Volkswagen Group Japan released a statement on 16 November, stating that 50,736 Polos were to be recalled to have a side airbag wiring system defect fixed at no cost to the owners. The report revealed that cars built between August 2004 and August 2009 (so we assume 9N and 9N3 models) will have the problem, which causes the a 0.015 second delay in the airbag sensor’s deployment. Volkswagen Group Japan were keen to stress that no accident has been induced by the problem, and that it found the defect through in-house investigations. Only right-hand drive models are affected, and cars in the UK and Australia are likely to be recalled in accordance with regulations in each individual country.

[Source: www.pddnet.com]

With darkness hours about to get longer with the end of British Summer Time this weekend, Volkswagen UK is supporting TyreSafe’s winter tyre campaign with the launch of its own winter tyre programme. A cost-effective way for drivers to get the right winter tyres on their Volkswagen, a set of four tyres can be fitted to existing wheels, starting from £250 fully fitted. In addition, complete winter tyre and wheel sets are also available. The 15 to 19-inch alloy wheels specified in the programme have been designed to offer maximum anti-corrosion resistance to snow and salt, and start from £725 including fitting.

Volkswagen Accessories is also offering a similar programme on mainland Europe. For the Polo, the five-spoke ‘Sima’ alloy wheel is offered in both 14 and 15-inch sizes, with Semperit Master-Grip 185/60 R14 82T (€149.00) or Michelin Alpin A4 185/60 R15 88T EL (€179.00) tyres. The smaller rims and tyre set fit Series 4 (9N and 9N3) Polos built from 2002-2009, while the larger pairing fit all current 6R Polos, including standard, GTI, and Cross Polo models. As well as tyres and wheels, Volkswagen also offers durable high-quality nylon tyre/wheel storage bag – cost is £25 inclusive for a set of four.

As most people drive to and from work in the early morning and late afternoon, when temperatures are even lower than the daily average, Volkswagen states that winter tyres are recommended over summer tyres for up to six months of the year. Winter tyres use a rubber compound optimised for temperatures of less than seven degrees celsius. Conventional tyres become stiffer at low temperatures, but the winter compounds remain softer and therefore better able to maintain grip. They also benefit from a special tread pattern that optimises water displacement and additional grooves, called sipes, which help to maximise traction.

Winter tyres therefore help to provide better grip whether under cornering, braking, or acceleration, and whether the roads are wet, icy, snowy or simply cold. According to safety organisation tyresafe.org, they can reduce braking distances by up to 11 metres in icy conditions, and around eight metres (or two car lengths) on snowy roads. For more precise information on UK specifications, visit your Volkswagen Retailer or www.volkswagen.co.uk and for further details on the benefits of cold weather/winter tyres visit www.tyresafe.org/wintertyres.

There’s still life in the Series 4 Polo yet. Volkswagen do Brasil has just launched the ‘Novo Polo’ and ‘Novo Polo Sedan’, latest versions of the facelifted Series 4 Polo, sold from 2005-2009. Essentially the same as the South African-market Polo Vivo, the 2012 Novo Polo and Novo Polo Sedan get a more corporate-looking Volkswagen front grille and bumper, giving the car a much more current VW ‘face’, while the interior features a silver painted dashboard, as found on Series 4 facelifted Polo GTIs from 2006. There’s also a version of the VW multifunction steering wheel, bringing things up to date.

Engines are carried over from the outgoing model, and it’s here where the cars are differentiated from their once European counterparts. Brazilian-market Series 4 Polos have long been fitted with the 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine, and also the 115bhp 2.0-litre engine, presumably tracing its roots back to the Series 3 Golf, built between 1992 and 1998. No diesel options are offered. The hatchback range consists of six five-door models: Novo Polo 1.6, I-Motion 1.6, Bluemotion 1.6, Sportline 1.6, Sportline I-Motion 1.6 and the top-of-the-rung Sportline 2.0. The four-door Novo Polo Sedan comes as Novo Polo Sedan 1.6, I-Motion 1.6, Comfortline 1.6/2.0 and the Comfortline I-Motion 1.6.

