PoloDriver

These first drive reports have literally just pinged into our inbox. Fresh from Volkswagen’s Nurbürging 24-hour race Polo GTI driving event, the two UK motoring weeklies have today delivered their verdicts on the Polo we’ve all been waiting for. They’re – not surprisingly – conflicting verdicts, too. Auto Express states in its drive that, ‘The steering is well weighted and offers good feedback. Body roll is also virtually non-existent, thanks to firmer springs and dampers.’ Autocar’s verdict (which is more relevant for enthusiasts) is delivered in the video below. One verdict is the same, though; that of price. At £18,275, the 2010 Polo GTI is priced above arguably more able – but less refined – competitors.

Edit, 19 May 2010: Autocar‘s written verdict on the 2010 Volkswagen Polo GTI has been posted online today. The Auto Express first drive is in the current issue of the magazine, while the Autocar write-up will be in print next week.

A quick trawl around the world of official Volkswagen websites reveals Spain to be the country with the most diverse Polo choice, and if all the models profiled on its nuevoPolo.com microsite haven’t landed yet, then they must be close. It’s one of the only banks of VW pages to include both the CrossPolo and Polo GTI (both due to hit continental showrooms around the end of May). At the moment it seems that barely a day goes by without some new detail about the 2010 Polo GTI being revealed.

As well as the regular hatchback model available in Advance and Sport trims, there are photos of the newcomers as well as a section on the just-launched up to date version of the BlueMotion. There’s also a neat configurator designer where prospective owners can create their own styled cars. No CrossPolo or Polo GTI brochures yet, though, but click the small gallery below for the images from the microsite, taken from the GTI sales catalogue seen elsewhere in Europe.

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 VW show scene is so diverse. One week there’s a national show, the next a local event, the next an international or continental gathering. Stanford Hall started our season this year, but this weekend we took in a more local event closer to home. The Essex Vee Dubbers club have organised the Battlesbridge VW Weekend Show for a while now, and as it was only 10 miles or so down the road, it would have been criminal if we hadn’t given it a look. With show ‘n’ shine and concours classes both days, we were hoping there would be some a good Polo turnout.

Staged in fields at the back of Battlesbridge Antiques Centre in Battlesbridge, Essex, the Essex Vee Dubbers show attracts cars and traders galore, if not quite on the same scale as Stanford Hall. With air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagen of all types in attendance, there were a fair number of Polos on display both in the car park and the main show arena. Local club Renegade Dubs were there, as well as VW retailer Inchcape Chelmsford, who took along a smart-looking new Polo fitted with an optional body kit and large alloy wheels. Click on the gallery below for a small slideshow.

The latest UK car sales figures have been released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers an Traders (SMMT) and the Polo remains well-regarded with UK buyers. Although still selling half of the UK’s favourite car of the year so far, the Ford Fiesta, the Polo rose to sixth place from ninth in the March best-sellers list. The bigger Volkswagen Golf was one place above the Polo in fifth, rounding off an encouraging month not only for the German company, but also for the UK motor industry as a whole.

New car registrations rose 11.5% in April to 148,793, a tenth successive monthly increase with volumes up on a weak 2009, with scrappage accounting for just 8.0% of the April market. ‘April was another good month for the UK motor industry with private buyers responding positively, despite the end of the scrappage scheme. There are still difficult months ahead, but the strong start to 2010 has led SMMT to increase its annual forecast to 1.924 million units,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive.

When looking at its competitors, the Polo pipped the Peugeot 207 to the April sales winning post, ahead by almost 500 units, a reversal of fortunes when compared to March 2010’s figures. The Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa still sold more, but the small GM model was only two places ahead of the baby Volkswagen. The SMMT have also released top 10 year-to-date sales figures for 2010, and reflecting the pattern set for April, the Polo comes in sixth, selling 18,840 units. The Fiesta won out again, though, striding the top of the charts with a colossal 42,610 units, 8000 more than its bigger Focus brother.

The UK’s top 10 best-selling cars for April 2010 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 6808 units (42,610, 1st)
2 Vauxhall Astra: 6440 units (29,365, 3rd)
3 Ford Focus: 6279 units (34,256, 2nd)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 5945 units (29,212, 4th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 5828 units (22,778, 5th)
6 Volkswagen Polo: 3653 units (18,840, 6th)
7 Audi A3: 3400 units (13,343, 10th)
8 Peugeot 207: 3152 units (17,353, 7th)
9 Mini: 2869 units (13,896, 9th)
10 BMW 3 Series: 2802 units

(The sole year-to-date best-seller which was absent from April’s sales figures was the Renault Clio, selling 14,653 units so far in 2010, putting it in 8th place.)