Scots VW dealers start new Polo sales 25 | 03 | 2014
SCOTTISH VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS today start selling the new facelifted Polo, with prices starting at £11,100. Unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show, first deliveries of the car are expected to start in July: the range-topping Blue GT is priced £19,715.
Five years after the fifth-generation Polo was launched, this refresh includes an upgraded interior, a number of exterior styling changes, plus a range of new driver-assistance systems.
Externally, the most noticeable styling difference is the new front bumper, which houses larger air ducts. The facelifted Polo also gets a reworked grille. And while the headlights remain the same shape, they are now available with an LED main beam function on upper-end models
Pop round to the rear of the car and you'll spot a subtly restyled bumper with a wider cutout for the number plate. The tail lamps have also been subtly restyled.
There's also a choice of 15-, 16- and 17-inch wheels — depending on the trim — plus a whopping 15 different exterior colours, eight of which VW describes as 'new'.
Inside the new Polo's cabin, it's clear the company has made an effort to raise the perceived quality. There's a new three-spoke steering wheel, revised centre console with new controls for the air-conditioning, altered instrument graphics, plus the choice of either a 5.0- or 6.5-inch touchscreen monitor, and a range of optional infotainment features. And just for good measure, there's also a new rear camera to ease parking … just what you need for such a 'big' car.
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Without question though, the most significant changes take place under the bonnet where the three- and four-cylinder engines have been significantly updated or replaced by more contemporary units boasting improved performance and economy.
One of the stars of the new engine line-up is the 89bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine found in the new Polo BlueMotion TSI. The first petrol-powered VW to wear the BlueMotion badge, VW says it returns 8.9mpg and 94g/km, a significant improvement on the 57.7mpg and 113g/km of its predecessor. But this model won't appear until closer to the end of the year.
Elsewhere in the reworked petrol range, the entry-level 59bhp 1.2 three-cylinder multi-point injected unit gets a 21% improvement in consumption, now up to 61.4mpg and 106g/km. Much of that is due to the incorporation of a new stop/start function and brake-energy recuperation. The same engine is now also offered in 74bhp guise, which is up by 5bhp on its predecessor.
And while there are also two updated turbocharged 1.2 three-cylinder TSI units with 89bhp and 108bhp, the 1.4 four-cylinder with cylinder-on-demand technology in the Polo Blue GT gains 10bhp, taking it from 138bhp to 148bhp. Sitting proudly at the top of the new line-up is a more powerful version of the standard 1.4 four-cylinder in the Polo GTI developing 189bhp, up 12bhp on its predecessor.
If you prefer a diesel Polo, there's a new trio of three-cylinder units producing 74bhp, 89bhp and 104bhp respectively. These replace the previous 90bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder and the 89bhp and 104bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder diesel models.
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According to VW, the new diesels are significantly smoother and more flexible than the previous engines. The car manufacturer also says the 74bhp unit in the TDI BlueMotion model delivers 88.3mpg and 82g/km.
Buyers can choose between a standard five or six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, depending on which model they buy.
And while VW has improved the handling on the facelifted Polo — by introducing an optional Sport Select suspension with two levels of damping stiffness along with a new electro-mechanical steering system — the newcomer also receives a range of new driver assistance and safety systems.
A number of these are very clever, most noticeably the adaptive cruise control radar-controlled distance control which operates between 18mph and 100mph, plus a city emergency braking function with automatic braking at speeds below 18mph. There's also a post collision braking system that automatically stops the car after a heavy impact, and a fatigue monitoring system.
And even in standard trim, the new Polo is well equipped: it includes the new 5.0-inch touchscreen, DAB radio, and a height-adjustable driver's seat. Step up to SE and you add 15in alloys, chrome exterior trim, air-con, a trim computer and the larger infotainment screen. The SE Design gets 16in alloys and new interior trim, while the SEL also adds front fog lights, front and rear parking sensors and a central armrest.
The range-topping Blue GT —
At the top of the range sits the Blue GT, which comes with 17in alloyss, lower sports suspension, sports seats and an electronic differential.
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Jim McGill