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18 November 2021 ~ 0 Comments

2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI now open for order in the UK, priced from £26,430

Almost two months after the ‘mainstream’ versions of the new Polo opened for order in the UK, Volkswagen Retailers have, today, opened the order books for the new, more powerful Polo GTI. Priced from £26,430 RRP on-the-road, the sporty newcomer tops the new Polo range, and makes the family complete.

It also continues the illustrious Volkswagen GTI line, which now extends from the diminutive Up GTI, through to the eighth-generation Golf GTI. The Polo GTI is the latest in a lineup of hot Polos that started with the 60bhp Polo GT in 1979. The famed 112bhp supercharged Polo G40 first hit the market in 1986, the first 118bhp Polo GTI appearing in a limited series of 3,000 units in 1998.

New look, more power and kit
The new Polo GTI packs 204bhp (an increase of 7bhp over the outgoing model) and has a new look, more equipment, and is safer than ever. It’s also more digital, too, with a fully digitised cabin, similar to that seen on the eighth-generation Golf. As before, power is out down through a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox (with paddles on the leather multifunction sports steering wheel), and performance is every bit a GTI: 0-62mph comes up in just 6.5 seconds thanks to 236lb ft (320Nm) of torque, and the Polo GTI will top out – where conditions allow – at 149mph.

To keep all that performance in check, the new hot Polo has a larger anti-roll bar and more rigid coupling rods at the front, and stiffer axle-locating rear mounts. The suspension is also 15mm lower than other Polos, and Volkswagen’s XDS electronic differential lock is also standard. This controls brake pressure on the front wheel on the inside of a bend, preventing it from spinning.

Driving profile selection
Adaptive Chassis Control DCC is also fitted, which includes a driving profile selection. Two different damping characteristics for the adjustable shock absorbers can be chosen, along with four driving modes: Eco, Individual, Normal and Sport. Allowing drivers to make individual settings that have a direct effect on vehicle dynamics, steering, engine characteristic and DSG shift patterns are adapted, and in Sport mode, the exhaust system is automatically modified to make it sound sportier.

Outside, the new Polo GTI is easily recognised by its new face, fitted with Volkswagen’s IQ Light LED matrix headlights, with an illuminated radiator grille crossbar, as already seen on the ID family of electric cars and the eighth-generation Golf. New red ‘GTI’ badges adorn the front and rear, and of course, there is a red radiator grille strip, which extends into the headlights. At the back, new tail lamps feature dynamic indicators, and red brake calipers peep through 17-inch ‘Parker’ alloy wheels (18-inch ‘Faro’ rims are optional, seen here) and continue a GTI tradition.

Inside, more traditions remain. Black headlining creates a sporty feel, as does the red stitching and the ‘Jacara’-patterned tartan seats. A Kings Red Glossy-painted dash pad is standard, but buyers who are more of the shrinking violet type can choose the subtler Deep Iron Glossy option. The striking Kings Red Metallic is just one of the Polo GTI’s exterior paint finishes: others include Deep Black Pearl, Pure White, Reef Blue Metallic and Smokey Grey Metallic. A black-roof option is also available on blue, red and white cars.

Sharing its 10.25-inch colour Digital Cockpit Pro instruments with other new Polos, the new GTI also comes as standard with 8.0-inch Discover Media Navigation system. A 300W Beats sound system with six speakers, subwoofer, and 8-channel amplifier is optional. Standard kit includes ambient interior lighting, auto lights and wipers, a digital button-controlled 2zone climate control system, and a centre airbag.

‘Sporting family’
Lisa Hartley, Polo Volkswagen UK product manager, said: ‘The marriage of “Volkswagen” and “GTI” kicked off in 1975 with the launch of the now legendary Golf Mk I GTI. Since then, those hallowed three letters have adorned many other models such as the Scirocco, Lupo, and Up. However, it is the Polo – whose GTI model debuted in 1998 – that is, after the Golf, the longest running member of this sporting family.

