PoloDriver

The production version of the new Polo BlueMotion has officially been launched at an International Driving Presentation in Hanover, Germany. Starring alongside new versions of the Golf and Passat BlueMotions, production of the eco-Polo starts early next year. Advance orders will be taken at the end of 2009.

The technical details and headline stats are nothing we didn’t know already. The high-tech BlueMotion Technologies (now a sub-brand in itself) package brings new a new 1.2-litre, 74bhp, three-cylinder common-rail TDI engine, regenerative braking, a Stop-Start system and aerodynamic body changes.

Volkswagen quote metric figures for the new car, meaning that the second-generation Polo BlueMotion will do 3.3 litres per 1000 kilometres. The company claim that this miserly consumption will make the new sip-sip Polo the most economical five-seater in the world. High hopes are also pinned on it being the most economical car in its market.

How achievable that ground-breaking fuel consumption is remains to be seen, but if the figures are possible, then brimming the 45-litre tank should only be needed eight times per year, based on a 11,000 kilometre annual mileage. One tankful should be enough, Volkswagen say, to cover over 1363 kilometres (or 851 miles if you get your calculator out).

The German carmaker quotes that a driver can do the 1148-kilometre journey from Hanover to Venice on a single tankful of fuel, costing only 40 euros (3.5 euros per 100 kilometres). In UK terms, that means approximately 85mpg on the combined cycle, beating its predecessor’s quoted figure of 74mpg by quite some margin.

With 87g/km of CO2, the new Polo BlueMotion should also be one of the least-polluting cars in the world, too – the old model beat even the hybrid Toyota Prius. The technological changes help here, too. Modified engine management software gives a lower idling speed; a gearshift indicator lets you know when to stir the gearbox for maximum efficiency; and low rolling-resistance tyres and aerodynamically-designed wheels help make a smoother passage through the air.

Keep checking back for UK market details – we’ll bring them to you as soon as we have them. But, in the meantime, this story gives us an excuse to post a pair of Volkswagen’s striking press photos. Download one of them as a wallpaper here: 1024px x 768px / 1920px x 1200px.