Basic models are equipped with airbags and air-conditioning, I-Motion cars upwards feature power steering, while Bluemotion variants (I-Motion and Comfortline in the Novo Polo Sedan range) add a CD/MP3/SD card/Bluetooth/USB radio system and 6J x 15 ‘Castille’ alloy wheels with 195/55 R15 tyres lifted from the latest fifth-generation 6R Polo range. The Novo Polo hatchback range kicks off at R$44.390,00 for the 1.6-litre model, while the booted Novo Polo Sedan is available from R$47.770,00. Visit www.volkswagen.com/br for further details. With the latest modern Polo range being sold in other South American countries such as Argentina (along with a facelifted Fox), you have to ask the question why is Volkswagen do Brasil sticking with the older, more outdated car?

2011 Volkswagen Novo Polo (Brazil)

2011 Volkswagen Novo Polo (Brazil)

2011 Volkswagen Novo Polo (Brazil)

2011 Volkswagen Novo Polo Sedan (Brazil)

2011 Volkswagen Novo Polo (Brazil)

2011 Volkswagen Novo Polo (Brazil)

It’s Polos to the double in the latest issue of Volkswagen Driver magazine. The latest version of the eco-minded Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI is put through its paces in a 6-page road test, while the 4-page model profile centres on the 2006-2010 1.8T-powered Polo GTI 9N3 (0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, top speed of 134mph). The GTI profile also features information on the Polo GTI Cup Edition, which boasted 178bhp – 30 up on the standard car – and was only available in European markets.The December 2010 issue of Volkswagen Driver magazine is on sale now or can be ordered via the Autometrix Publications website.

With the advent of the new 1.4 TFSI Polo GTI, UK VW magazine Volkswagen Driver is looking for owners of 9N3 Polo GTI (2006-2010) owners  to give short opinions on ownership for a forthcoming model profile. In production for four years, the 9N3 GTI had a 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine, good for 148bhp, 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, and a top speed of 134mph. Only eclipsed by the continental market-only 9N3-based Polo GTI Cup Edition with 178bhp, the outgoing GTI was the most powerful series production Polo at the time. Interested 9N3 Polo GTI owners should email Volkswagen Driver editor Neil Birkitt as soon as possible.

Fresh from their victory on the Osram Rally on 21-22 August, Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson once again took the prize on the Swartland Rally event on 18-19 September. In fact, it was a VW 1-2-3 finish, as Jan Habig and Douglas Judd came in second after a battle with fellow BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 team Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries. However, Kuun dominated the seventh round of the Sasol South African Rally Championship and moves within 4 points of clinching his second driver’s title after romping to an easy 40.3 second win. Co-driver Guy Hodgson took his title with a round to spare. The three Polos were briefly headed by Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich in their Basil Read/Bizhub Ford Fiesta S2000, who scorched the tarmac stages on Friday evening to lead the rally overall.

On Saturday’s first 26.8km long stage, Kuun and Hodgson took a 4.8 second lead over the rest of the field, and after stage five, Kuun was 25 seconds ahead, 37 seconds clear after the next and over 40 seconds in front after the final stage. The Volkswagen driver took the fastest times on four of the nine stages, while Fekken was quick on just one. The Cape Town-based VW pair also sealed the S2000 Championship on the Western Cape sortie. The incestuous VW fight for the balance of the podium placings saw Fekken/Arries on the middle step, three seconds ahead of Habig/Judd. The wily six times champion blasted through the last long stage outside Malmesbury just 0.3 seconds slower than stage winner Kuun, pushing Fekken to the bottom step of the podium.

Other Polo S2000 drivers included Nicholas Ryan and Armand du Toit, who brought their RCF/Jonnesway car home 10th overall. A misfire every time the car saw water cost Ryan a lot of time but they were happy with the result. Jaco van Dyk and Des De Fortier brought their Polo S2000 home 11th overall after a bolt in a lower control arm broke in stage seven, leaving the wheel rubbing inside the arch. They removed a bolt from the sump plate to do a repair on the run, but the sump hit a concrete culvert and damaged something deep in the engine bay, leaving the Polo running at 128°c at the end of the warm spring day. Theuns Joubert and Carl Peskin (Salom Group Polo S2000) broke a gearbox during the shakedown stage, which was replaced before the event. The Mokopane businessman then had a clean run to 12th place overall.

