PoloDriver

The Volkswagen Polo may have slipped out of the UK’s top 10 best-selling cars chart for February 2015, but in Europe it’s still doing big business. A total of 21,495 Polos were sold across Europe last month (45,102 for the year-to-date), a 7.2 per cent increase on the same period in 2014. It was the second most popular car across the continent during February.

What was number one? The Golf, of course. In a repeat of January, the ever-dependable Volkswagen family hatchback ruled the roost, selling 36,292 examples. A 5.8 per cent boost over the same period in 2014, the popular Renault Clio rounded off the top three, only 91 units behind the Polo.

The new Volkswagen Passat helped increase that particular nameplate’s sales by 63.8 per cent year-on-year compared to last February. A year-to-date increase of 44 per cent made it the most improved performer across both measures among the top 10 best-selling models, where it placed eighth.

Once again, the picture was an upbeat one. European new car sales for February were up a total of 7.8 per cent over the same period last year, JATO Dynamics’ latest figures state. Volkswagen, Ford and Renault were again the best-selling brands, while the five biggest markets in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) all recorded growth, as was the case in January.

The top 10 best-selling cars in Europe (sales figure in thousands) in February 2015 were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Golf: 36,292

2 Volkswagen Polo: 21,495

3 Renault Clio: 21,406

4 Ford Fiesta: 17,053
5 Peugeot 208: 16,047

6 Vauxhall/Opel Corsa: 16,719
7 Skoda Octavia: 16,407
8 Volkswagen Passat: 15,711

9 Nissan Qashqai: 15,682
10 Audi A3/S3/RS3: 14,036

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Remember the limited-edition Polo R WRC road car from 2013 built to commemorate the advent of Volkswagen’s World Rally Championship campaign? The 217bhp 2.0-litre Polo instantly became sought after and the most powerful to date and the 2,500-unit production run sold out quickly.

KW Automotive certainly remembers the white, grey and blue-striped small car from Wolfsburg and before the 2015 Geneva motor show announced a new coilover suspension kit for the road car version of Volkswagen’s rally Polo.

The ST X, ST XA and ST XTA kits allow continuous lowering via the front or rear damper trapezoid threads. The front of the standard Polo 6R can be lowered between 20-50mm, while a 40-65mm lower ride height can be optioned at the rear. As the R WRC is already lower from the factory, a maximum adjustment of -30mm is permitted.

The ST X coilovers have a factory-fixed damper setup, but the damping forces of the ST XA and ST XTA can be set more to be more comfortable or to give a more sporty set-up. The front axle adjustable aluminium Unibal top mounts come as standard and by changing the camber angle, the tyres get an optimum contact area when cornering.

Even though the KW kits are of the coilover type, by using shorter damper housings, the spring travel can be one centimetre more than the standard suspension, allowing for more comfort. All KW ST Polo coilover kit settings are determined from extensive road and long-term tests, the company states.

Prices start at €699 for the basic ST X coilover kit, rising to €1,099 for the ST XA version. For more information and full pricing details, visit www.st-suspensions.net/produktfinder/?typ=26482

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With a name which could have been taken from a magician in a faraway fairy tale, the new Vento Magnific has been launched by Volkswagen India. Based on the Comfortline and Highline versions of the Polo 6R-based saloon, the Magnific special edition costs no more than the standard models it is based on.

In a nod to 1980s and 1990s VWs, the Vento Magnific Highline serves up a Blaupunkt touchscreen infotainment system with 3G internet connectivity in the centre console, as well as an Android-based tablet also made by the German entertainment company.

The Comfortline version receives alloy wheels, a Garmin-made satellite navigation system, ‘Vento’-embossed scuff plates as well as special ‘Magnific’ badging. Standard equipment from the regular cars includes twin front airbags and a multifunction steering wheel.

The mechanical package which underpins the magical new model is carried over from the donor cars. That means a choice of 104bhp 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, both with five-speed manual transmissions.

Available from Volkswagen’s Indian retailers today, 10 March, the Vento Magnific is just the latest model to offer enhanced value, according to Michael Mayer, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt Ltd.

‘We always strive to go the extra mile and provide more value to our customers. The Special Edition Vento Magnific is a step in that direction. Along with high standards of safety and impeccable build quality, the Vento Magnific is also equipped with high-end extras,’ he said.

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The refreshed version of the Volkswagen Polo has recently gone on sale in the Philippines. The evergreen small VW first hit the Philippines market last year in sedan form, and now the hatchback joins it as the refreshed fifth-generation 6C package. Available to order from PHP950,000, an ‘attractive’ financing scheme is offered to entice buyers, as well as a low PHP95,000 downpayment.