‘Continuing this illustrious history is this newest version of our pocket-rocket, and it really is the best so far. With driver-focused dynamics, a powerful 204bhp turbocharged engine, big-car tech, a generous list of standard equipment, and assertive yet understated looks, the new Polo GTI is a class act among hot hatches.’

Sadly, Volkswagen is phasing out traditional sales brochures and price lists, so if you want to investigate the new Polo GTI, head to Volkswagen’s online configurator to explore. We’ll take ours in Kings Red Metallic, with 18-inch Faro wheels, please…

2022 VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI PRICES

Polo GTI
2.0 204bhp seven-speed DSG; 155g/km*; 41.3mpg**; £26,430 (RRP OTR)

*WLTP CO2, **WLTP combined.

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10 November 2021 ~ 0 Comments

Polo Vivo Black Style adds sporty looks to South Africa’s best-selling car

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo is the most popular car in South Africa – and has been for over a decade –  and if you like a certain colour, it may have just got even more appealing. Volkswagen South Africa has added the Black Style Package to its entry level model. The pack has been an option on the Tiguan and Touareg since 2019.

Features of the Polo Vivo Black Style include, as you might expect, black 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels, gloss black mirror caps, a gloss black (really?) painted roof, gloss black (yes!) B and C pillar covers, as well as (you can see where this is going), matt black sill covers. There’s also a chrome exhaust tip, privacy glass, anthracite headlining and sun visors, 15mm lower suspension and an R-Line body coloured rear spoiler.

Choice of four colours
And the body of the Polo Vivo Black Style comes in a choice of four colours: Flash Red, Pure White, Reef Blue, and Reflex Silver. The optional Black Style Package is available now on the 85/103bhp Comfortline and 103bhp Highline manual versions of the Polo Vivo. Prices start at R9,000 on the Comfortline and R8,250 on the Highline. The Polo Vivo Black Style follows the most recent special edition of the Polo Vivo, the Mswenko, introduced back in September 2020.

The Black Style Package has also been introduced to the latest South African Golf GTI. Like the Polo Vivo, the clue is in the name, and if you like black, you’re well catered for. Features include piano black side mirrors, a piano black front grille chrome strip on the front grille, as well as black 18-inch ‘Bergamo’ alloy wheels. Prices for the Golf 8 GTI Black Style Package begin at R8,000. 

‘Popular optional pack’
The Tiguan and Touareg Black Style models continue, the optional pack costing R28,000 on the former, and 
R45,200 on the latter (but only available on the Executive variant). ‘The Black Style Package is a popular optional pack and its success in the Tiguan and Touareg models motivated our decision to introduce it to the new Golf GTI and the Polo Vivo ranges,’ states Steffen Knapp, head of the Volkswagen Passenger Car Brand.

Since its introduction in March 2010, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo has been the most popular car in South Africa, with over 261,285 registered up to September 2020. Originally based on the fourth-generation European Polo, the Vivo took the shape of the fifth-generation Polo in February 2018.

 

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05 October 2021 ~ 0 Comments

Volkswagen India announces limited Polo and Vento Matt Edition models

Volkswagen India has launched another special model of the fifth-generation Polo; the Polo Matt Edition is based on the Polo GT, and as its name suggests, is distinguished by its striking matt grey paint finish. A sister saloon model accompanies it, the Vento Matt Edition a new version of the fifth-generation Polo-based saloon.

Powered by Volkswagen’s three-cylinder 1.0 TSI petrol engine with 108bhp mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the Polo Matt Edition features 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels, unique Carbon Steel matt grey paintwork, and gloss black door handles and door mirror caps. It also gets a gloss black rear spoiler atop the tailgate.

The Vento Matt Edition meanwhile – based on the Highline or Highline Plus models – has a neat gloss black boot spoiler with the same body colour options as its Polo sibling, with the exception of the Highline-based car which wears 15-inch ‘Linas’ wheels. Inside, both the Polo and Vento Matt Edition have no upgrades over the cars on which they are based, but standard equipment is high, with a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system featuring Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, automatic wipers, and a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel.

