PoloDriver

The rumours still persist. Much has been reported about the Polo being sold Stateside, but as of yet, Volkswagen still limits sales of the car to outside the US. But, MotorTrend reports today that the company could be about to enter the subcompact segment ‘in a big way’. The next Polo will be based on Volkswagen’s MQB chassis architecture, which accepts front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and hybrid/electric drivetrains, which will bring production costs down, making the car more marketable. MotorTrend reports that a full-electric version of the Polo will become a reality, closely related to the e-Golf which will launch later this year, and that a Volkswagen spokesman has confirmed the MQB Polo’s US availability.

What guise the car will be seen (if at all) in the US is still up for discussion. US car buyers favour traditionally-styled saloons over hatchbacks, but there’d be no worries for Volkswagen on that score. The Polo Sedan is currently sold in Russia and South Africa (to name but two markets), and is marketed as the Vento in India. With such a successful presence in overseas markets, the availability of a notchback version of the next-generation car is surely not up for discussion. Finally, MotorTrend also states that a small crossover version of the new Polo would be heading to US shores, too, taking on rivals from Ford, Honda, and Kia.

[Source: MotorTrend]

It seems that the Polo GTI my soon have an understudy. Hot on the recent news that the Polo is soon to feature Volkswagen’s cylinder deactivation technology, we’ve heard rumours that the car will debut at next week’s Geneva motor show, alongside the Golf GTI Cabriolet. Featuring a 138bhp (103kW), 1.4-litre engine which shuts off two cylinders under light loads (between 1250 and 4000rpm) reducing fuel consumption, we’ll bring you more news on this potentially exciting and technology-packed new Polo model as soon as details are officially announced.

[Source: Carscoop]

Following preview microsites and information requests from potential buyers, Volkswagen Australia has finally launched the new Polo. The major product push for the Australian arm of the German giant this year, the new advertising campaign focuses on a ‘Followers of no one’ message – the thinking is that the car appeals to individualists – and VW has built a superbly interactive microsite to ensure that message gets into all those non-conformist’s heads. There are directly (fuel economy, performance, style options) and not so directly-related (innovative designers, unusual professions) photos and videos, all of which are accessed by a cleverly rendered Polo which can be ‘driven’ across the screen.

Buyers can even watch the TV spot which accompanies the campaign, by ‘driving’ to that particular on-screen parking space. As off-beat and strange as its parent microsite, the 45-second commercial features four friends driving to a bar, although all isn’t as it first appears. Mutating faces and clothes allied to outer space-type phaser noises give a clue the chaps’ origins. Confirmation from silver shoes pointing to alien descent comes at the end of the spot. Whether it works or not, the ‘For dedicated followers of no one’ commercial is certainly one of the most unusual and creative we’ve seen for the fifth-generation model. The Australian Polo range starts at $19,990 for the five-speed manual Trendline.

‘For dedicated followers of no one’ TV campaign credits
Agency: DDB Sydney
National ECD: Matt Eastwood
Creative Director: Mark Harricks
Creative Team: Paul Sharp & Mike Burdick
Business Management: Scott Thomson & Patrice Bougouin
Strategy: Nick Andrews
Director: Gary Freedman
Photography: Andreas Smetana
Production House: Revolver Film
Media Agency: Mediacom

Following more detailed information and the new photos that were released last week, the 2010 Polo GTI put in an appearance at the massive Wörthersee 2010 performance VW event in Austria over the weekend. Traditionally a springboard for new and official Volkswagen models and concepts, the company and its offshoots have huge motor show-type stands at the show, where they launch all sorts of specially-created for Wörthersee cars. This year, VW itself showed off the Golf GTI Adidas Edition and the Golf GTI Excessive, but of more interest to us, was as official presentation of the new Polo GTI.

On what appears to be larger, polished ‘Denver’ rims (which aren’t in the preliminary sales brochures), the car pictured above is in final production form, following on from last year’s Polo ‘Wörthersee 2009 Concept’ which Volkswagen took to the Austrian meet in 2009. Marketing for the car is really stepping up ahead of its official launch at the end of May; at the Nürburgring 24-hour race, a driving experience campaign supporting the market launch of the Polo GTI also took place, supporting the company’s three-car Scirocco entry. We’ve also seen the first German-language brochures become available in the last few days.

The first in an occasional series on the market launches of the Polo sees us dock in South Africa for the high-tech introduction of the fifth-generation model

When it comes to individual market launches of the fifth-generation Polo, Volkswagen has not so much pushed the marketing boat, but chartered a cruise liner and wined and dined all sorts of industry representatives. In Germany for example, there was a ‘Polo Kongress’ spread over numerous days, while Volkswagen South Africa recently staged a ‘Polo Skylab’ launch event for its retailers and management.

The concept for the new Polo launch there was ‘out of this world’, the company stating that the newcomer’s ‘cutting edge innovation delivers on its promise of being ahead of its time’ and ‘a benchmark in its class.’ That explains the ‘Expect Big Things’ marketing campaign, which some onlookers have described as misguided, because the car has been on sale there for a number of years now.

But, when it came to launching the car on the unsuspecting South African market, the local arm of the German giant thought very big. Taking its cue from space, the Polo Skylab showcased not only the new model’s technological advancements but also the best in cutting edge digital technology. Featuring interactive iBars with touch-sensitive surfaces and 3D Polo visual projections and uTouch screens to navigate through the new Polo’s specifications and brochure, a multimedia experience was guaranteed for all guests.

But that wasn’t all. In addition, augmented reality kiosks used live video to make both 3D components and versions of the new Polo appear from brochures and drive across the pages, while booths housed yet more swirling 3D holograms. The 2010 Polo Skylab launch event was the single largest showcasing of holographic and 3D technology showcased in one South African venue and housed two thirds of such available tech in the world. And there could only be one guest suitable for such a space-inspired theme: Commander Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

[Source: Volkswagen Marketing Communications, South Africa]