PoloDriver

Available at VW retailers from 27 January to 14 February inclusive, Volkswagen UK has launched the Polo Event, a multi-incentive way to buy a new Polo. A deposit contribution with inclusive insurance provides the foundation of this new pair of special offers, with the addition of a free service plan and a discount on the Polo Style Pack for prospective customers.

Savings potential
A £1400 deposit contribution is available to those who opt for a Volkswagen Financial Services’ Solutions Personal Contract Plan at 6.2 per cent APR representative (1). Volkswagen states that the savings potential on Polo models under the Polo Event promotion is enhanced by the offer of one year’s free insurance which is included in the offer (2).

During the duration of the Polo Event, all customers who order a new Polo will benefit from a free service plan, too, which includes the first two services (3). The £318* Polo Style Pack will also be discounted to by £82 to £236* during the special promotion period. Consisting of stainless steel door trims and tyre valve caps, tailgate chrome strip finisher and chrome exhaust trim, the Style Pack adds sports-orientated flourishes to the Polo’s smart shape.

As standard, every Polo model in the range features Bluetooth and smartphone connectivity, a five-inch Composition Colour touchscreen infotainment system, and Electronic Stability Control. Entry-level S models start at £11,830* before the Polo Event offer is applied. Move up to Match Edition cars – from £13,315* – and automatic wipers, cruise control, parking sensors, and a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with App-Connect are all standard.

300-watt sound system
The £14,215* Polo Beats meanwhile features a 300-watt sound system with an eight-channel amplifier, while the £16,840 OTR SEL boasts LED headlights, 16-inch ‘Rivazza’ alloy wheels. The £16,760* Polo R-Line meanwhile features an ‘R-Line’ styling pack for added visual appeal. The ultimate sports Polo, the 189bhp £19,430* GTI, gets from 0 to 62mph in just 6.7 seconds, and is identified by its honeycomb and red-trimmed grille, 17-inch ‘Parabolica’ alloy wheels, as well as red brake calipers.

The Polo GTI’s eco-adversary, the BlueMotion, is powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which produces just 98g/km** of CO2, and has claimed combined cycle economy of 67.3mpg**. The Polo BlueMotion starts at £15,310*. The model with one eye on performance and economy, the 147bhp £18,440* Polo BlueGT has cylinder deactivation technology which shuts down two of the engine’s cylinders on light loads to keep fuel consumption low at a claimed 58.9mpg**.

For more details on all the models in the Polo range, together with brochures and pricing, and to use Volkswagen’s online configurator, visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

* RRP and On The Road (OTR) prices.

** Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are standard EU test figures for comparative purposes, and may not reflect ‘real world’ driving results. CO2 emissions shown refer to standard specification only.

(1) At the end of the agreement there are three options: i) own the vehicle: pay the optional final payment; ii) return the vehicle: subject to fair wear and tear, charges may apply; or iii) replace: part exchange the vehicle. Available on Solutions Personal Contract Plan. 18s and over. Subject to availability. Finance subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. Excess mileage charges up to 4.8p per mile. Offer available when ordered by 14 February 2017. Offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer and may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Accurate at time of publication. Freepost Volkswagen Financial Services.

(2) One year’s insurance included at no extra cost from Volkswagen Insurance is available on new Polo models ordered from 21 December 2016 to 3 April 2017 and registered by 30 June 2017 for drivers aged 18-80 (BlueGT and GTI is 25 and over). Drivers under 18 are not eligible. Residents of Northern Ireland must be aged 19-80 and must have held a full driving licence for a minimum of 2 years. Drivers aged 18-24 are required to share their driving style data with a telematics product. Other eligibility criteria apply. Go to www.insurewithvolkswagen.co.uk/polo for full terms and conditions. This offer may be extended, changed or removed at any point. Volkswagen Motor Insurance from Volkswagen Financial Services is arranged and administered by Carrot Risk Technologies Limited.

(3) Covers first two consecutive services (limited to one oil service and one oil and inspection service).

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The latest special edition of the current fifth-generation Polo has been launched in Germany. Not to be confused with the Polo Beats, the Polo Sound is just one of a new range of Sound models, which encompass all sizes of Volkswagen from the Up to the Sharan. Volkswagens states that the special Sound models have ‘innovative equipment’ and ‘wireless connectivity’, and all have distinctive features.

