PoloDriver

A new value-packed version of the Polo has been launched by Volkswagen UK. The Polo United kicks off a range of equipment-rich Volkswagens, and is joined by similarly named editions of the T-Cross and T-Roc SUVs. The trio of new VWs are all distinguished by special exterior and interior items, all of which equate to up to £1,760 of ‘added value’. Each gets bespoke styling, badging and extra kit.

The Polo United is based on the Polo Match and follows a German-market Polo United model which first appeared in January 2020. The Polo Match is already equipped with alloy wheels, App-Connect smartphone mirroring, and leather-trimmed, three-spoke multifunction steering wheels and gear knobs. The Polo United adds bespoke ‘United’ badging and door sill protectors, ‘Dublin’ alloy wheels, voice control and a Winter Pack, consisting of heated front seats and a low washer fluid warning light.

Bespoke interior
The Polo United also includes an 8.0-inch ‘Discover Navigation’ touchscreen infotainment system, a Light and Sight Pack (automatic dimming interior mirror, automatic headlights, manual coming / automatic leaving home lighting function and a rain sensor). Inside, all three models feature bespoke grey and blue seat fabric, brushed stainless steel pedals, decorative interior inserts, as well as front and rear carpet mats.

Two petrol engines are available for the Polo United. The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder 78bhp ‘Evo’ and 93bhp TSI engines are both coupled to five-speed manual gearboxes, with the higher-powered unit benefitting from the option of a seven-speed DSG. The Polo United starts from £17,350, ‘on-the-road’.

Sarah Cox, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen UK, said: ‘The Polo, T-Cross and T-Roc are three integral models in the Volkswagen UK family, and find tens of thousands of happy customers per year. Not only do the United models build upon the champion offering of those models, but they represent considerable value savings, with their affordable pricing and generous equipment boosts. The United editions are united in offering greater value, bigger equipment lists, and an even more enjoyable ownership experience.’

RacingLine Performance has announced details of its new turbo inlet and high-flow filter specially developed for recent Volkswagen Group models fitted with a 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine. The performance components will fit both fifth-generation ‘6C’ Polos from 2014 as well as current, 2017 onwards ‘AW’ models fitted with VW’s three-cylinder, ‘EA211’ 1.0 TSI engine. The Polo-based T-Cross 1.0 TSI SUV will also benefit from the upgrade.

Turbo inlet kit
Compatible with both factory and aftermarket intake boxes, RacingLine’s turbo inlet elbow will complement the company’s upcoming cold air intake, too. Ready to support higher power outputs and even future turbo upgrades, the kit consists of a high-flow turbo silicone inlet hose and a ‘Turbo 90’ inlet. Increased airflow is said to be one benefit, resulting in faster turbo response and a ‘worthwhile’ jump in power.

Made from reinforced, high quality silicone to prevent deformation under boost pressure or heat, a formed lip on the joins of the inlet hose ensures smooth airflow transition. The inlet elbow is manufactured from ultra-thin wall 6061-T6 aluminium, and has a gloss black anodised finish with an enlarged and smoothed internal bore for optimised airflow. RacingLine quotes a combined fitting time for both pieces of just 15 minutes, and has published a handy fitting guide.

High-flow filter
RacingLine’s high-flow filter will fit the same versions of the Polo 1.0 TSI as the turbo inlet kit. The triple-layer filter is handmade in the UK from Trifoam to OEM standards of design, materials and quality for improved, higher air flow, as well as economy and power gains. Removing the restrictions imposed by the factory paper filter, RacingLine quotes increases in mid-range power, without damaging any remaining manufacturer’s warranty.

RACINGLINE HISTORY
Originally formed in 1997, RacingLine was originally named Volkswagen Motorsport UK, and was fully owned by the Volkswagen Group in Germany. Competing in the 1990s British Rally Championship, the company raced a 285bhp third-generation Golf ‘Kit Car’, and won the 1997 series. In 1999 the fourth-generation Golf ‘Kit Car’ brought a second place in the British Rally Championship, and in 2000, a TDI version was the first diesel rally car in the series.

