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Volkswagen finally pulled the covers off the T-Cross, its widely-teased new Polo-based SUV in a triumvirate of locations today. Reveals were staged in Amsterdam, São Paulo and Shanghai, underlining how important the car is. The final member of Volkswagen’s SUV family, the T-Cross offers the tall driving position and versatility of a crossover, but in a near Polo-sized package.

A new departure
Taking elements from the T-Roc, the T-Cross is both taller and bluffer than the Polo, but carries through elements of the small car’s styling, such as the ‘Tornado’ line which runs along the side panels. Frontally, the new Volkswagen SUV styling is clear, while the rear features a new full-width light bar. A new departure for VW styling, it looks great, even if it does evoke similarities of the 1990s SEAT Ibiza and Cordoba in execution. But hey, that’s no bad thing! One of the new car’s key sales messages is individuality, and a wide range of design packs will be available for owners to personalise their T-Cross to their own tastes.

A wheelbase of 2.56 metres – virtually identical to the sixth-generation Polo on which its based – pushes the wheels out to the corners. Inside, there’s between 385 and 455 litres of luggage space (a minimum of 34 litres more than the Polo) thanks to a sliding rear bench seat which moves fore and aft by 14cm. Total carrying volume with the rear seats folded flat is 1,281 litres, while total length is 4.11 metres: the Polo runs the rule at 4.05m. The cabin features the same high infotainment horizontal axis layout as the Polo.

Set new standards
Volkswagen is bullish that the T-Cross will set new standards in the compact crossover / SUV class, especially when it comes to connectivity, economy, flexibility, practicality, style and versatility. No four-wheel drive model is planned, the front-wheel drive car sharing its platform with the MQB-based Polo. The Polo also donates its engines, too, the three petrol and single diesel units already seen in the small VW.

The T-Cross range starts with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged TSI engine developing 94bhp, moves through a 113bhp unit with the same capacity, rising to a four-cylinder 1.5 TSI with 147bhp, the same unit as seen in the seventh-generation Golf. A four-cylinder 1.6 TDI diesel will also be available with 94bhp. All comply with Euro 6 emission standards and the petrol units also feature particulate filters.

Key characteristic
Safety is a key T-Cross characteristic with standard equipment including numerous driver assistance systems, previously reserved for higher vehicle classes. Front assist area and pedestrian monitoring systems are fitted, along with a City Emergency Braking system, lane keeping and hill start assistants, as well as blind spot detection. Park, rear traffic and driver alert systems will also be available as will automatic adaptive cruise control. Inside, smartphones can be charged inductively, and with up to four USB ports, digital convenience is also a T-Cross selling point.

Sales of the Polo-based crossover are expected to start in Spring 2019, with UK prices forecast to start at around £17,000 for the entry-level S model. While not confirmed, trim levels should echo other Volkswagen models, rising through SE and topping off with R-Line (an R-Line-bedecked T-Cross was premiered at the Amsterdam reveal). For more details and to stay informed with the latest news on the new Volkswagen T-Cross as it arrives in the UK, visit the dedicated page on the Volkswagen UK website.

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Our friends at Indian Autos Blog have reported that Volkswagen Argentina has launched a revised version of the Polo Sedan, but only with a petrol engine. The Argentina Polo notchback is the same as the revised versions of the Polo Sedan in Russia and South Africa, as well as the Indian-built Volkswagen Vento. In fact, the Argentinian cars roll out of the same Indian plant in Pune where its Vento sister is produced.

1.6-litre, 103bhp engine
Premiered in Buenos Aires earlier in the year, the Polo Sedan for Argentina has a 1.6-litre, 103bhp engine with peak power produced at 5250rpm. Peak torque of 112lb ft (153Nm) of torque comes in at 3750rpm. Both six-speed manual and five-speed automatic gearbox options are available. Manual versions have a top speed of 116mph.

Standard equipment is high and includes ABS, Bluetooth connectivity, climate control, cruise control, dual airbags, electric windows, Isofix child seat mounts and an RCD 320G CD/MP3/USB/SD music system. Fifteen-inch alloy wheels are also fitted. Prices start at ARS 237,600 for the Comfortline manual, and rise to ARS 251,400 for the automatic version.

