PoloDriver

Safety has long been a Volkswagen trademark which the Polo has promoted to good effect, and the latest sixth-generation Polo has been named the ‘Safe Car of the Year’ at the inaugural FirstCar Awards. Held at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London, the FirstCar prize comes after safety experts at Euro NCAP awarded the new Polo a five star rating, where it scored the highest values among its rivals.

David Motton, Editor of FirstCar, a publication and website aimed at new drivers, said at the prestigious ceremony, ‘The Volkswagen Polo brings big-car safety standards to the supermini market. It has earned a five-star rating from the safety experts at Euro NCAP, achieving the highest score for any car in its class.

‘An extremely safe choice’
‘We’re delighted that so much safety equipment and driver assistance technologies are included as standard, including City Emergency Braking (Volkswagen’s autonomous emergency braking system) which is standard across all Polo models. Good all-round visibility also helps make the Polo an extremely safe choice for new drivers’, he continued.

The latest and biggest Polo ever has also gained notable recognition from other corners, too. Last month at the New York International Auto Show, Volkswagen’s top-selling supermini was presented with the trophy for ‘World Urban Car’ as part of the World Car of the Year awards.

New engines, sharper design
The sixth-generation Polo focuses on increases in cabin and luggage space within larger external dimensions alongside the debut of new engines, a sharper design, new ‘big car’ assistance systems, the debut of a new series of infotainment systems and the global arrival of the second generation of Volkswagen’s Active Info Display.

More than 1.4 million drivers in the UK have bought a Polo over the last 42 years, and the new car reflects a new level for assistance systems in the supermini segment. Technologies such as City Emergency Braking with new Pedestrian Monitoring function, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Blind Spot Detection significantly make the sixth-generation car the safest Polo ever.

Priced from £13,860, the new Polo is on sale now. For more details, including brochures and pricing and Volkswagen’s online configurator, please visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

The Volkswagen Connect DataPlug and smartphone app-based connectivity system is now standard on all new Polo and Up models. It allows drivers to access a range of information about their car and journeys, and was launched in the UK during 2017. The system can be retro-fitted free of charge on Volkswagens built after 2007.

Used with the Volkswagen ID personal digital account, the system has already been installed in tens of thousands of cars, and offers many of the benefits of Volkswagen’s high-end Car-Net system. The DataPlug and app are linked together via Bluetooth: the car sends the user’s smartphone a burst of information at the end of each journey. Once connected, the driver can interact with their Volkswagen in seven key areas.

Fuel-efficiency tips
The ‘Trips’ function records information about each journey, including the distance driven. Along with the ‘Fuel Monitor’, it gives an accurate journey cost by comparing fuel consumption with the cost of the fuel in the car. The ‘Driving Style’ option can also save drivers money by way of fuel-efficiency tips.

The ‘My Volkswagen’ area can notify of the vehicle’s fuel level, and the likely date of the car’s next service can also be ascertained. The ‘Service Partner’ function automatically alerts when the service is due, and if set up to do so, will also contact the nominated Volkswagen Retailer, who will then call to arrange a service.

If a dashboard warning light is illuminated, the Volkswagen Connect app notify the local VW Retailer, who can then call the driver of the car to discuss the problem. Helpfully, the app will explain in plain English what the warning light means.

Urgent assistance
If more urgent assistance is needed, the Volkswagen Customer Service Centre or a roadside assistance service can be contacted via the ‘Volkswagen Connect Assistance Call’ function, and the location of the car can also be shared if the driver chooses. Elsewhere, ‘The Parking Space’ section of the app records the exact location of the car when it is parked, as well as the exact duration.

The ‘My Challenges’ feature meanwhile is a game that rewards drivers with points, depending on their driving style. Safe and efficient driving tasks can also be accomplished to win virtual trophies, and Volkswagen Connect users can compare their scores with other VW drivers.

The DataPlug can also be transferred from compatible Volkswagen to Volkswagen, a benefit which is also of use for fleets where drivers may have access to more than one Volkswagen vehicle. Volkswagen states that up to 300,000 Volkswagen Connect DataPlugs will be fitted to compatible vehicles in 2018.

Find out more by visiting the Volkswagen Connect pages which have been added to the ‘owners’ section of volkswagen.co.uk.

The Volkswagen Polo has been named as the ‘2018 World Urban Car’ in the 2018 World Car Awards, at a presentation held at the New York International Auto Show. Klaus Bischoff, Head of Volkswagen Design, accepted the sixth-generation Polo’s latest prize.

The Polo was chosen as ‘2018 World Urban Car’ from a shortlist of three – originally eight – which also included the Ford Fiesta and Suzuki Swift. 2018 marks the fifth time Volkswagen has won a World Car gong, in the awards’ 14-year history. The Golf has won twice (2009 and 2013), while the Up and Polo have each won top honours once (2012 and 2010 respectively).

‘One of the most successful compact cars’
‘The whole team at Volkswagen is delighted to have won the 2018 World Urban Car award with the Polo,’ declared Bischoff. ‘With around 17 million units sold, the Polo is one of the most successful compact cars of all time and a pillar of the brand. And the sixth-generation, based on the MQB platform, is even sportier and more grown up than its predecessors.’