Privateer Polo S2000s didn’t fare so well. Evan Hutchison and Elvene Coetzee (Motorite Polo S2000) retired at the end of Friday with a cracked gearbox, while the class A7 Polos didn’t really get going. On Friday, Gavin Cronje and Henry Dearlove (Easylife Kitchens Faerie Glen Polo) had a strut break through the bonnet, while Gugu Zulu and Cindi Harding (BP Volkswagen Polo) retired with a cooked motor after stage three on the same day. Meanwhile, Charl Strydom and Sakkie Bosman (A6 Sabre Paints Polo) were excluded for using skimmed tyres for the tarmac stages. The final round of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship is the Toyota Dealer Rally Gauteng on 15-16 October.

[Images: David Ledbitter for QuickPic]

The best-selling car brand in South Africa now has another reason to stay at the top of the charts. The Polo Vivo now comes with air-conditioning as standard, with the exception of the 1.4-litre 74bhp three-door base model hatchback. ‘The new Polo Vivo is manufactured in South Africa exclusively for South African motorists. In fact, local content levels in the new Polo Vivo now exceed 70% – illustrating the true South African colours of the Polo Vivo. The inclusion of air conditioning as standard throughout the range should make the Polo Vivo proposition to South African motorists even more enticing,’ said Mike Glendinning, Director Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa. Prices of the air-conditioning equipped Polo Vivo hatchback and sedan ranges from 1 September 2010 (including VAT and CO2 emissions tax) are detailed below.

Polo Vivo hatchback
1.4 3dr 74bhp, R104 065
1.4 5dr 74bhp, R116 065
1.4 5dr Trendline 84bhp, R127 465
1.6 5dr 104bhp, R142 320
1.6 5dr Trendline 104bhp, R150 320

Polo Vivo sedan
1.4 4dr 74bhp, R121 965
1.4 4dr Trendline 84bhp, R133 365
1.6 4dr 104bhp, R148 220
1.6 4dr Trendline 104bhp, R156 220

It was a Volkswagen finish all the way on the Osram Rally, which took place on 21-22 August. The BP Volkswagen Racing Polo S200s of Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson, and Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries finished the sixth round of the Sasol South African Rally Championship in first and second places respectively, while the third factory-backed car of Jan Habig and Douglas Judd came in fourth. A Polo-filled podium was broken by the Ford Fiesta S2000 of Conrad Rautenbach and Peter Marsh. Kuun and Hodgson finished the event 23.7 seconds ahead of Fekken and Arries, while the next Polo to finish was the car of Theuns Joubert and Carl Peskin, which came across the line of the 164km event in ninth place.

Further down the field, the A7 class Polo of Gavin Cronje (the current Le Mans Series Champion) was beaten in the first stage by Leeroy Poulter and Henry Dearlove in their Toyota RunX. The Japanese-driving duo finished 13th overall, a fraction under eight seconds ahead of the 2-litre factory Polo S2000 of Gugu Zulu and Cindi Harding. Other Polo finishers included the Motorite Racing car of Evan Hutchison and Elvéne Coetzee in 12th place, and the privateer Polo of Nicholas Ryan and Armand Du Toit, which was placed a disappointing 17th out of the 25 teams that completed the event after Ryan bent the Jonnesway car’s suspension. The penultimate round of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship is the Swartland Rally in the Western Cape on 17-18 September.

[Images: QuickPic]

In a story detailing Volkswagen’s plans for the Eos and other convertible models, UK auto title Car today reports that an open-air Polo is ‘still-tentative’ and could be ‘built by Karmann, starting in 2012.’ In a fresh flurry of reports, the buyout of Karmann’s facilities by VW could signal the revival of a convertible Polo. Of course, we’ve been here before, with the Polo Cabrio Concept of 2007 seen here. Actually built by Karmann as a one-off, the two-door, GTI-powered ‘study’, the Polo CC featured a soft top which included a glass sliding roof, an illuminated headliner using four small electroluminescent panels, foldable rear seats and a wide-opening boot. Could the proper open-air Polo idea be about to return?

The 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship resumed after a six-week break in the same thrilling fashion experienced at the end of May. Staged in Port Elizabeth on 23-24 July, the Volkswagen Rally 2010 is the fifth round of the eight event championship, and saw Castrol Team Toyota’s Johnny Gemmell take the fight to VW on their home turf to win the event by just 1.5 seconds from Enzo Kuun. The second BP VW Racing Polo S2000 driven by Jan Habig finished behind Kuun in third.