Distinctive features
On the Polo Sound, those distinctive features include front fog lamps, a gloss black front grille, 65 per cent darkened rear privacy glass, special ‘Sound’ B-pillar badges, and most distinctively of all, suitably-named 6J x 15 ‘Woodstock’ alloy wheels. Inside, there are LED-lit footwells (for that proper ‘nightclub’ feeling no doubt), ‘Equalizer’ dashboard trim, ‘Sound’ cloth-upholstered seats with ‘Wild Cherry’ stitching, and ‘Climatronic’ climate control.

The six-speaker ‘Composition Colour’ infotainment system can be upgraded with the optional 300-watt set-up from the other sonically-christened Polo, the Beats, which brings an eight-channel amplifier and a sub-woofer which really should make the Polo Sound live up to its audibly-tinged name.

Volkswagen claims that the enhanced audio option makes the Polo Sound ‘an impressive private club’, and while we doubt that, it comes as part of an €1250 ‘Sound Plus’ package which includes 7J x 16 ‘Salvador’ alloy wheels and LED-daytime running lights. An R-Line package is also available for Polo Sound models, and at €1185, features 7J x 17 ‘Mallory’ alloy wheels, and an R-Line body styling kit.

Prices for the Polo Sound start at €15,925 for the 1.0-litre 59bhp five speed manual version, rising to €21,175 for the 1.4-litre 89bhp TDI with seven-speed DSG gearbox. Find out more about the Polo Sound on the Volkswagen website.

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The Volkswagen Polo rounded off 2016 as the UK’s seventh most popular car by registration figures, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) which has released totals for December. A total of 3,650 Polos were registered in the last month of 2016, while 54,448 registration of Volkswagen’s small car also saw it placed seventh overall in the year’s chart as a whole.

The Ford Fiesta was once again positioned at the top of both the December and overall 2016 charts, with 8,198 and 120,525 cars registered respectively. The Volkswagen Golf was third in the final month of 2016 with 5355 units registered, while a total of 69,742 saw it finish the year in fourth place. Overall, 2,692,786 cars were registered in 2016 – up 2.3 per cent on 2015.

The UK’s top 10 most popular passenger cars during December 2016 and the year overall (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 8,198 (120,525, 1st)
2 Vauxhall Astra: 6,134 (60,719, 6th)
3 Volkswagen Golf: 5,335 (69,492, 4th)
4 Ford Focus: 4,991 (70,545, 3rd)
5 Mini: 4,637 (48,328, 8th)
6 Vauxhall Corsa: 3,938 (77,110, 2nd)
7 Volkswagen Polo: 3,650 (54,448, 7th)
8 Nissan Juke: 3,368
9 Nissan Qashqai: 3,202 (62,682, 5th)
10 Mercedes-Benz C Class: 3,063 (44,184, 9th)

(The 2016 top 10 most popular car absent from December 2016’s sales figures was the tenth-placed Audi A3 with 43,808 cars registered.)

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It’s been another busy year for the Volkswagen Polo. On the asphalt and gravel stages of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship, the Polo has, like 2013, 2014, and 2015, again taken on all-comers to emerge victorious: the 318bhp Polo R WRC has taken the Manufacturers’ Championship title for Volkswagen Motorsport and has also carried Frenchmen Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia to their third consecutive Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ Championship prizes. Sadly, that success is due to end this year with the announcement that Volkswagen is to quit top-level rallying.

Other Polo-based motorsport series have continued around the globe, though, with Wolfsburg’s small car taking an even larger presence in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. Volkswagen Driver magazine in the UK has also published a series of articles detailing cars in the 2015 AutoMuseum Volkswagen ’40 Years Polo’ exhibition, which were written by PoloDriver.com editor Rich Gooding. A number of Polo special edition models have also been released around the world, while 2016 is expected to be the final production year of the current fifth-generation Polo.

Here, we round up the Polo’s biggest achievements in 2016. (Bold entries are illustrated by the picture above that particular month’s list of events.)

January

– Our cars: 2015 Polo SE 1.2 TSI – report three
– Volkswagen RX Sweden rallycross team unveiled
– Volkswagen launches ‘Race Anywhere’ Polo R WRC smartphone rally game app
– Polo R WRC upgraded and improved ahead of 2016 FIA World Rally Championship
– Volkswagen Motorsport takes victory at Rally Monte-Carlo
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

February
– Polo E80 prototype and Öko-Polo eco models profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Volkswagen India refreshes Polo and Vento ranges; new sub-compact Ameo launched
– Polo GTI revealed for Indian market
– Sébastien Ogier, Julien Ingrassia and Volkswagen win Rally Sweden for the third time
– Polo Beats special edition announced ahead of 2016 Geneva motor show
– Polo is the eighth best-selling car in the UK.

