IAA 2011 – Volkswagen launches Polo R-Line at Frankfurt motor show
Although all the hype was around the new Up! city car and the Beetle R Concept, Volkswagen had a surprise for Polo fans at the IAA 2011 in Frankfurt. Unveiling both the first drivable of the Polo R WRC rally car (see our seperate story) and the first-ever Polo R-Line, the company made sure its smaller car followers weren’t left out of the fun. The best-selling car in its class in Germany, the Polo now joins the Golf, Scirocco, Passat CC and Touareg in having an R-branded model in its range. Now, don’t get too excited, the Polo R-Line isn’t a fire-breathing 300bhp road-going version of the Polo R WRC rally car, but rather a stylised model to show what such a car might look like. Think of it as a Polo GTI with a bit more visual punch.
Available at the end of the year, the Polo R-Line shares a more jutting chin with the Golf and Scirocco Rs, has a gloss black radiator grille with ‘R-Line’ badge, deeper side sills, revised front and rear bumpers, a larger than standard rear spoiler and 16-inch ‘Mallory’ alloys (the IAA show car is fitted with 17-inch versions), which for all the world look like the larger 19” ‘Talledega’ versions fitted to the proper R cars. Inside, there’s microfibre front sports seats (in optional Alcantara and leather), embossed head restraints, black roofliner á la Polo GTI, leather steering wheel with ‘R-Line’ badge, gloss black accents and racing-style pedals. Nine colours including the new ‘Fire Spark’ will be available. Volkswagen’s full press release follows.
IAA 2011 – Polo R-Line
First Polo with R-Line features: new bumpers and sport seat system
Wolfsburg / Frankfurt, 13 September 2011
In 2011, the Polo continues to be the bestselling car in its class in Germany. In the overall ranking of all new car registrations in Germany, it holds 3rd place after the Golf (1st) and the Passat (2nd). It should be noted that this is not just a Volkswagen list, rather it is a ranking covering all cars sold in Germany. Across Europe the Polo holds 3rd place in new car registrations. A genuine bestseller, which has long been on roads across the globe – in China as well as in Russia, Japan and Australia.
Now Volkswagen is presenting the new Polo R-Line in a world debut, extending the R-line family of cars (Golf, Scirocco, Passat CC and Touareg). This is the first time that Volkswagen has designed such a version of the Polo. Yet, it is fully in keeping with the agile character of the current generation of the Polo model. The Polo R-Line can be ordered with nearly any engine variant. Market launch of the Polo with the new equipment pack will be at the end of this year.
Exterior offers new bumpers and roof edge spoiler
Outside, the extended standard equipment of the Polo R-Line includes 16-inch ‘Mallory’ alloy wheels, a radiator grille painted in high-gloss black (with R-Line badge), a specially designed sporty R-line bumper (in the specific body colour; rear bumper has a distinctive diffuser), chrome tailpipes for the exhaust system, body-coloured roof edge spoiler, R-line side sills also in body colour, daytime running lights (integrated under a chrome band in the main headlights), fog lights (in the front spoiler) and LED licence plate illumination. Available upon request: a sports chassis, which lowers the car into the dampers by 15 mm.
Interior has sport seats and black roofliner
Inside, the Polo R-Line resembles the GTI with its sport seats. The rear and front seats are upholstered with high-end ‘Kyalami’ fabric (or optional Alcantara/leather look); the inner surfaces of the lateral seat supports (front) are made of ‘San Remo’ microfibre fabric. Worked into the front head restraints is the R-Line logo. Also standard: the black roofliner, leather steering wheel with aluminium decor and R-Line badge (chrome signature on black background), accents in high-gloss black, pedal caps with aluminium look and door sill plates with R-Line signature.
IAA vehicle with special body colour and 17-inch wheels
Incidentally, the Polo R-Line being presented at the IAA is equipped with the 17-inch version of the ‘Mallory’ alloy wheels and is painted in a special colour that is not yet offered: Fire Spark. The Polo R-Line can be ordered in the following colours: Deep Black Pearl Effect, Reflex Silver Metallic, Pepper Grey Metallic, Shadow Blue Metallic, Hot Orange Metallic, Candy White and Flash Red.
Thanks for this article. But Rich what we want to know is whether VW UK will be taking this model. I presume they will only take it as a single engine (and not the full range as in Europe).
Also the lower part of the grille doesn’t look as good as the normal Polo.
Rich – back in January there was internet chatter about a Polo with about 150bhp to sit between SEL and GTI. Have you heard anything further on that?… If VW don’t hurry up I might be buying a Fiesta.