Gemmell and navigator Drew Sturrock took just three special stages on day one of the event to assert their authority on the rally. The first stage was won by Conrad Rautenbach by a 12-second margin over Gemmell with the second quickest time. A win for Gemmell on the second stage saw the gap close to just 1.2 seconds with that deficit converted to a lead of 13 seconds over Habig by the end of the third stage. By the end of the first day Kuun had taken over from Habig as Gemmell’s main challenger, but was 5.3 seconds off the lead.

Through the next five stages on Saturday Kuun kept up the pressure but was unable to move ahead of Gemmell. Going into the final stage of the event, a 1.7 kilometre spectator special at Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth, the gap was the same as it was at the beginning of the day, but a do-or-die on the part of the VW driver saw him close the gap to just 1.5 seconds in the final stage. A close finish, but not as close as the 0.7-second margin held by Gemmell at the end of the Rally of South Africa at the end of May.

‘Once Conrad dropped off the pace we were able to settle into a really good rhythm at the front of the field. When Enzo Kuun took over the challenge from Habig we knew we had a battle on our hands but we were able to manage the gap and bring the car home in one piece,’ enthused Gemmell. In the championship, the advantage now swings to Gemmell as the only driver to win two events so far this season. With a tally of 86 points, he ties with Kuun for the championship lead with three events still to run. Other Polo S2000 finishers included privateers Jaco van Dyk, Nicholas Ryan and Theuns Joubert in 7th, 9th and 12th places respectively.

[Images: QuickPic]

The Rally of South Africa took its toll on the field of racers over the weekend of 29-30 May. Only 23 finishers crossed the line at Ermelo, with the BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 of Jan Habig and Ralph Pitchford in a hard fought second place, just 0.7 seconds behind the leaders Johnny Gemmell and Drew Sturrock and their Toyota Auris. A fantastic result considering that, at the end of the first day, the VW pair were over 1 minute and 48 seconds off the leaders and 79 seconds adrift of the eventual rally winners.

The second day proved more profitable, with the gap to the front of the pack narrowed to 46.8 seconds by the end of stage one. After six stages it was down to 38.0, and by stage eight had dropped further to 25 seconds. A further fall to 14.3 seconds had happened by the end of stage nine, while at the end of stage 10 it was up to 19.2 seconds, setting the scene for a nailbiting finish. No-one was quite sure who had actually claimed the rally victory until the cars pulled up at the podium. Analysing the list of fastest stage times, Habig and Pitchford claimed three stage wins.

A fearsomely tough rally for the bulk of teams, among the competitiors who did not finish was the BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 entry of Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries. The pair damaged a castor suspension arm in stage three of the event and, despite the best efforts at nursing the car back to the service park, the knock-on effect of the damage caused other mechanical problems, which brought them to a halt, dashing their Rally of South Africa hopes. In that same stage, misfortune also befell the 2010 championship leaders, Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson. They had been on form, but were robbed of posting any result by engine problems.

Kuun in particular thought the retirements were a bitter pill to swallow, commenting that the BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 engines had ‘proved themselves bulletproof’ season after season. Engine failures are an extreme rarity for the team – this was in fact the first in six years. With two BP Volkswagen Polo S2000s out of the running, it fell to Habig and Pitchford to fly the blue and green BP Ultimate colours to the finishing line. This was a tough task – made all the more difficult when, at the closing stage of day one, Habig slid into a bank.

The pair’s service crew went into overdrive replacing the necessary parts, including front and rear suspension, springs and a number of other damaged components – all in the 45-minute service time allowed to prepare the car for day two. Back on the road, Habig and Pitchford mounted perhaps the most spectacular comeback of the season to produce a finish that will go down in South African rally history as among the closest, if not the closest, split between the top two drivers. The Sasol South African Rally Championship takes a seven week break over the World Cup, resuming on 23-24 July with the Volkswagen Rally in the Eastern Cape.

[Images: QuickPic]

The pair of Polos started at the back of the grid for both races, Wenham posting a 2:10.216-minute lap time equalling a 20th place on the grid, while Reigate’s Darren Blumson in the Adrenaline Motorsport Polo GTI recorded a 2:13.872, positioning him two cars further back. Zoë’s driveshaft failure meant she retired after 8 laps, while problems with Blumson’s car led him to finish only 6 laps out of the total 13. The silver Adrenaline Motorsport car started from 20th place on row 10 in race 2, but retired again, this time after 8 laps.