The World Urban Car award was introduced in 2017 because it’s an award whose time has come. World Car vice-chairman, Mike Rutherford, commented: ‘Everyday cars in many parts of the world will have to become smaller if road and parking space is to be found for them in increasingly packed towns and cities whose populations are swelling annually.’ Last year’s inaugural World Urban Car winner was the BMW i3 (94Ah).

International jury panel
Vehicles in all World Car award categories are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 82 top-level automotive journalists from 24 countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions worldwide. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors’ ballots.

The Volvo XC60 won the overall 2018 World Car of the Year award. For a list of all the winners and for more details about the awards, visit www.wcoty.com.

The Volkswagen Polo was the most popular car in South Africa during February 2018, according to figures from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA). The launch of the brand new sixth-generation Polo helped bolster registrations to 2,847 units.

A total of 6,247 outgoing and new Polos were also exported from Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory. The traditional South African best-seller, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo – based on the fourth-generation European Polo – was replaced by a new version last month, too, so registrations were down to 2,044 units. But, with the new-generation Vivo being a pared-down version of the outgoing fifth-generation model, you can expect those totals to rise once more.

Staying in South Africa, the latest Polo has claimed Car magazine’s ‘Top 12 Best Buys 2018 – Small Hatchback’ award, with the Polo Vivo and Mazda 2 as runners-up. Other contenders included the Kia Rio, Renault Clio, and Suzuki Baleno. Volkswagen South Africa also scooped the ‘Top 12 Best Buys 2018 – Company of the Year’ award.

The sixth-generation Polo has also collected the Auto Motor und Sport ‘Best Cars 2018 – Sub-Compact Cars’ gong, voted for by readers of the magazine. Over 33 per cent of the category vote went to the small VW. Other Volkswagen winners were the latest versions of the Up and Golf, taking the ‘Best Cars 2018 – Mini Cars’ and ‘Best Cars 2018 – Compact Cars’ category victories respectively. A total of 378 models in eleven categories were on the nominations list to be voted the best cars of 2018.

Following Europe, Brazil, and South Africa, the new sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo lands in Australia next month. Priced from $17,990, the more accomodating MQB-A0-based car is largely the same as the European and South African versions which have already been launched.

Available to order now, the new Polo for Australia is available in Trendline and Comfortline trims, with a special Launch Edition model also offered. Engines are limited to two three-cylinder petrol units – both turbocharged TSIs, with outputs of 70kW / 94bhp (Trendline) and 85kW / 113bhp (Comfortline). The Launch Edition is exclusively available with the 85kW engine. Polo Beats and Polo GTI models will arrive mid-year.

‘Most significant generational change’
Volkswagen Australia states that the Polo represents ‘the most significant generational change to a Volkswagen since the arrival of the class-leading Tiguan SUV two years ago’. ‘Even the entry-level manual Polo 6 features the Golf’s elegant, flat bottomed leather steering wheel with multimedia controls,’ said Ben Wilks, Volkswagen Australia’s General Manager of Product and Marketing.

‘That literal touchpoint is emblematic of the Polo having graduated from its class not only in terms of physical growth, but in sophistication. The Polo 6 is obviously more upmarket than rival cars. We’re talking less than $18,000 for fixtures such as a soft-touch dash top, wide touch screen and dual USB charging ports.

‘Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain standard. In terms of safety there’s autonomous emergency braking, six airbags, stability control, fatigue monitoring and a reversing camera as standard,’ he continued.

Trendline, Comfortline and Launch Edition
The entry Polo Trendline features 15-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows, a leather multifunction steering wheel, a rear view camera, and an 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth / USB / Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Standard safety kit includes front assist with city emergency braking and pedestrian monitoring, driver fatigue detection, and a low tyre pressure indicator. Five-speed manual and seven-speed DSG transmissions are available.

The Polo Comfortline builds on the Trendline’s comprehensive specification and adds 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights / rear view mirror / wipers, a front centre armrest, and ‘Comfort’ cloth upholstery. Launch Edition cars offer 16-inch alloy wheels, dark-tint rear window glass, front fog lights, inductive wireless charging, and tinted tail lights. These ‘85 TSI’ models gain an extra ratio for the manual gearbox.

An optional $1,400 Driver Assistance package can be added to Comfortline and Launch Edition cars and includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and park assist systems, and electrically-folding door mirrors. Five colours – Pure White, Energetic Orange, Limestone Grey Metallic, Reflex Silver and Deep Black Pearl Effect – can be chosen on Trendline and Comfortline models, while all bar Pure White cost an additional $500. Launch Edition new Polos lose the Reflex Silver and Deep Black Pearl Effect options.

Find out more details about the Australian-market new Polo by visiting the Volkswagen Australia website, where ‘runout’ deals on the outgoing fifth-generation Polo can also be found.

2018 VOLKSWAGEN AUSTRALIA NEW POLO: RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICES

Trendline
1.0 TSI 70kW, five-speed manual, 5dr: $17,990
1.0 TSI 70kW, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: $20,490

Comfortline
1.0 TSI 85kW, six-speed manual, 5dr: $19,490
1.0 TSI 85kW, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: $21,990

Launch Edition
1.0 TSI 85kW, six-speed manual, 5dr: $20,490
1.0 TSI 85kW, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: $22,990