Prices for the Polo Matt Edition start at Rs 10.25 lakh (ex-showroom), the Vento Matt Edition offered at Rs 13.36 lakh for the Highline-based variant, rising to Rs 14.79 lakh for the Highline Plus model. For more details on the Polo and Vento Matt Editions, visit the Volkswagen India website here and here.

 

 

 

 

 

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10 September 2021 ~ 0 Comments

2022 Volkswagen Polo priced from £17,885 as UK order books open

Unveiled in April, the revised 2022 Volkswagen Polo opens for order today in the UK. As well as a new face, there is more technology and more kit, and a new range structure. Prices start at £17,885 for the Polo Life, with adaptive cruise control and a digital cockpit available on the base model equipped with a 93bhp engine.

One of the most popular cars in the UK, the Polo’s traditional strengths of big-car technology, comfort and quality continue with the refreshed 2022 model. Still based on the sixth-generation Polo introduced in 2017, the new car has sharper lines and a more digitised interior, taking its lead from the eighth-generation Golf and ID family of electric models. First launched in 1975, over 18 million Polos have been sold in the intervening 46 years.

Four engine and gearbox configurations
Four engine and gearbox configurations are available across the new Polo line-up – all 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engines, with power from 78 to 107bhp. The entry-level 78bhp engine has a five-speed manual gearbox, the more powerful 93bhp unit coming with five-speed manual and seven-speed DSG transmissions. The DSG is also exclusively reserved for the 107bhp engine, and is currently the most powerful Polo in the revised range until the firecracking 204bhp GTI arrives. To us, though, there still seems to be a bit of a yawning gap in the range which needs to be plugged in-between these two models.

The 118g/km, 93bhp Polo Life is the ‘cleanest’ model in the new Polo family, officially achieving 54.3mpg. Volkswagen UK forecasts that the 93bhp engine will take around 60 per cent of sales, shared between manual and DSG configurations.

Polo Life
With a trim structure that spans Life, Style and R-Line, the new Polo range mirrors that of the latest Golf. Entry-level Life models fitted with the 93bhp engine have Volkswagen’s new suite of safety technologies, bundled under the Travel Assist banner. This means the Polo is one of the first models in its segment to offer partly automated driving. LED head and tail lamps are also standard, along with 15-inch ‘Essex’ (‘Shu’up’!) alloy wheels, an automatic dimming rear view mirror, auto wipers, a multifunction steering wheel, and power-folding door mirrors.

There is also an eight-inch Digital Cockpit driver’s display and a ‘Ready 2 Discover’ colour touchscreen of the same size which uses Volkswagen’s third-generation Modular Infotainment Matrix (MIB3). This makes the revised Polo the most connected ever, and the App-Connect system uses either a USB connection or Bluetooth link to activate smartphone mirroring via the central touchscreen. Volkswagen UK expects 75 per cent of all new Polos to be in Life trim.

Polo Style
Moving up the range, the £20,785 Polo Style – currently only available with the 93bhp engine – adds 16-inch ‘Palermo’ alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, IQ Light intelligent LED matrix headlights, a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro driver display, as well as a Discover Navigation infotainment system.

Polo R-Line
The range-topping R-Line is the sportiest new Polo until the GTI arrives and looks the part with its unique body kit, 16-inch ‘Valencia’ alloy wheels, black roof lining, stainless steel pedals, and sports seats upholstered in ‘Karoso Artvelours’ microfleece. Sharing many of its interior appointments with the Polo Style, the R-Line adds Dynamic Road Sign Display and High Beam Assist aids.

To make their new Polo stand out further, drivers can choose metallic paint, with two new Polo shades, Kings Red (£695) and Vibrant Violet (£595) – the Polo is the first Volkswagen to have the colour – as well as 16 and 17-inch alloy wheels, a suite of assistance systems, and sports suspension (£360), which incorporates the XDS electronic differential lock first introduced on the Golf GTI, and Driving Profile Selection.