Similar to Blumson’s car, Wenham’s white 1.8-litre Polo GTI is also turbocharged, but prepared by KPM Racing, the team headed by ex-Honda F1 technician Kevin Poole. Speaking before Saturday’s race, Wenham said: ‘I’ve given the Polo a shakedown at Silverstone and I have a day planned at Rockingham, but other than that I have no experience of the car. It’s going to be a big step up for me.’ With extensive karting experience, Wenham has raced for two years in the junior SaxMax series, finishing the championship ninth overall in 2009. She hopes to her experience in the Volkswagen Racing Cup will enable her to graduate to touring cars.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup 2010 with Fuchs Lubricants is additionally supported by Augustus Martin, Ceva Logistics, ECM Vehicle Delivery, Hankook, Milltek Sport, KW Automotive, Superchips and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

[Images: Chris Schotanus/www.imagevaults.co.uk]

The hottest factory Polo to date was the 178bhp GTI Cup Edition produced in 2006 to tie-in with the German ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup racing series, so imagine our surprise when we saw this 485bhp monster in the May 2010 issue of Redline magazine. Yes, that’s right, a Polo GTI with 485bhp. Faster than a Mitsubishi Evo X FQ-330, Liam Burke’s tuned Polo sleeper boasts a GTI Cup Edition body kit, has 416bhp-per-tonne (203bhp-per-tonne more than the Evo) and 384lb/ft of torque. Quite an improvement on the standard GTI’s 148bhp and 384lb/ft. Available as a back issue, buy a copy of the May issue of the performance tuning title here and read more about this mental Polo.

[Images: Redline magazine]

The ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup may have been usurped by the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in Germany, but the Series 4 Polo is still enjoying a successful motorsport career in, among other places, South Africa. Last weekend, Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson took their Polo S2000 to victory in the 2010 Sasol Rally, the third round of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship. Scoring the best time in six of the 16 special stages, the duo were 30 seconds ahead of second-placed Johnny Gemmell and his Toyota Auris S2000. Rounding off the 2010 Sasol Rally top three was the fellow Polo S2000 pair of Jan Habig and ex-Dakar co-driver Ralph Pitchford.

The Sasol victory is the latest in a line of podium places for the Polo S2000 in 2010. Kuun and Hodgson finished second in the 2010 Toyota Dealer Rally on 26-27 March, 5 seconds behind the Ford Fiesta S2000 of Conrad Rautenbach and Peter Marsh, while Habig and Pitchford’s car didn’t complete the event. In total, 12 Polos contested the rally, in the A6, A7 and S2000 classes. Meanwhile, in the first event of the season, the 2010 Total Tour Natal Rally on 6-7 March, the Polo S2000 of 2009 champions Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries took the top spot, with Kuun and Hodgson’s car very close behind. Habig and Pitchford’s Polo S2000 came in eighth.

The factory-backed 2010 Polo S2000s are competing in BP Ultimate livery until later in the season, when a squad of new shape Polos are rumoured to appear, possibly on the Volkswagen Rally in July. Although BP has ended its sponsorship of the official Volkswagen trio, it remains as fuel supplier. The next round of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship is the Rally of South Africa on 28 and 29 May, which will be held in the Ermelo region of Mpumalanga.

[Images: QuickPic]

On 19 March, to spectacular fanfare, Volkswagen formally launched the new Polo Vivo at the Sun City Superbowl. The company gathered Volkswagen fans from all over South Africa and treated them to a concert to celebrate the new car’s arrival. Not only were there pyrotechnics a plenty, but also a ‘flying’ Polo Vivo precariously suspended from the 6000-seat Superbowl’s ceiling. Among the acts entertaining the ecstatic crowd were Big NUZ, Freshlyground, Kelly Clarkson, The Parlotones, TKZee and Westlife. Click here for more pictures.

[Images: CelebrateVW]

Now that the marketing machine has swung into action, Volkswagen South Africa has aired the first new TV commercial for the entry-level Polo Vivo. Created by Ogilvy Cape Town and with ‘So much to celebrate,’ the 60-second spot plays on the feelgood factor of the car that Volkswagen wants to use to capture potential Polo Vivo owners. The company will be hoping that, like the on-screen bystanders in the spot, prospective Vivo drivers will be carried along by a wave of euphoria for its new baby…

Volkswagen South Africa has finally updated its website to list the new Polo Vivo among its model range. The new entry level Series 4F Polo/Polo Playa-based Volkswagen will, the company says, ‘set new benchmarks in its category for affordability, quality, safety, space and comfort.’ The Polo Vivo’s mission is a very simple one: to make motoring accessible to more South Africans (notably first-time buyers and pensioners, who may well then graduate to the new Polo, natch).

