PoloDriver

The last year of the ‘Noughties’ was a big year for the Volkswagen Polo and one of the busiest ever in the model’s 34-year history. We look back at the major Polo developments and happenings of 2009.

January

• German motoring weekly Auto Motor und Sport names the Polo as the Best Car of 2009 in the supermini class.

March

• Volkswagen surprises everyone and pulls the covers off the new Polo (in five-door form, above) at the Geneva motor show. New model is cleaner, lighter and safer than ever before. New fifth-generation has a new, sharper-looking body and new engines including a 1.2-litre 104bhp TSI and 1.6-litre common-rail TDI. New BlueMotion concept emits 87g/km of CO2, and will do 83.4mpg.
• Rumours circulate about a US market launch.
• VW Polo Challenge racing game app launched on the iPhone, topping 1.4 million downloads.

April

• Volkswagen India starts pre-production of the new Polo at its Pune plant in India, ready for a 2010 market launch.

May

• UK motoring monthly Car publishes its first online road test of the new model: ‘The new Polo isn’t perfect, but it’s an impressive step forward from a model that was well past its sell-by date.’
• Volkswagen release more details of the new model after the International Driving Presentation in Sardinia.

June

• First TV advertising commercials ‘Neon’ and ‘Ready For A New Class’ appear, using Pink’s Bad Influence as the soundtrack.

July

• New Polo launched in selected contintental markets.

August

• UK prices and specifications for the new Polo are released. S, Moda, SE and SEL trim levels announced, with prices starting at £10,635 for the 1.2 59bhp S, rising to £14,910 for the 1.6-litre 89bhp SEL TDI.
• Euro NCAP awards the new Polo a five-star safety rating, making one of, if not the, safest car in its class.
• First official pictures of the three-door model are released.

September

• New Polo three-door (above) and production version of the BlueMotion concept appear at the Frankfurt motor show.
• iMotor magazine publishes its first road test of the 74bhp 1.6-litre TDI, pitting it against its omnipresent foe, the Ford Fiesta.
• UK motoring weekly Auto Express publishes its first group test of the new Polo. The car faces established competition from the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2 and Renault Clio.
• German motoring publication Auto Motor und Sport publishes renderings of the new Polo GTI flagship and SUV-style CrossPolo, while the UK’s Autocar states that GTD, cabrio, estate and MPV versions of the car could also be coming.

October

• ‘Cool’ TV advertising commercial airs and takes inspiration from Hollywood, mixing Grease-style looks to a Back To The Future idea.
• PoloDriver gets behind the wheel of the new Polo and is deeply impressed with the newcomer, stating: ‘The fifth-generation model is the most refined, luxurious and capable incarnation of the Polo to date and may at last get the recognition it has been deserving of.’
• UK prices are announced for the three-door new Polo range, taking the cost of the entry level model down to £9435.
• Polo Sedan (saloon) spyshots published online. Could this be the model for India and the US?
• New 1.2-litre TSI turbocharged engine released for ordering, slated to arrive in the UK in January 2010.
• New Polo launched in the UK on 16 October 2009.
• What Car? magazine tests the new Polo against nine rivals – Polo is victorious.

November

• New Polo wins the European Car of the Year 2010 award fighting off competition from the Citroën C3 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 3008, Škoda Yeti and Toyota iQ.
• ‘Golden Steering Wheel’ and ‘Green Steering Wheel’ from Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag magazines awarded to the new model at a ceremony in Berlin.
• Volkswagen Driver magazine tests the 1.2 SE and says of the £11,385 newcomer: ‘Volkswagen’s latest Polo is the biggest, best and most stylish yet.’
• New Polo wins Small Car of the Year at the Scottish Car of the Year awards and is crowned with the Auto Trophy by Autozeitung.

December

• Continental order books open for the new Polo BlueMotion (above).
• Car magazine lists the new Polo in its Top 10 Cars of 2009.

With the launch of the new fifth-generation it’s been a busy year for the Polo and also for us here at PoloDriver. We would like to thank the readers who have sent us congratulatory comments and best wishes, and hope that you’ll enjoy the developments coming to the website in 2010.

[Click on the ‘Polo 2009-’ tag in the tag cloud in the right-hand sidebar of the website to see all entries pertaining to the new Polo.]