To find out more about, and to order the latest version of Volkswagen’s big small car seller, visit the Volkswagen UK website.

2022 VOLKSWAGEN POLO PRICES

Polo Life
1.0 78bhp five-speed manual; 124g/km*; 51.4mpg**; £17,885 (RRP OTR)
1.0 93bhp five-speed manual; 118g/km*; 54.3mpg**; £18,825 (RRP OTR)
1.0 93bhp seven-speed DSG; 125g/km*; 54.3mpg**; £20,260 (RRP OTR)

Polo Style
1.0 93bhp seven-speed DSG; 119g/km*; 51.4mpg**; £20,785 (RRP OTR)

Polo R-Line
1.0 93bhp five-speed manual; 119g/km*; 54.3mpg**; £20,785 (RRP OTR)
1.0 93bhp seven-speed DSG; 127g/km*; 50.4mpg**; £22,220 (RRP OTR)
1.0 107bhp seven-speed DSG; 128g/km*; 50.4mpg**; £23,355 (RRP OTR)

*WLTP CO2, **WLTP combined.

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06 August 2021 ~ 0 Comments

Chart-topper! Volkswagen Polo is crowned the most popular car in the UK

That was a turn up for the books. A mainstay in the UK’s most popular cars chart for over a decade, the Volkswagen Polo is a favoured choice among UK drivers. However, in July 2021, it was the most beloved model of all. According to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Polo was the most popular car in July 2021, with 3,047 registered, 46 cars ahead of the Toyota Yaris.

In terms of year-to-date figures, the Polo has risen one position to seventh place with a total of 18,601 registered cars, 476 ahead of, yes, that pesky Toyota. The Vauxhall Corsa still tops 2021’s aggregate figures with 26,215 cars finding new homes, with the once unassailable Ford Fiesta in second place with 23,521 registrations.

Strangely, the Corsa doesn’t even appear in the July chart, and even the Fiesta is in ninth place, perhaps suggesting the global semiconductor chip shortage could be playing a part in the shake-up. Of course, we’d say that everyone has finally cottoned on to what we’ve known for decades: the Polo is the best supermini out there… For whatever reason, though, it’s finally number one, and we’re celebrating it!

For UK drivers who have embraced the Volkswagen Polo as their top choice, enhancing this beloved model’s capabilities is as important as its popularity itself. Amidst this shift in the automotive landscape, ensuring your cherished Polo is equipped with the latest features is a prudent move. Many car enthusiasts are turning to auto electricians for expert services, such as installing a dash camera, to bolster their vehicles’ functionality and safety. With the rising demand for cutting-edge technologies and customizations, trusted auto electricians play a pivotal role in keeping these favored cars up-to-date and perfectly tailored to their owners’ needs.

Supply chain shortages
The Polo’s success comes against a backdrop of the weakest July new car registrations since before the millennium. A total of 123,296 new cars were registered in July 2021, which the SMMT attributes to supply chain shortages and the UK’s Covid-app ‘pingdemic’. July’s figures were down by 29.5 per cent compared to 2020, and when compared to the last decade, totals were down 22.3 per cent on the average recorded over the past 10 years.

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during July 2021 and the year-to-date (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Polo: 3,047 (18,601, 7th)
2 Toyota Yaris: 3,001 (18,125, 8th)
3 Kia Sportage: 2,631 (18,941, 6th)
4 Ford Puma: 2,621 (20,853, 5th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 2,362 (21,970, 3rd)
6 Audi A3: 2,300
7 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 2,186 (21,684, 4th)
8 Mini: 2,138
9 Ford Fiesta: 2,010 (23,521, 2nd)
10 Hyundai Kona: 2,006

(The 2021 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from July’s registration figures were the first-placed Vauxhall Corsa, the ninth-placed NissanQashqai, and the tenth-placed BMW 3 Series with 26,215, 17,812 and 17,188 units recorded respectively.)

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