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US website Motor Authority has recently hinted that the Polo is still to appear Stateside, just a little later than Volkswagen’s initial plans. Now slightly more involved, the company’s plans for the federal Polo are said to include the new sedan (saloon, new rendering above) and a stretched iteration of the hatchback model on sale in Europe; something between a mini-van and a traditional hatch.

Production is rumoured to start in 2011 at VW’s Puebla plant in Mexico, and the US Polo will be aimed at competitors such as the Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz/Fit. A sedan version of the car developed for the Indian and Asian market is already slated to go on sale later this year. Head across to Motor Authority to read more.

[Image: Motor Authority]

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Latest reports from India suggest that the new Polo Sedan could take the name of VW’s Series 3 Golf-based saloon, the Vento. Autocar India states that as the name means ‘wind’ in both Italian and Portugese, the new Polo notchback would follow the longstanding Volkswagen tradition of calling its cars after prominent winds. The current issue of the magazine also hints that the car will go on sale in July, and that the company is aiming for 25,000 units to be sold each year.

The wheelbase has reportedly been extended by 50mm to allow for better legroom, while the platform and bodywork are similar to the Polo hatchback as far as the B-pillar. The notchback rear body panels – which house a massive 500-litre boot – are said to be well-integrated with the rest of the car, and if Autocar India’s latest mock-up photos are based on fact, then the new Vento could be the best-looking Polo three-box since the original Derby of 1977. Engines are expected to be 104bhp 1.6-litre petrol and TDI units. The common-rail TDI unit could then also be dropped into the Indian-market Polo hatchback to mirror models in Europe, the magazine states.

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The latest phase of the Polo’s motorsport career is due to start in India on 30 May 2010, when the inaugural round of the Volkswagen Polo Cup India takes to the track. Running as part of the 2010 JK Tyres National Racing Championship, the series has attracted 1,100 entries for the 20 starting places on the grid. These will be filled by a four-tier selection process, which started with initial administrative checks, reducing the number of 16 to 24 year-old drivers to 713, which, after interviews, were slimmed down further to 450. Winning drivers will each punt a 129bhp 1.6-litre TDI Polo Cup car around circuits in Chennai and Coimbatore. The debut of the series will take place on a street circuit around Pune, where the Indian-market Polo is built.

Sanjay Sharma, head of motorsport at JK Tyres, said that to discover the rising stars, the remaining young drivers will undergo further tests in Polo simulators flown in from Germany. ‘The simulator runs are for absolute rookies with no racing experience. They will then graduate to four-stroke go-karts and then to two-stroke where they will be joined by drivers with some racing background. We will then shortlist 40 candidates who will take part in the final evaluation process in Coimbatore on May 15 and 16 when they actually get to drive the Polo Cup car. While JK Tyres will provide some support, the evaluation will be done by experts appointed by Volkswagen,’ Sharma informed the Indo Asian News Service.

The Volkswagen Polo Cup India is the newest championship run by VW, which runs similar series in Europe, Japan and South Africa. The entry fee for the six-round championship is Rs 240,000 which covers the cost of fireproof racing overalls, a helmet, HANS (Head And Neck Support system) and service back-up as well as hospitality during race weekends. The series champion will be decided on cumulative points that range from 60 to two for each of the six rounds. The championship will be run in a controlled environment that disallows any set-up changes or modifications to the car with the exception of a three-way adjustable front stabiliser and tyre pressures.

[Source: Indo Asian News Service]

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The Polo’s word domination continues. The car is already a hit in Europe and some countries in the Middle East as well as the Far East – now it’s the turn of Australia. The outgoing Series 4 has been sold on the far flung continent since the mid-2000s, but now, the fifth-generation is on the horizon. Prospective Australian new Polo buyers can register their interest, ahead of the car’s market launch in May. It has also been reported that the new GTI version will be landing later, too. If you want to be one of the first Australians to be in the know about Polo, head over here to find out more.

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The first in an occasional series on the market launches of the Polo sees us dock in South Africa for the high-tech introduction of the fifth-generation model

When it comes to individual market launches of the fifth-generation Polo, Volkswagen has not so much pushed the marketing boat, but chartered a cruise liner and wined and dined all sorts of industry representatives. In Germany for example, there was a ‘Polo Kongress’ spread over numerous days, while Volkswagen South Africa recently staged a ‘Polo Skylab’ launch event for its retailers and management.

The concept for the new Polo launch there was ‘out of this world’, the company stating that the newcomer’s ‘cutting edge innovation delivers on its promise of being ahead of its time’ and ‘a benchmark in its class.’ That explains the ‘Expect Big Things’ marketing campaign, which some onlookers have described as misguided, because the car has been on sale there for a number of years now.

But, when it came to launching the car on the unsuspecting South African market, the local arm of the German giant thought very big. Taking its cue from space, the Polo Skylab showcased not only the new model’s technological advancements but also the best in cutting edge digital technology. Featuring interactive iBars with touch-sensitive surfaces and 3D Polo visual projections and uTouch screens to navigate through the new Polo’s specifications and brochure, a multimedia experience was guaranteed for all guests.

But that wasn’t all. In addition, augmented reality kiosks used live video to make both 3D components and versions of the new Polo appear from brochures and drive across the pages, while booths housed yet more swirling 3D holograms. The 2010 Polo Skylab launch event was the single largest showcasing of holographic and 3D technology showcased in one South African venue and housed two thirds of such available tech in the world. And there could only be one guest suitable for such a space-inspired theme: Commander Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

[Source: Volkswagen Marketing Communications, South Africa]

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