Polo Driver

PoloDriver may not be at the 2010 Geneva motor show physically, but, fresh from Volkswagen’s now-traditional evening press conference, are these two new footage clips showing the forthcoming Polo GTI and CrossPolo in action. Along with world debuts for both the new Sharan and Touareg, the latest variants of Volkswagen’s fifth-generation supermini were unveiled to the press yesterday.

Filmed in what appears to be an Arctic wasteland (but was more than likely somewhere in snow-covered northern Europe), both new pieces of Volkswagen film show the Polo GTI and CrossPolo doing lurid tail-out drifts in the frozen white stuff, while various close-up shots zoom in on the details of the cars that we’ve not yet seen much of. And, in the case of the CrossPolo, there’s an extra reason to celebrate – Magma Orange is back!

Both clips herald the arrival of the PoloDriver YouTube channel. We hope to bring you more footage from Volkswagen, as well as TV commercials and other short films of Polos in action. Click on the videos below to see the clips of the newest additions to the Polo family and head here to subscribe to PoloDriverTV.

While Polos are obviously our main interest here at PoloDriver, we do have a roving eye for most other Volkswagen models, too. So, last summer, we took a 1.2-litre Fox Urban to the North York Moors for a 1200-mile road test to see if Volkswagen’s city car can do most of what the Polo can do, but for £2000 less. Can the smaller, Brazilian-built town tiddler be a true cut-price Polo alternative, and is there character busting to get out under all that functional practicality? For answers to these questions and more about the global Fox family, read our digital mini-mag (previewed below) here.

Ahead of its Geneva motor show debut next week, the Polo GTI has put in another appearance on Autocar.co.uk this week. Largely a story to show off the magazine’s ‘exclusive’ pictures, the new shots show close-up details of the car, missing from Volkswagen’s official photos which were released last week. The standard twin exhaust pipes and headlamps with optional LED daytime running lights feature in the new shots. The magazine also claims that the 178bhp, DSG-equipped car goes on sale in the UK in August and confirms the availability of a family friendly five-door model.

Head over here for the full story and new pictures.

[Image: Stuart Price for Autocar]

Monthly UK title Volkswagen Driver features the 1990-1994 Polo Coupé GT as the star of its model profile section in its March 2010 issue. With five detailed pages devoted to the spritely small Volkswagen, the magazine looks back at the Coupé GTs life with period Volkswagen photographs and ‘anorak’-type panels covering the colour and trims available as well as a full technical specification. The page of owners’ opinions also features two of PoloDriver’s long-termers, with Simon Kimber and Rich Gooding explaining why the sometimes overlooked GT appeals to them.

Grab a copy of the March 2010 issue of Volkswagen Driver from all good newsagents (find your nearest stockist here), or contact Autometrix Publications on 01525 750500.

World premiere at the Geneva motor show: five-door all-around vehicle with clever details and rugged all-terrain look

Volkswagen doesn’t do things by halves. Following the new Polo GTI’s unveiling ahead of its world premier at the Geneva motor show in March, the German giant has revealed that the new version of the rugged CrossPolo will keep it company on the show stand. Completing (for now at least) the new Polo range, the CrossPolo extends the family to four and with its unique colours and styling, it undoubtedly brings something extra to the compact class, and, we think, has no notable direct rivals to speak of.

As with the GTI, we didn’t expect this new Polo flavour to arrive so soon, either, but with the Geneva expo such a major fixture on the motor industry’s calendar, we should have known better. Following the tradition set by its predecessors, the 2004 Polo Fun and 2005 CrossPolo (both known as the Polo Dune in the UK), the new version of the go-anywhere Polo blends off-road styling cues with a 15mm raised ride height. Powered by a range of three petrol and three diesel engines, Volkswagen says that the newcomer mixes ‘tough qualities with lifestyle character’.

Individually styled
A five-door only, the new CrossPolo features individually-styled anthracite front and rear bumpers with large air inlets and fake silver underbody skid plate, front fog lights, anthracite wheel arch and sill extensions, anodised silver roof rails and door mirrors and 17-inch ‘Budapest’ five-spoke alloy wheels with 215/40 17 tyres. Six colours are available, with the traditional Magma Orange joined by the Terra Beige Metallic, as seen in the official photos here. The upper areas of the bumpers and all handles are painted in body colour, while the B and C pillars of the new CrossPolo are treated in a high-gloss black.

The interior of the new CrossPolo is just as stylish as the exterior. Depending on body colour, four different trims are available. On all cars, the outer edges of the seats is anthracite, while ‘Hot Orange’, ‘Orange’, ‘Latte Macchiato’ (a ‘lifestyle’ colour if ever there was one) and ‘Grey’ can adorn the inner panels and door trims. Upholstery is called ‘Dimension’ and has a durable webbed feel, while ‘CrossPolo’ is etched into the backs of the front sport seats. Other flourishes inside include a perforated leather steering wheel with brushed chrome spokes, stitching to match the exterior colour, centre armrest, and aluminium pedals. Standard kit includes electric mirrors, electric windows all round, multifunction display with tyre pressure monitor and central locking.

Six engines, DSG
We wouldn’t recommend going serious off-roading with the new CrossPolo – there’s no engine developing more than 104bhp – but then this faux-by-four is designed to be more of a style statement in town. And the engines are certainly up to that. Taking proven units from the rest of the new Polo range, the starter unit is a 1.2-litre, developing 69bhp, with an 84bhp 1.4 following it. Petrol options are topped by the new 1.2-litre turbocharged TSI with 104bhp, which powers the new CrossPolo from rest to 62mph in 9.9 seconds. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on all petrol models, with the option of the same seven-speed DSG gearbox as the new Polo GTI on the 84bhp 1.4. There are 74, 89 and 104bhp 1.6 TDIs, while the 89bhp diesel variant can be paired with the DSG gearbox.

Orders will be taken in showrooms on the continent in March, with the first customer cars arriving in May. After that, there will be both European and Japanese roll-outs. We’re big fans of the CrossPolo here at PoloDriver and while details for the UK market have yet to be announced, we’ll bring you all the details on this stylish and unique addition to the new Polo range as soon as they are released.