PoloDriver

Another week, another new Polo TV commercial. Volkswagen is clearly pushing the car relentlessly, this spot appearing in the car’s home market launch week in its home market 29 June. Partnering the ‘Neon’ spot that aired around the same time, the young and trendy still feature, with the Polo being the young and trendy transport of choice.

Volkswagen has also launched a technically amazing new configurator for the car. If you’re in Germany, choose your paint and wheels here.

These hip young things have seen the light. There are no surprises for the demographic Volkswagen is aiming the new Polo at. Here’s the first proper commercial for the new Polo, which launches this week in Germany, and has attracted over 24,000 advance orders.

A little harsh I think. I think they’ve been sniffing too much petrol at Sniff Petrol. Yes, sensible the new Polo may be, but it is different to the bigger Golf, and has got a style of its own. Don’t they realise that the more daringly-styled new Ford Fiesta will date much quicker?

Fresh from its international press launch in Sardinia (the location for the Mk 2 Polo launch, fact fans), more details on the 2009 Volkswagen Polo have been released. Volkswagen has listed details on the three trim levels in Germany (the traditional Trendline, Comfortline and Highline), more information on engines, and plans for the roll-out.

Mainland Europe is to get the car first, at the end of June, with other markets to follow. Cars for the UK are scheduled to land around September or October. Initial drive reports from the Italian outpost claim that the car is big-car impressive, but ultimately not as fun to steer as dynamic arch rival, the Fiesta. The same old story then; has Volkswagen missed a trick?

In other Polo-related news, Volkswagen has received over 13,000 advance orders for the new fifth-generation model (remember that the public hasn’t actually seen the car in the metal yet), and the rumour mill still reports that a deal for the US market has all but been done, although we’ll reserve judgment on that one until we hear a green a light has been given.

It could well be true, though; the first UK road tests point to the top trim level across the Atlantic being SEL, which was used on top-of-the-tree US Corrados and Passats a few years ago.

The website of UK motoring monthly Car, has published the first road test of the new Polo. Driven by respected motoring journalist Georg Kacher, the 1.2 TSI with 105 PS earns a four-star rating. Summing up, Kacher says that the new Polo ‘isn’t perfect, but it’s an impressive step forward from a model that was well past its sell-by date.’ The full drive is in the July 2009 issue of Car magazine out on 20 May, but you can read the exclusive first test here.