The hatchback and sedan are on sale now with 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre engines, starting at R101 500 for the base-model 1.4. It’s a popular car, too, with demand outstripping supply; Volkswagen South Africa says that 71,500 have been ‘exported’ so far (from a 50,000 target), the highest ever recorded. ‘So much to celebrate’ is the marketing message, and with that in mind, we thought we’d let you know that both wallpapers and a screensaver for your computer desktop are available to herald the Polo Vivo’s arrival. Preview them below and grab them here (click on ‘Wallpapers’).

We don’t mind admitting that this was a surprise. For 25 years, the entry point into Volkswagen South Africa’s (VWSA) range was the Citi Golf, a heavily revised version of the Series 1 Golf. With the original Golf’s lifespan running from 1974 to 1983, VWSA decided to keep building the car it had been manufacturing locally since 1978, turning it into an inexpensive locally-made affordable base model. The Citi Golf did extremely well and in January 2010, more than a quarter of a century since it was first launched, the final car went on sale. Last week its successor was unveiled and, to be honest, it wasn’t what we were expecting.

The Polo Vivo is the company’s new entry-level car in the affordable A0 segment. Based on a heavily-revised and facelifted Series 4 (9N3) Polo, the newcomer gets a new slimline front grille and sculpted bumpers, all bearing more than a passing resemblance to those fitted to the new fifth-generation (6R) Polo launched in 2009. Other changes include the removal of the side rubbing strips and relocated side repeaters which now sit in the headlamps, moved down from the door mirrors.

Of course, the basic body architecture and outline can be traced back to the original 9N Polo of 2001. Facelifted in 2005 to become the 9N3, the Polo Vivo is essentially a facelift of a facelifted car. Never mind though, Volkswagen South Africa have done this sort of thing before; the 1996-2002 Polo Playa was a Series 2 SEAT Ibiza, with VW roundels on the front grille and tailgate. The Playa name itself was even used as recently as 2006.

The Polo Vivo is not without merit, though, and let’s not forget, the 9N/9N3 Polo is a well-made and refined car, so VWSA’s new baby should be, too. Built at the Uitenhage factory and sharing production line space with the new Polo, 70% of the Vivo’s parts are provided by local suppliers, making the car more affordable to own and maintain. In theory at least. VW’s South African plant has undergone massive investment and is also the only Volkswagen factory to manufacture both right-hand drive five-door new Polo and CrossPolo models.

VWSA state that the cornerstones of the Polo Vivo brand are affordability, quality, safety, space and comfort. As well as three- and five-door hatchbacks, the Polo Vivo will be also be available as more traditional four-door saloon (sedan). In keeping with the car’s ‘basic’ nature, there’s only a choice of three petrol engines. Two 1.4-litre powerplants developing 74bhp and 84bhp are joined by a 1.6 unit with 104bhp (both the higher output engines are shared with the new Polo). Trim levels are even more restricted, with just Base and Trendline to choose between. All models are fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox, and an auto is reportedly in the offing.

Prices start at R101 500 for the base-model three-door 1.4 with 74bhp, rising to R144 900 for the 1.6 Trendline with five-doors. The Vivo Sedan range kicks off at R115 800 for the 74bhp 1.4, while the top-of-the-tree 1.6 Trendline costs R150 800. Standard kit on all cars includes power steering, a rake-and-reach-adjustable steering column and dual airbags. Upgrade to a Trendline and get ABS on the 1.4s and 14” ‘Portland’ alloy wheels on all versions. All 1.6 cars come with ABS and remote central locking, while 1.6 Trendlines add a radio/CD/USB system and front electric windows. Air-conditioning is available as an option on all models.

The established brand equity of the Polo brand in South Africa encouraged Volkswagen to use the name on the new car as an extension of the well-known badge. VWSA say that the Polo Vivo is not a replacement for the Citi Golf, rather ‘an affordable Volkswagen mobility solution for first-time buyers looking to be introduced into the brand promise of “Das Auto”. It is a sensible package offering customers a no-compromise entry level car.’ Quite. But what owners of recent, standard, 9N/9N3 Polos will make of the newcomer remains to be seen – their cars were built in the same factory and no doubt cost more than the Vivo.

