PoloDriver

Look at that. Two silver ‘sports’ Polos on the drive. Only 18 years and 103bhp separate them. Whereas our long-term 75bhp Polo GT coupé relies on simple mechanical make-up and charm to make up for its lack of electric fripperies, Volkswagen UK’s 178bhp Polo GTI press car is packed with tech. Top of the technological spec sheet must be the 1.4-litre twin-charged engine, which features both a turbocharger and a supercharger. Then there’s XDS, an electronic differential lock, and electric everything. We’ve got J6 VWW for two whole weeks and we’ve got lots of miles planned. We hope to exploit its performance, test its dynamic polish, and see if it’s as all-round a package as its bigger brother, the Golf GTI. Follow the updates on our Twitter feed at @polodrivercom, and if you’ve had experience of Volkswagen’s latest pocket rocket (or its closely related SEAT or Škoda cousins), tell us what you think.

The latest new vehicle sales statistics have been released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), and it’s a familiar story for Volkswagen South Africa. The biggest-selling car for July 2011 was once again the Polo Vivo, closely followed by the Polo 6R. The entry-level Polo Vivo/Polo Vivo Sedan range sold 3142 units last month, while 2111 fifth-generation Polo hatchbacks and recently-launched Polo Sedans found South African homes. In addition, a total of 7876 fifth-generation Polos were exported to markets around the world. NAAMSA reported that all segments of the market had improved when compared to the same period last year, with an increase of 10.5% on domestic sales, while exports have risen 8.1%.

The Polo Vivo was launched in March 2010 as an entry-level model for the South African market, replacing the Series 1 Golf-based CitiGolf, and is available as a three or five-door hatchback and four-door booted saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. Costing from R104,065 for the base-model 1.4 hatchback to R156,220 for the top 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the 2011 Polo Vivo is based on the revised version of the Series 4 Polo (9N3), built from 2005 to 2009. The fifth-generation Polo is also available as both a three and five-door hatchback in addition to the Polo Sedan.

Current championship winner Devin Robertson extended his 37-point lead at the fifth round of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup last weekend, celebrating a double victory at the Aldo Scribante Race Circuit in Port Elizabeth. The fifth round of the 2011 series (also known as the Volkswagen Polo Cup South Africa) saw Robertson beat Dewald Brummer and Lee Thompson to the top step of the podium in the first race, while the South African was ahead of second-placed Thompson and third-placed Kosie Weyers.

The 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup series is similar to the other racing VW Polo Cup single-series championships run in both Europe and India. Just as in those series, the one-make format particularly highlights a wealth of new young driving talent. In the Engen championship, as many as thirty drivers regularly take to the track in technically-identical, 2.0-litre, 234bhp Volkswagen Polo Vivo racing cars. The next two rounds of the 2011 Engen Volkswagen Cup are scheduled for 3 September at the BMSC circuit, East London.

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After a two-month absence, the Polo is back in the UK’s top 10 best-selling cars chart. Sitting at eighth place during July 2011, the latest batch of sales figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) record that 3684 Polos were sold, bringing the year-to-date tally to 26,581 units. The unsalable Ford Fiesta was once again the top seller in both the July figures (6695 units) and the year-to-date charts (58,338 units). There was another success story for Volkswagen UK in the top 10 figures for last month, as the evergreen Golf appeared at number four, selling 4272 examples.

‘New car registration figures fell marginally by 3.5% to 131,634 units in July, reflecting the impact of slower economic growth and subdued consumer confidence,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘Robust demand in the fleet sector helped to bolster weaker private demand. While the coming months of the year remain challenging, performance in the second half of 2011 is expected to keep the new car market on course to reach sales of around 1.93 million units.’ The Polo’s supermini class segment accounted for an improved 34.2% share of the July market in 2011. The UK’s top 10 best-selling cars in July 2011 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 6695 (58,388, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 6235 (50,060, 2nd)
3 Vauxhall Corsa: 5122 (43,719, 3rd)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 4272 (37,390, 4th)
5 Vauxhall Astra: 4084 (36,697, 5th)
6 Vauxhall Insignia: 4037 (29,987, 6th)
7 BMW 3 Series: 3693 (25,559, 8th)
8 Volkswagen Polo: 3684 (26,581, 7th)
9 Nissan Qashqai: 3391 (23,383, 9th)
10 Volkswagen Passat: 2514

(The 2011 year-to-date best-seller absent from July’s sales figures is the Mini, selling 20,337 units in 10th place.)

On 5 August, Volkswagen launched the latest take on its ‘Think Blue’ campaign, highlighting the benefits of sustainable mobility. Featuring media for print, online and TV, the latest initiatives follow the company’s ‘Think Blue’ website launch back in May. As well as promoting VW’s latest efficient vehicles and ranges, the site also gives tips on saving fuel, and information on the various global ‘Think Blue’ projects. The Australian 1-litre Challenge for example sets out to see which drivers can extract the most miles from a Polo TDI.

‘We have set ourselves the ambitious target of becoming the greenest automaker. Our products and the “Think Blue” campaign demonstrate we have what it takes to achieve that,’ Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, explained. With ‘Think Blue’, Volkswagen is addressing how individual mobility and sustainable action can be harmonised, including eco-friendly products as well as resource-efficient production methods. The TV commercial (above) creates a symphony on sustainability using the unusual presentation technique of ‘music painting’. The 60-second spot tells the story of fuel efficiency at Volkswagen, from ‘Think Small’ to ‘Think Blue.’

Volkswagen states that the name ‘Think Blue’ picks up the thread of the legendary ‘Think Small’ advertising slogan of the famous 1960s campaign which highlighted the way the Volkswagen Beetle democratised mobility, most notably in the US. Going forward, Volkswagen intends to maintain its pioneering role of making efficient and sustainable mobility accessible to everyone. That includes environmental developments such as the fuel-saving BlueMotion Technologies and electro-mobility as well as new mobility concepts. Above all, though, the German company says that the ‘Think Blue’ campaign is primarily about joining up with customers and everyone else interested in a change of mindset towards sustainable mobility.

[Source: Volkswagen]