[Source: Indian Autos Blog]

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Volkswagen South Africa has announced launched a revised version of the Polo Sedan. Now offered with a 3-year/45,000km service plan as standard, the four-door notchback Polo gets the same updated face as the technically and visually-similar Indian-market Vento and Polo Sedan sold in Russia.

Redesigned exterior elements
On the outside, redesigned lighting elements as well as front and rear bumpers mark out the new model. Higher-specification and more upmarket Comfortline variants also receive chrome accents on the door handles, lower front grille, boot lid and rear bumper.

Trendline versions gain colour-coded door mirror caps and door handles, while all versions now gain indicator tuning signals in the mirrors themselves. Four new colours – Carbon Steel Metallic, Night Blue Metallic, Titanium Beige Metallic and Toffee Brown Metallic – have also been added to the Polo Sedan’s colour palette.

Rear park distance control
Inside, new seat trims, a flat-bottomed multifunction steering wheel and new radios play starring roles. Extra kit now includes optional features such as rear park distance control, while Comfortline models can be specified with a rain sensor with auto-dimming interior mirror and are fitted with cruise control as standard.

In a move which again echoes the revised Vento, the previous 77kW 1.6-litre TDI has been replaced with a 1.5-litre version with the same power. The previous 63kW 1.4-litre and 77kW petrol engines are the same as before. The new Polo Sedan also comes with 3-year/120,000km and 12-year anti-corrosion warranties. Volkswagen South Africa quotes service intervals of 15,000km.

For more details on the new Polo Sedan for South Africa, visit www.vw.co.za.

2015 VOLKSWAGEN POLO SEDAN (ZA) PRICES
1.4-litre 63kW (84bhp) Trendline: R189,900
1.4-litre 63kW (84bhp) Comfortline: R207,900
1.6-litre 77kW (103bhp) Trendline: R204,900
1.6-litre 77kW (103bhp) Comfortline: R219,900
1.6-litre 77kW (103bhp) Comfortline Tiptronic: R234,900
1.5-litre TDI 77kW (103bhp) Comfortline: R247,200

(All quoted prices include VAT and CO2 emissions tax.)

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The petrol-powered version of the latest Polo BlueMotion has gone on sale in South Africa. The first Volkswagen BlueMotion model with a TSI engine, the 97g/km Polo BlueMotion TSI officially achieves 4.2l/100km (67.2mpg), as opposed to the standard 1.2-litre TSI model with 57.6mpg. Volkswagen South Africa claims it tops the class for fuel consumption.

1.0-litre, 94bhp engine
The same as other versions worldwide, the new Polo BlueMotion TSI for South Africa has a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine which develops 70kW (94bhp) and can reach a top speed of 191km/h (118mph). Maximum torque of 160Nm (118lb ft) is available from 1500rpm up to 3500rpm. Maximum power is reached between 5000 and 5500rpm. The Polo BlueMotion TSI reaches 62mph from rest in 10.5 seconds.

A lowered ride height, rear spoiler, underbody aero-package and faired in front radiator grille are features carried over from the previous Polo BlueMotion. The latest car also shares its low rolling resistance tyres and longer gear ratios with its predecessor. A stop/start system is standard along with a regenerative braking function and a gear change indicator which informs of the optimum shift times.

Equipment highlights
Equipment highlights include – stylish and one of best rims available for the current Polo in our opinion – 15-inch ‘Buenos Aires’ alloy wheels, a six-speaker Radio Composition Colour touchscreen infotainment system with MP3/SD/USB/Bluetooth connectivity options. Volkswagen’s latest Automatic Post-Collision Braking (standard) and Driver Alert (optional) systems are also available.

Priced at R235,800, the new Polo BlueMotion TSI can be specified with bi-xenon headlights allied to LED daytime running lights, while cruise control is fitted as standard. Head over to the Polo pages of Volkswagen South Africa’s website to find out more.