March
– 1970s early Polos and Audi 50s profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Future Polo-based T-Cross Breeze SUV concept revealed at 2016 Geneva motor show
– Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila celebrate Rally Mexico win
– Volkswagen South Africa launches Polo Vivo Xpress van and Polo Vivo GTS
– Our cars: 2015 Polo GTI – report one
– Polo is the sixth best-selling car in the UK.

April

– 1982 Polo bb Buchmann profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Volkswagen India recalls Vento 1.5 TDIs due to ‘inconsistent emission issues’
– 2016 Volkswagen RX Sweden Polo RX rallycross Supercar revealed
– 2017 Volkswagen Polo R WRC technology announced
– Sixth for Johan Kristoffersson and Volkswagen RX Sweden at World RX of Portugal
– Polo R WRCs finish in second and third places at Rally Argentina
– Polo is the sixth best-selling car in the UK.

May
– 1983 Polo Sprint prototype profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Polo RXs finish seventh and 15th at World RX of Hockenheim
– Special edition Polo Beats hits the UK from £13,910
– Volkswagen RX Sweden Polos in World RX of Belgium final
– Rally Portugal podiums for Andreas Mikkelsen and Sébastien Ogier
– Polo GT Sedan 1.4 TSI launched in Russia
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

June

– 1985 Polo G40 ‘World Record’ endurance car profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Polo RXs complete World RX of Great Britain in eighth and 11th places
– New Polo Select and Vento Celeste special editions for India
– Double podium and an extended championship lead for Volkswagen at Rally Italy
– Polo RXs finish in seventh and 15th places at World RX of Norway
– Wimmer Rennsporttechnik announce 417bhp Polo R WRC tuning kit
– Polo is the eighth best-selling car in the UK.

July

– Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger take Polo R WRC to victory at Rally Poland
– Polo scoops Auto Express New Car Awards 2016 ‘small car’ prize
– Fourth and fifth place finishes for Polo RXs at World RX of Sweden
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

August

– Five generations of sports Polos profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Second place for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila at Rally Finland
– Goodridge Performance launches 2014-onwards Polo GTI 1.8 TSI ‘Phantom’ brake line kit
– PoloDriver.com profiles Belgian-only special edition Polo RX from 1978
– Kristoffersson scores Volkswagen RX Sweden podium at World RX of Canada
– Volkswagen Group announces roll-out particulate filters for petrol-engined cars
– Polo 1.2-litre TDI included in Volkswagen EA189 engine recall
– Sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo spotted testing; ‘hybrid’ platform car to be sold in India
– Polo R WRC takes on Kamaz 4326 Dakar Rally truck in Ouninpohja, Finland
– Cobra Sport announces performance exhaust system for 2014-onwards Polo GTI 1.8 TSI
– Ogier and Volkswagen Motorsport win Rally Germany
– Polo is the sixth best-selling car in the UK.

September
– 1986 Volkswagen Motorsport Polo GT G40 profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Kristoffersson scores emphatic first team victory at World RX of France
– Polo Vivo expanded production plans announced with building of Kenyan factory
– Pete Hedström pilots Polo RX at World RX of Spain and World RX of Latvia
– Remus stainless steel exhaust upgrade for 2014-onwards Polo GTI 1.8 TSI announced
– Kristoffersson finishes sixth at World RX of Spain
– Polo is the sixth best-selling car in the UK.

October
– 1986 Wintershall VW Polo G40 Cup profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Ogier and Volkswagen Motorsport victorious at Rally France
– PoloDriver.com tests the Polo R-Line 1.0 TSI
– Kristoffersson claims second place at World RX of Latvia
– Special edition Polo Vivo Storm released in South Africa
– Polo Beats special edition launched by Volkswagen South Africa
– A solid sixth for Kristoffersson at World RX of Germany
– Ogier and Ingrassia claim fourth WRC drivers’ championship title at Rally Spain
– Volkswagen claims its twelfth WRC title in four years at Rally Great Britain
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

November
– Second-generation Polos profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Volkswagen announces it is to exit the World Rally Championship
– ‘Limited edition’ Polo GTI launched in India for Rs 25.99 lakh
– Polo Beats special edition arrives in Ireland
– Polo Allstar and Vento Preferred special editions launched by Volkswagen India
– Volkswagen bids farewell to Polo R WRC with Rally Australia win
– Polo is the eighth best-selling car in the UK.