In 2001, RacingLine focused its efforts on the new Super 1600 category, with the Volkswagen Motorsport-built Polo GTI S1600 fitted with a high-revving Lehmann engine. Rebranded as Volkswagen Racing, the team took second place in the rallying championship. In 2002, the Volkswagen Racing Cup Championship had its inaugural season and the inclusion of a Golf 1.9 TDI racer was unusual. So unusual in fact, the car’s first win at Thruxton entered the record books, claiming the world’s first ever victory in a sprint race format for a diesel car. A Caddy van racer replaced the Golf in 2004, and followed a Polo-based Caddy circuit machine, the first racing van which debuted in 2002. A fifth-generation Golf TDI racer was also the first of its kind, and the team switched to a GTI in 2005.

Fast forward to 2013, and the UK’s first Golf R was upgraded with every applicable RacingLine part to become a circuit safety car to support the British GT Championship, and in 2016 an Audi R8 24-hour race car joined the fleet. In a partnership to take on the World Time Attack world finals in Australia, another R8 followed, this time a twin-turbo V10 with over 1,200bhp! At the same time, RacingLine partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport, Audi Sport and SEAT Sport for race car sales of the TCR series, along with parts and engineering support.

Find out more about the 1.0 TSI turbo inlet kit and the high-flow filter at the RacingLine website.

The Volkswagen Polo was the seventh most popular car in the UK during February 2020, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). With 1,451 Polos finding new homes, the small Volkswagen is eighth in the year-to-date top ten rundown – a total of 3,787 have been registered since the start of 2020.

The Volkswagen Golf topped the chart with 3,457 registrations, just as the eighth-generation model starts to appear in UK retailers, with the Ford Fiesta in second place. Longstanding chart stalwarts Ford Focus, Vauxhall Corsa and Mercedes-Benz A-Class rounded out the top five.

Overall, UK registrations fell 2.9 per cent in February to 79,594 units, as demand from private buyers declined again. It was a good month for battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars, though, with 4,566 joining the UK roads but at just 5.8 per cent, their market share remains low. The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during February 2020 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Golf: 3,457 (7,484, 3rd)

2 Ford Fiesta: 3,123 (9,210, 1st)
3 Ford Focus: 2,784 (8,051, 2nd)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 1,871 (6,244, 4th)
5 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 1,648 (4,862, 6th)
6 Vauxhall Grandland X: 1,540 (3,801, 7th)
7 Volkswagen Polo: 1,451 (3,787, 8th)
8 Mini: 1,339
9 Nissan Qashqai: 1,293 (5,901, 5th)

10 BMW 5 Series: 1,286

(The 2020 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from February 2020’s UK registration figures were the ninth-placed BMW 3 Series and the tenth-placed Kia Sportage with 3,648 and 3,386 units recorded respectively.)

Polo Vivo is registration champion
Once again, the Polo Vivo topped the new car registrations charts in South Africa, with 2,417 cars rolling out of retailers. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures state that the sixth-generation Polo was again in second place with 2,120 units sold, with an additional 10,409 exported from Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage plant. The Polo-based T-Cross registered a total of 463 cars, while 540 traditionally styled Polo Sedans left the forecourts.

Volkswagen’s Match trim level has a rich heritage in the UK when it comes to the Polo. The first Polo Match appeared in late 1989 as a value-driven special edition, and subsequent versions have become staples of Polo generations since. Replacing the SE, Volkswagen has added a new Match variant to the latest sixth-generation Polo range. In the best Match tradition, the new model features extra equipment.

Prices start from £16,465 RRP OTR for the 78bhp model, which represents a £785 value boost over the outgoing SE when the generous additional standard equipment and small price rise of £200 is taken into account. Match-specific features include 15-inch ‘Seyene’ alloy wheels, front fog lights, rear tinted windows, as well as front and rear parking sensors – kit which, if specified as options on the Polo SE, would cost £980.