Polo hatchbacks in the Philippines are powered by a 1.6-litre, 104bhp petrol engine married to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Equipment includes 15-inch ‘Riverside’ alloy wheels, multifunction leather steering wheel, ‘Livon’ upholstery, 60:40 split-folding rear seats, RCD320 radio/CD/MP3/aux-in/SD card/USB multimedia system, Bluetooth connectivity, and air-conditioning.

Available in five colours – Copper Orange, Candy White, Night Blue Metallic, Flash Red, and Carbon Steel Grey – all Polo hatchbacks bound for the Philippines are produced at Volkswagen India’s Pune factory which exports Polos and Polo saloons (also called Vento/Polo Sedan) to a total of 32 global markets.

‘The Polo hatchback is indeed a perfect combination of quality and driving pleasure and is targeted to be one of our volume sellers. Now on its fifth-generation, the Polo hatchback offers excellent levels of comfort, functionality, reliability, and long-term quality,’ said John Philip Orbeta, President and CEO of VW Philippines.

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Auto Express content editor Tom Goodlad has just taken delivery of a 2015 model year Polo SE 1.2 TSI. In his first report for PoloDriver.com, he runs us through the spec and his first impressions. After being used to driving an Audi A3 2.0 TDI, how does a small, petrol-powered hatchback compare?

I thought a ‘3-4 month delivery time’ was something I wouldn’t be able to handle – such is the demand for a new Volkswagen Polo! Having had the keys for 4 weeks now, I can safely say it was worth the wait.

The reason I had to wait this long for my Polo SE 1.2 TSI was down to my inability to buy things ‘off the shelf’. So let’s quickly run through what I’ve added to my car. First up was the look – I’m a sucker for a sporty-looking car and (unashamedly) a bit of bling – so the first thing I ticked on the options list was the £565 ‘Knight’ 16″ alloy wheels. They add a significant visual boost to what would otherwise be quite a plain-looking car. I think they contrast fantastically with the £540 Reflex Silver paintwork, too.

Having become used to a few luxuries in my old Audi A3, I added the reasonably-priced ‘Light and Sight’ pack (£150) which, as the name suggests, consists of automatic lights and wipers – the lights feature a ‘Coming Home’ and ‘Leaving Home’ function which leaves them on when you lock the car, and come on when you unlock it in the dark.

Last is the ‘Cruise and Park’ pack. While not essential on a supermini, I regularly have to park in some tight spaces at my local railway station and would like to keep the car as pristine as possible. It’s safe to say I now take more care to ensure I don’t kerb those great alloys, too! For £400, it didn’t seem too bad a price if it reduces the risk of little bumps here and there. The cruise control has already proved its worth on the car’s first trip down to my family home in Devon.

Speaking of which, after a 500-mile round trip from Hertfordshire to Devon, I’ve been left impressed with VW’s latest incarnation of the 1.2 TSI powerplant. While I’m obviously noticing the difference from my old 2.0 TDI Audi, I was never left trying to keep up with traffic on the madhouse that is the M4. While 89bhp doesn’t seem like much, the car has plenty of poke when you need it.

More impressive, though, is the refinement. For such a small car, it certainly lives up to its reputation as a mini-Golf. It’s hushed at speed, barely hearing the engine working away under the bonnet. The larger wheels roar slightly more than the standard 15-inchers fitted to SE models, but it’s by no means intrusive.

Three hours later I got out of the car in the middle of the Devon countryside feeling refreshed – the seats are supportive and I could play all my cheesy tunes all the way through the car’s updated infotainment system lifted straight from the more expensive Golf.

So far then, I’m impressed. The buying experience was an absolute joy, as was picking up the car, and so far I’m loving ownership of my new Polo. It’s proving to be the perfect companion around town, and a grown-up performer on the motorway. I’d just like to see slightly better fuel economy, but the car is still bedding in, so I’m hoping I’ll see it improve over time and I get more used to driving the car.

The next test is Volkswagen’s aftercare… The car has a broken USB socket so it’ll be heading back to the garage soon to be sorted out. Volkswagen’s dealer service has been criticised in Auto Express’ Driver Power dealer rankings, so it’ll be good to put them to the test.

Read more about Tom’s buying experience here: www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/90349/a-car-buyer-s-diary-how-did-we-fare-when-we-bought-a-vw-polo

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