But, we welcome news of another new Polo in whatever form it takes here at PoloDriver, so were pleased and pleasantly surprised about the Vivo’s arrival. The car adds to the family of Series 4 Polo-derived variants still going strong in other parts of the world such as China and South America, and its ‘budget’ ethos is similar to that of those models. With the Vivo, VWSA has given the Series 4 Polo a new lease of life and it should provide strong competition to the upcoming Ford Figo (itself based on the 2002-2008 Fiesta), Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10, Peugeot 107 and Renault Sandero. Viva la Vivo! Click any picture below to see more.

A tarmac or gravel-spec motorsport Polo is nothing new. Volkswagen launched the club-level Volkswagen Polo Rally Challenge in 2001 and officially fielded a Super 1600 version of the Polo GTI around the same time. There were Series 4 Polo-based rally cars, too, with entries in events in South Africa and Europe from 2002. Super 2000 (S2000) Polos were even running in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge as late as year. If WRC participation becomes a reality and the new Polo goes rallying, it will add yet another motorsport string to its bow; the track-based Volkswagen Polo Cup India starts in June.

Now that the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup championship has been replaced by a Scirocco-based series and with the WRC reportedly switching to S2000 cars in 2011, the time could be right for a new motorsport version of the Polo. Autocar states that even Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen thinks a new Polo (or Golf) rally car could be a possibility: ‘If we decided to go with the WRC, my view is that we would need at least a year and a half to prepare, so we would be looking at coming in for 2012,’ he said.

Not only has Volkswagen revealed the Indian market new Polo at the Auto Expo in New Delhi today, it also, more excitingly, announced plans for the Volkswagen Polo Cup India 2010, a one-make racing championship. It will be the world debut for the new Polo as a racing variant once the season gets underway on 30 May. Volkswagen report that only a few days after the production car makes its debut in New Delhi, the racing version will turn a wheel in anger, so we think it’s fair to expect some action in the next few days.

The new Polo racer is powered by a 1.6-litre TDI engine, developing 129bhp and linked to a six-speed manual gearbox. Adjustable race suspension also features, along with 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and 200/60 section slick tyres. Distancing itself from the showroom model, the circuit Polo has an aerodynamic body kit, consisting of redefined rear bodywork with a distinctive ‘deflector vane’ and special wind tunnel-developed front, rear and side skirts. An uprated exhaust system emphasises the sporty looks, producing a more angry sound. Design work for the new Polo Cup car was carried out by Volkswagen Design in Braunschweig, so it should be a proper piece of racing kit.

‘The new road-going Polo’s attractive design makes it a veritable eye-catcher. Apart from the demands which motorsport makes on a car, this was a major development objective for the new racing version as well,’ explains Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. ‘At Volkswagen, production development and motorsport work hand in hand, parallel to the presentation of the road car.’ In the cockpit, a Volkswagen sports-style steering wheel and a new shift gate add to the interior’s sporty appeal.

Just like the German ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup series which ran from 2004 to 2009 (above), the Volkswagen Polo Cup India will nurture fledging racing talent. Twenty drivers aged 16 to 24 will be plucked from driving camps all over India and the series could be a launch pad into a professional touring car career. And, just like the German series, all 20 cars will be built centrally by motorsport engineers at Volkswagen (this time at the Pune factory) and feature professional data logging and analysis.

The Volkswagen Polo Cup India 2010 will be run by Volkswagen India Motorsport in conjunction with JK Tyres. We’ll bring you more details of this exciting new chapter in the Polo’s motorsport career as we get them.

Volkswagen Polo Cup India race car specification
Model Polo Cup India race car
Displacement (cc) 1598
Power output 129bhp
Engine Modified ECU, engine mounts, flywheel, inlet and exhaust system
Transmission Front-wheel drive, six-speed manual with modified final drive and gear ratios, limited slip differential
Front and rear suspension Modified spring-damper units
Steering Electro-mechanical steering rack
Brakes 344mm discs, racing ABS system
Wheels 17-inch multi-spoke alloy
Tyres JK 200/60 R 17 racing slicks
Unladen weight (kg) 1060
Safety system HANS (head and neck support) with tubular steel integrated roll cage, racing seat with head protector
Dimensions (l/w/h mm, approximate) 3970/1901/1462