris motor show in October. Powered by a new 1.8-litre TSI turbocharged engine developing 189bhp (11bhp over the pre-refresh model), the new hot shot Polo can sprint to 62mph from rest in 6.7 seconds and tops out at 146mph.

The engine delivers its power between 4200-6200rpm (manual, 5400-6200rpm DSG) and records torque outputs of 236lb ft/320Nm (manual) at 1450-4200rpm. The DSG-equipped car is a little down on pulling power due to the limitations of the semi-automated gearbox, but is still capable of 184lb ft/250Nm at 1250-5300rpm.

Power and parsimony
But with that power comes new-found parsimony: Volkswagen quotes an economy figure of 50.4mpg for the new Polo GTI and emissions of only 129g/km (manual, 47.1mpg and 139g/km for the DSG version).

Completing the new Polo GTI’s technical make-up is a £245 ‘Sport Performance Pack’, which includes Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) switchable dampers. Sportier steering feel, sharper accelerator response and increased engine noise thanks to an in-car actuator are also part of the optional package.

The 2015 Polo GTI is also fitted with ESC Sport, which like the Golf GTI, enables the electronic stability control system to be switched off for use on the track. Working in two stages, first the traction control is switched off, then ESC Sport is activated which increases the ESC threshold and delays intervention (without ESC being completely deactivated).

Another Golf GTI feature is XDS+. Standard on the Polo GTI, XDS compensates for the understeer which is typical of front-wheel drive cars, meaning driving characteristics are more precise and neutral. Volkswagen has much confidence in the handling of the new car, and officially presented it to the press at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in Spain.

GTI styling flourishes
As is de rigueur for sports Volkswagens, the Polo GTI boasts specific GTI styling flourishes. New bumpers, GTI badges, 17-inch ‘Parabolica’ alloy wheels and red strips which frame the honeycomb grille and extended into the headlights all feature. Lowered suspension (front 10mm, rear 15mm) is also standard.

LED headlamps make their debut on a Polo, while ‘Dark Red’ tinted rear lights, a larger roof spoiler, black grained diffuser and dual chrome exhaust pipes signify to other drivers that they are following the newest version of the Polo GTI.

Inside, the black and red theme continues. A leather three-spoke sports steering wheel with ‘GTI’ logo and red stitching nod to the Golf GTI, as do the red-edged floor mats. The chequered ‘Clark’-trimmed cloth seats with black bolsters have been a GTI styling touch since the first Golf GTI in 1976.

2015 VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI PRICES (UK)
Polo GTI 1.8 3dr 189bhp 6-spd manual: £18,850
Polo GTI 1.8 5dr 189bhp 6-spd manual: £19,480
Polo GTI 1.8 3dr 189bhp 7-spd DSG: £20,095
Polo GTI 1.8 5dr 189bhp 7-spd DSG: £20,725

For more details, visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

The Polo R WRC may have finished competitive duties for 2014, but a series of promotional activities has ensured Volkswagen’s World Rally Championship-winning car has remained in the public’s consciousness, no doubt increasing the visibility of the VW brand.

‘Wetten, dass..?’ parkhaus challenge
Last weekend, more than nine million viewers of German TV show ‘Wetten, dass..?’ (‘You Bet’) watched the reigning World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier compete against a climber in a timed ascent and descent of a multi-storey car park or ‘parkhaus’.

TV channel ZDF said goodbye to the long-running programme in some style as Ogier’s 300bhp Polo R WRC blared, slid, and slithered up and down the car park’s damp access ramps and rooftop.

Jakob Vöckler challenged Ogier to the duel, claiming he could climb up and down the exterior of the car park faster than the Frenchman who was driving his rally Polo inside the building.

The climber from Munich was faster in the end, Ogier not quite being able to guide the Polo through the serpentine car park fast enough. ‘Congratulations to Jakob. It was something new driving through a multi-storey car park to win a bet and was enormous fun,’ commented the Volkswagen driver.

Barcelona taxi ride

Ogier has been busy showing of the rally Polo in the mountains above Montserrat in Barcelona, too. Brazilian striker Neymar Jr, of FC Barcelona football club donned VW Motorsport overalls to be co-driver for the French rally driver.

Or at least that was the plan. Ogier’s extreme driving style quickly rendered him useless. Seeing the football player is unable to cope, Ogier instructs him to lose his ‘pace notes’ and ‘Just sit back and enjoy the ride’.

Unashamedly a promotional video for one of Volkwagen’s motorsport partners, Red Bull, it does show the Polo R WRC to dramatic and aggressive effect.

Award ceremonies

The Polo R WRC has also been to International Automobile Federation (FIA) Prize-Giving Gala in Doha where Volkswagen was presented with the trophies for the 2014 Manufacturer, Driver and Co-Driver titles in the FIA World Rally Championship.

The car and Sébastien Ogier were also among the prizewinners at the 2014 Autosport Awards in London. Readers of the UK magazine voted the Polo R WRC the ‘Rally Car of the Year’, while Ogier won the ‘International Rally Driver of the Year’ title.