Comprehensive package
The Match’s additional equipment crowns an already comprehensive package including Car-Net App Connect with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch Composition Media infotainment system and lumbar adjustment for the front seats.

The Polo Match adopts the outgoing SE’s three engine and gearbox options. Exclusively 1.0-litre petrol three-cylinder units in 78bhp ‘Evo’ and 93bhp TSI outputs, the less powerful engine is allied to a five-speed manual gearbox, while the TSI adds the choice of a seven-speed DSG. Emissions of 125-139g/km are quoted with 42.8-51.4mpg fuel economy, both WLTP-certified.

A multi-award-winner
Volkswagen’s supermini collected a number of awards in 2019, two years after it made its international debut. It was named the What Car? ‘Small Car of the Year’, and scooped the Company Car Today ‘Supermini of the Year’ prize, ‘Safe Car of the Year’ at the First Car Awards and ‘Small Car of the Year’ from the UK Car of the Year panel. It repeated its success at the 2020 What Car? Awards, with another ‘Best Small Car’ title.

The Polo is Volkwagen’s second best-seller in the UK after the Golf, and was the ninth most popular car in the country in 2019. The range starts with the £15,390 S and tops off with the £23,520 GTI. The £17,205 Beats model offers enhanced style and sound, while the £19,060 SEL adds luxury features. For more details on the Volkswagen Polo range, visit volkswagen.co.uk.

2020 VOLKSWAGEN POLO MATCH PRICES

1.0 78bhp, five-speed manual, 48.7–51.4mpg*, 125g/km (WLTP), 106g/km (NEDC): £16,465
1.0 93bhp, five-speed manual, 47.1–50.4mpg*, 127g/km (WLTP), 105g/km (NEDC): £17,180
1.0 93bhp, seven-speed DSG, 42.8–46.3mpg*, 139g/km (WLTP), 108g/km (NEDC): £18,530

RRP OTR prices are based on current VED rules and NEDC-derived CO2 values.
*Fuel economy figures based on WLTP combined cycle, min-max.

The latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that the Volkswagen Polo was the ninth most popular car in the UK during January 2020. A total of 2,336 Polos found new homes in the first month of the year, which also means the long-standing model is also ninth in the year-to-date top ten chart.

The Ford Fiesta was the clear leader with 6,087 registrations, ahead of its larger relative, the Ford Focus, in second place with 5,287 units. The Nissan Qashqai rounded out the top three with 4,608 registrations. The Volkswagen Golf’s 4,027 units put it in fifth place. Soon to usher in a new generation, the Vauxhall Corsa took fourth place with 4,373 registrations.

As a whole, UK registrations fell 7.3 per cent in January to 149,279 units, but demand for battery electric cars enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 2,720 units. Plug-in and ‘self-charging’ hybrids also enjoyed a peak in demand. The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during January 2020 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 6,087 (6,087, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 5,287 (5,287, 2nd)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,608 (4,608, 3rd)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 4,373 (4,373, 4th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 4,027 (4,027, 5th)
6 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,214 (3,214, 6th)
7 Kia Sportage: 2,457 (2,457, 7th)
8 BMW 3 Series: 2,242 (2,242, 8th)
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,336 (2,336, 9th)
10 Vauxhall Grandland X: 2,261 (2,261, 10th)

Across Europe, a total of 20,037 Polos were registered according to Jato Dynamics, making it the fifth most popular car across the continent. The Golf was topped the popularity stakes with 26,303 registrations. Volkswagen was the most popular brand across Europe with 133,558 registrations, and the Polo-based T-Cross SUV’s 12,880 units saw it declared top market share winner.

Polo Vivo is the South African chart-topper
Seemingly never putting a tyre wrong, the Polo Vivo once again topped the new car registrations charts in South Africa, with 2,811 new cars on driveways. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures show that the sixth-generation Polo was in second place once more with 1,761 units sold, with 7,959 exported from Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory. The Polo-based T-Cross registered 764 units, and 503 fifth-generation Polo Sedans were registered.