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UK new car registrations continue to fall, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The market is down 8.9% compared to 2009, but when compared to the same period last year, the SMMT states that the volumes sold are actually 16.3% ahead. And while the Polo may have dropped from the monthly list of UK top 10 best-sellers for the first time since January 2010 (we suspect that the delivery delays being reported have a part to play), it stands firm when volumes are calculated for the year-to-date, sitting in sixth place with 36,290 units sold. The Ford Fiesta is still the top-selling supermini, with 19,078 cars sold in September 2010, while the Vauxhall Corsa takes the runner-up place, with 14,249 vehicles finding UK homes. The UK’s top 10 best-selling cars (number of units sold) for 2010 year-to-date are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 85,941
2 Vauxhall Astra: 66,104
3 Vauxhall Corsa: 65,396
4 Ford Focus: 64,548
5 Volkswagen Golf: 44,399
6 Volkswagen Polo: 36,290
7 Peugeot 207: 34,798
8 Mini: 32,376
9 BMW 3 Series: 31,698
10 Nissan Qashqai: 30,477

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Over the weekend of 26-27 September the Volkswagen Polo Cup India 2010 made its debut at the Irungattukottai race track in Chennai. Championship leader Sailesh Bolisetti from Vishakapatnam, thrilled spectators to win the first race of Round 4, with local hero Vikash Anand taking second position ahead of Parth Ghorpade. Bolisetti completed the race in 25 minutes and 35 seconds to win his fourth race of the season. Pole sitter Vishnu Prasad jumped into the lead at the start and had an eight second lead over Bolisetti before he retired on lap 5. Ghorpade meanwhile put on an impressive display to win the second race, while Mumbai driver Mohammed Fahad Kutty finished in second position ahead of Imran Majid. Ghorpade completed the 3.717km race in 25:13.862 to win his second race of the season.

‘This was a really tough race and I am really happy to win here. The conditions were tough and I was not prepared to take any risks. I had to defend for the last 5 laps but am very happy with my performance today,’ Bolisetti commented on his first race win. Second placed Anand was equally pleased. ‘It feels great to come second in the inaugural race in Chennai, my hometown. It was a close battle with Sailesh and I had a chance or two to overtake him, but it didn’t work out.’ Prithviraj Siddappa, Head of Motorsports, Volkswagen India said, ‘It feels good to have our first race in Chennai. The whole team has had a really tough weekend with the changing weather conditions. Hats off to the mechanics for being quick with the tyre changes and getting the cars ready on time.’

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Not for the first time, the Polo Vivo held onto its best-selling car in South Africa crown last month, despite a 10.5% decrease in passenger car sales being reported which is also mentioned in various car reviews too. A total of 29,993 new cars were sold in the country, a 26% increase on September 2009. Volkswagen South Africa’s entry-level Polo Vivo sold 1939 units, while both it and the fifth-generation New Polo produced at the company’s Uitenhage factory faced build delays, attributed to strikes by motor industry component supplier workers.

‘Despite significant stock shortages as a result of recent industry wide strikes, the Polo Vivo range continued to dominate the entry segment with sales of 1,939 units,’ said Mike Glendinning, Volkswagen Group South Africa Sales and Marketing Director. ‘Supply of both the new Polo and Polo Vivo ranges, manufactured in our Uitenhage plant, was adversely impacted by the prolonged industry strikes. While down on what was an exceptionally buoyant month of new passenger car sales in August, the September new passenger car market performed well, supported by seasonally strong demand from rental car companies.’

The Polo Vivo, which was launched in March 2010 as an entry-level model for the South African market. Available as both a hatchback and saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre units, two trim levels are available: base and Trendline. Costing from R104,065 for the most basic 1.4 model, the Polo Vivo is based on the facelifted version of the Series 4 Polo, built from 2005 to 2009. Changes include front and rear bumpers, as well as a revised front grille and other minor bodywork revisions.

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Back in 1979, the Polo GLS was top of Volkswagen’s baby car tree and was quite the luxurious supermini. With chrome trim embellishments and polished hubcaps, the GLS certainly looked more upmarket than its N and L brothers, and Volkswagen claimed it offered ‘a bit more power and a little more style.’ Dan Higgins must have thought so, too, as his plans for modding this particular flawless example soon took a back seat. We caught up with him at the Stanford Hall 2010 event, where he told us his part in PLM 686W’s story

Dan Higgins has been the proud owner of this concours clean 1980 Series 1 Polo GLS for almost two-and-a-half years. Totally standard and original from its polished hubcaps to its dealer sticker in the rear window, the car has just covered over 22,000 miles in 30 years. It very nearly didn’t stay a remarkably unmolested piece of Polo history, though; when he bought the car in November 2008, Dan had all sorts of Euro-look plans brewing, including taking the car to the deck on a set of 13” rims. But, he couldn’t bear to do anything to it. ‘I soon came to realise that this wasn’t going to happen, I just couldn’t do it. The car was immaculate and it would have been a shame to alter such a great example. With the car being in flawless original condition and with only 16,000 miles on the clock, I know I wouldn’t have made many friends if I would have begun to alter the car in the slightest,’ he says.

[Click ‘Read More’ below for gallery of pictures at end of post.]

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Hot on the heels of our story from yesterday about the first customer Polo GTI in the country landing, we’re pleased to report that Volkswagen has finally updated the UK Polo brochure to include the latest fifth-generation Polo-based GTI. It’s been in European catalogues since the early summer, so we’re pleased that at last, it is properly included as part of the UK range. The company bills it as ‘the most exhilarating Polo to date,’ and it’s certainly the most powerful, its 1.4-litre, 178bhp engine punting it to 62mph from rest in a claimed 6.9 seconds. Volkswagen also states that the new performance Polo is the ‘most stylish and dynamic Polo we’ve ever built.’ Available online, we don’t know if the printed version of the UK Polo brochure has been updated to reflect the broadening of the range. And while it’s still not quite the standalone catalogue that is available in many European markets, its still big news. Download here.

[Thanks to Court for the tip.]

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