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The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen have released images of its new fifth generation Polo ahead of its reveal at the Geneva Auto Salon. Visually, at least, this is a big step forward for what is fast becoming a baby Golf. The exterior looks better than the outgoing model, although, perhaps the rear tail light treatment lets the new car down a bit.

However, it is inside where the biggest advances have been made. The new Polo interior is Golf-like in its level of appointment and detail, and you can see this car attracting a number of new buyers to the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen has pushed the safety aspect of the new Polo with ESP standard across the range. The car has been designed, from the ground up, with the 5-star NCAP criteria in mind, which has recently been made more difficult to achieve.

Usual TSI and TDI four cylinder engine offerings will be available in the new Polo, including a 77kW 1.2 TSI turbo powered petrol engine that uses just 5.5 litres of fuel per 100km, and emits a low 129g of CO2 per kilometre. Bettering those figures, and by some margin, is the BlueMotion Polo, equipped with a 66kW 1.6l TDI, which uses a meagre 3.8 litres of diesel per 100km with a CO2 figure of 96g/km. Volkswagen claim this is the most efficient five-seat diesel powered car in the world.

Continuing Volkswagen’s faith in dual clutch transmission technology the new Polo will a offer 7-speed DSG option.

Production of the new Polo starts this month with a European market release scheduled for June. And, judging by these new pics, the Polo GTI guess looks pretty close to the mark, as well.

UPDATE: Volkswagen Australia is saying the new Polo should be on our shores in early 2010.

UPDATE 6 April 2010: Over 25 new images added at end of article.

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

To the point: The new Polo

  • The new Polo is one of the safest cars worldwide;
  • Polo’s TDI and TSI engines noticeably reduce fuel costs

Wolfsburg / Geneva, 02 March 2009 – No other car in this class has such a mature and high-end image as the new Polo. Comfort, quality and safety have all taken a considerable leap forward. One example: the Polo was specifically designed to attain the recently established, stricter and more comprehensive, 5-star EuroNCAP rating. The higher structural rigidity of the Polo’s bodyshell contributes to these results. In the footwell area alone, intrusion – related to the car body’s deformation strength in a frontal crash – was lowered by 50 percent! In the case of a side impact, the intrusion value was reduced by 20 percent.

Standard equipment for safety

In addition, the European version of the Polo now being presented is equipped with standard ESP electronic stabilization program with Hill Hold Control, and it has a highly effective network of airbags on board, including combined head-thorax airbags (integrated in the front seatbacks), belt tensioners and belt force limiters plus seatbelt warning indicator and head restraints that counteract the risk of whiplash injury (both front seats), three rear head restraints and Isofix child seat preparation.

Weight down, fuel consumption down

Despite significant improvements in all aspects of the car, it was possible to reduce the Polo’s body weight by 7.5 percent. The introduction of new TDI and TSI engines, as well as the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG), has resulted in considerably reduced fuel consumption and emissions over a wide range of engine power outputs. An excellent example here is the new 1.2 TSI. This turbo-charged four-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine produces 77 kW / 105 PS, yet it consumes just 5.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (129 g/km CO2); this is 19 percent less than on the equivalent model of the previous generation!

In total, seven different engines will be offered on the new Polo in its first year – four gasoline and three diesel – spanning a power range from 44 kW / 60 PS to 77 kW / 105 PS. Five of these engines are entirely new or are being used for the first time in the Polo.

The new engines include all three TDIs (turbo-diesel direct-injection); thanks to the implementation for the first time of common rail technology in the Polo, these engines are both efficient and refined. The potential in the new TDI engines is clearly evident in the example of the Polo 1.6 TDI with 66 kW / 90 PS: when combined with a “BlueMotion package”, its average fuel consumption of 3.8 liters per 100 kilometers and 96 g/km CO2 makes it the most fuel efficient and lowest emitting five-seater diesel in the world. The “BlueMotion package” may be combined with any of the three equipment lines developed for the Polo. Available for selection here are the base version “Trendline”, the mid-level “Comfortline” and the top of the line “Highline”.

Individually combinable high-tech features

Options that Polo drivers will be able to order on their new Volkswagen include static turning lights integrated in the front fog lights, (from “Comfortline” up), side curtain airbags (head airbag system for front and rear passengers), radio and radio-navigation systems and integrated hands-free telephone systems. A panorama sunroof and bi-xenon headlights will follow at a later time.

Market launch starts the end of June

Start of production of the five-door Polo is scheduled for the end of March. This will be followed, starting in the last week in June, by the market launch of the visually and technically advanced new edition of the million unit bestseller in Germany. Just two weeks later, thanks to an ambitious logistics plan, Volkswagen will begin selling the car across mainland Europe, and soon Polo engines will be revving up across all continents.
Note:

  • All data and equipment contained in this press release apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries. All information is subject to change or correction.
  • TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies of the Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

18 replies on “The new Volkswagen Polo”

The Fiesta kills this in the looks department. You are right about the rear lights, and the front ones don’t do it any favours either. This must be the first time in recorded history that an Auto Express rendering looks better than the real thing!

Styling aside: pretty impressive, especially the weight loss. GTI should be great.

I don’t mind the appearance at all. Looking forward to seeing the GTI, could be a great option for the ‘new world order’; low consuming & emitting, light weight, fun car. GTD even better…?

This is better than the previous model that has a rear end on it like a cat on heat!

Any goss on interior size increase? Seems much closer to a Mk3 or 4 Golf than previous Polo…

I Have just buy a VW Polo 1.4 i DSG Version Highline (85PS).
I would like to know which kind of lamps have the front lights, the front fog lights,and tail lights,once the instructions manual do not say anything concernig this matter.
Type lamps and power if it is possible.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards
Martinho

Matt,
Time has taken its toll on the Fiesta. Quality has dropped since production was moved and the trendy look of the car is now starting to look like a bad Bonjovi outfit from the 80’s! VW’s Polo still looks classy and it classic styling has not let it down.

I drive a 2007 Fiesta Zetec and it hands down beats the quality and look of the current model. We have a Polo as a second car and it again is a class above the Ford.

Cheers JX

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