December
– Late-generation Polos profiled in Volkswagen Driver magazine
– Polo R WRC is named as Autosport magazine’s 2016 Rally Car of the Year
– Sébastien Ogier is named as Autosport magazine’s 2016 Rally Driver of the Year
– Polo GTI named Overdrive magazine’s Performance Car of the Year
– Ameo, Polo and Vento Crest Collection special edition models launched
– PoloDriver.com compares the SEAT Ibiza Cupra and Volkswagen Polo GTI
– Value-driven Polo Match Edition launched in the UK
– Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK for the month and the year overall
– Over 704,062 Polos are registered worldwide during 2016, making it the eighth best-selling car in the world.

Once again, we would like to thank the loyal readers and followers who have helped make the year another enjoyable one for PoloDriver.com, and hope that you’ll enjoy the developments and stories coming to the website in 2017.

[Click on the ‘Polo 2009-’, ‘WRC’ and ‘Motorsport’ tags in the category drop-down list in the right-hand sidebar of the website to see all entries pertaining to the revised fifth-generation Polo, Polo R WRC, and Polo motorsport activity respectively. Choose other category or month sections for relevant entries.]

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Volkswagen UK has enriched the popular Polo range with the addition of the Match Edition model, available to order from Volkswagen Retailers on 21 December. Prices start at £13,315 OTR for the model with enhanced technology, which also comes with a choice of four engines. Among the highlights of the Polo Match Edition is Car-Net App-Connect which integrates smartphones to the car via a USB connection, and allows Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or MirrorLink apps to control the device.

Useful interactivity
Practical information and apps such as Skype and Spotify – can also be accessed by the Car-Net App-Connect system – which also features on the distinctive Polo Beats model – while for Android smartphones, Google Voice Control functionality is also enabled. Car-Net App-Connect builds on the car’s standard Composition Media infotainment system, too, for further useful interactivity.

For MirrorLink users, Volkswagen has developed special apps including Call & Remind for those all-important ‘to do’ lists, as well as Cam Connect, which lets a GoPro® Hero4 camera be placed in the car and a still image shown on the infotainment screen on demand. Video from the camera can also be streamed when the car is moving slowly or is at a halt.

Value-driven
Aside from the heightened technology count, standard equipment on the value-driven new Polo Match Edition is high. Features on the Polo Match Edition include auto-dimming rear view mirror and auto-sensing windscreen wipers, cruise control, a ‘coming/leaving home’ function for the lights, electrically-heated door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, as well as 15-inch ‘Stratford’ alloy wheels.

Three petrol and one diesel engines power the Polo Match Edition. A 1.0-litre petrol unit starts the range, and is available in 59 and 74bhp forms, while Volkswagen’s familiar 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine with 89bhp provides a little more go, and can be chosen with either a manual or DSG automatic gearbox. A 1.4-litre TDI diesel engine with 74bhp completes the Match Edition range, and Volkswagen states it offers as much as 74.3mpg* on the combined cycle.

For additional details on the Polo Match Edition and the complete Polo range, visit the Volkswagen UK website. Pricing for the Polo Match Edition is below.

2016 VOLKSWAGEN POLO MATCH EDITION PRICES (UK)
1.0 BMT 59bhp, 108g/km, five-speed manual, 3dr: £13,315
1.0 BMT 59bhp, 108g/km, five-speed manual, 5dr: £13,945
1.0 BMT 74bhp, 108g/km, five-speed manual, 3dr: £13,840
1.0 BMT 74bhp, 108g/km, five-speed manual, 5dr: £14,470

1.2 TSI BMT 89bhp, 109g/km, five-speed manual, 3dr: £14,460
1.2 TSI BMT 89bhp, 109g/km, five-speed manual, 5dr: £15,090
1.2 TSI BMT 89bhp, 109g/km, seven-speed DSG, 3dr: £15,835
1.2 TSI BMT 89bhp, 109g/km, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: £16,465

1.4 TDI BMT 74bhp, 97g/km, five-speed manual, 3dr: £15,525
1.4 TDI BMT 74bhp, 97g/km, five-speed manual, 5dr: £16,155

* Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained under standardised EU test conditions (Directive 93/116/EEC). This allows a direct comparison between different manufacturer models but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions. More information is available on the Volkswagen website at www.volkswagen.co.uk and at www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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