PoloDriver

The current issue of Auto Express pits the latest version of the Polo BlueMotion against its arch nemesis, the Ford Fiesta, in frugal ECOnetic guise. The £15,045 Polo costs £400 less than the Fiesta, but has 20bhp less, powered by a 1.2-litre TDI engine. The 94bhp Ford makes it power courtesy of a 1.6-litre TDI unit, but is 7g/km dirtier than the Volkswagen, quite literally soiling its scorecard in eco circles. We’ve tested the Polo BlueMotion recently and found it to be fun in a basic, economy kind of way. Which car wins the Auto Express eco pairing? Buy a copy of issue 1,123 (14–20 July 2010) to find out.

[Image: Auto Express/Pete Gibson]

In recent weeks we’ve showcased the four TV commercials in the Polo’s ‘Made in India’ campaign, created by DDB Mudra. The agency has also come up with a range of innovative print, outdoor and digital media. Similarly to the TV commercials, all the other elements of the campaign highlight the fact the the Indian-built Polo is tailor-made for Indian drivers, but has the might of German engineering behind it. This print ad from the campaign focuses on the economy and technical aspects of the car and features ‘The Polo Mileage Test,’ as well as tying in neatly with the TV commercials – head over to PoloDriverTV to watch the set of four spots. The new Polo costs from RS 4.5 lakh, and will face heated competition from the Maruti Swift, Ford Figo, Honda Jazz, Fiat Punto and Hyundai i20.

This 53-second is undoubtedly a spoof. We don’t know who’s behind it, but it did make us chuckle. How do we know it not to be real? Some of the fonts used towards the end of the spot aren’t Volkswagen corporate style, and would the company really suggest doing acts usually performed in the boudoir in the new Polo’s interior, however plush it might be? The tale of a nerd who never gets the girl, he seizes his chance and uses his Polo to impress his object of desire. Yes, the subtle humour references are Volkswagen style, but there’s still something about the clip which just isn’t right. And the marketing message? ‘The Polo with sports body work. Impertinently good.’ Thanks to Mark for the link.

Climair UK Ltd are the sole agent for Climair wind and rain deflectors, and the Sidcup company has a small number of Polo deflectors for 1994-2000 models that it is offering to PoloDriver.com readers at a significantly reduced price of £27.62, inclusive of carriage and VAT. This special price for a pair of deflectors is not available on the company’s website – the usual price is £59.95 – so if you would like to secure a set, call the dedicated phone line on 020 8308 9649 and quote Polo 282 (part no 1730) when ordering. The offer is available on a first come first served basis due to limited stocks.

Here is our first drive report of two of the new Polo range’s most interesting new models. Both turbocharged, but with very different jobs to do, these two 1.2-litre cars even share similar £14,000-£15,000 price points. But, whereas the SEL provides a suitable stopping point for the mainstream Polo range, the BlueMotion shows that driving economically can be fun. With the new Polo saloon and CrossPolo not currently coming to the UK, and with the exception of the GTI, this pair complete the Polo range for now. See how we got on driving around the leafy lanes of Leicestershire by clicking on the magazine graphic below, or if you can’t see the preview, visit this link. The third of our special digital ‘mini-magazines’, check out the PoloDriver bookshelf for our previous two titles. The first issue features mini-tests of the new Polo range in general, while the second four-pager is an account of our findings after a week spent with the Polo’s baby brother city car, the 1.2 Volkswagen Fox Urban.

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