New Polo TDI engines
Volkswagen South Africa has also announced the addition of two new common rail 1.4-litre TDI engines, which replace the 1.6-litre units used previously (and which are possibly part of the current worldwide ‘Dieselgate’ EA189 emissions scandal). Both offer improved engine acoustics and less vibration than their predecessors.

Two power outputs are available, 55kW (74bhp) and 77kW (103bhp). The 55kW unit develops 210Nm (155lb ft) of torque from 1500rpm, while maximum power is reached between 3000-3750rpm. Top speed is 173km/h (107mph) and the 0-62mph dash is reached in 12.9 seconds. It is only available in Trendline trim.

The more powerful 75kW version is offered to buyers choosing Highline and Cross (CrossPolo) trims. Torque of 250Nm (184lb ft) is available from a 55kW version-matching 1500rpm. Top speed is 194km/h while the Polo 1.4 TDI 77kW gets to 62mph from rest in 9.9 seconds. As with the 55kW variant, CO2 is 108g/km and fuel economy is a claimed 68.8mpg.

The Polo 1.4 TDI 55kW Trendline is priced at R223,500, with the 1.4 TDI 77kW Highline at R252,000. The 1.4 TDI 77kW CrossPolo costs R260,000. As standard, the new Polo comes with a 3-year/45,000km Service Plan, a 3-year/120,000km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service intervals are 15,000km. The two new diesel and BlueMotion TSI models complete the South African range which includes the range-topping GTI.

THE POLO IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Polo first came to South Africa in October 1996, and sat between the Citi Golf and Golf in the model line-up. A booted sedan/saloon model, it was based on the contemporary SEAT Cordoba. A hatchback version, the Polo Playa, joined it in July 1998 and was similarly based on another SEAT, the Ibiza.

October 2002 saw the all-new Polo 9N hit South African shores, and promptly won the 2003 South African Car of the Year title. It was joined by a notchback Polo Classic saloon version in March of that year.

The fifth-generation Polo was launched in South Africa in 2010. The hatchback and saloon range has has consistently been the second best-selling car in the country. The best-selling model in South Africa since 2010 has been the Polo’s sibling, the Polo Vivo which was also launched in the same year to replace the Citi Golf.

The Polo has sold over 14 million units and is now available worldwide. The factory in Uitenhage is one of the two plants in the Volkswagen production network that assembles the Polo hatchback. In South Africa, the Polo is produced for both the local and export markets.

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Following last year’s Polo hatchback refresh, Volkswagen Russia and India have unveiled new versions of their respective Polo Sedan and Vento saloon models. Based on the fifth-generation Polo hatchback, both cars are effectively the same and feature exterior and interior enhancements.

More presence
A new Passat-esque front grille makes more of an impression at the front of the car, while reprofiled headlamps (bi-xenon and LED on the Russian car) and a more muscular-looking bumper with chrome flourishes add more presence.

The rear receives a new bumper, too, while the tail lamps also undergo minor surgery with LED inserts. New alloy wheel designs finish off the exterior revamp, while inside a new three-spoke steering wheel, centre console and upholstery mark out the new models.

The Polo Sedan’s engine range is unchanged, with a 1.6-litre engine in 84bhp and 103bhp states of tune providing the motive power. Five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearboxes (the Vento has one more ratio) are once again available.

Increased fuel efficiency
The Indian-made Vento meanwhile gets a choice of 103bhp 1.2-litre TSI and 1.6-litre petrol engines, as well as a locally-assembled 103bhp 1.5 TDI unit. Fuel consumption is said to be increased by 7.5 per cent.

Russian and Indian cars come in the traditional Volkswagen European Trendline, Comfortline and Highline trim levels. Standard kit includes air-conditioning, electric windows, central locking and front airbags. Indian cars receive a chilled glovebox, cruise control, as well as electrically-folding mirrors.

On sale later this month, the Polo Sedan will be built at VW’s Kaluga factory for the local market. The refreshed Vento will be manufactured at Volkswagen India’s Pune plant for domestic consumption. We assume the similar South African Polo Saloon will undergo the same raft of changes very soon.

[Source: Indian Autos Blog]

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