THE fifth generation of Volkswagen’s supermini, the Polo was unveiled at the recent Geneva Motor Show, 34 years after the original went on sale in Ireland. The new Polo is sharper, lighter, safer and more cutting edge than ever before. Volkswagen claims that it will set new standards in the small car class. 

Not only does the new Polo weigh 7.5% less than the vehicle it replaces, despite being marginally wider and longer, but it’s also stronger. Volkswagen claims that the new model delivers greater refinement and efficiency and features new packaging to make it the most versatile Polo yet.
The Polo debuts a new look as well as highly efficient TSI and common rail TDI engines to set new benchmarks in efficiency. These improve on the high standards set by the outgoing car. This latest Polo has new advanced safety systems and a new construction to allow it to meet the criteria for the recently introduced five-star EuroNCAP standard.
At 3,952 mm in length the new Polo is 36 mm longer than the car it replaces.  Its width, at 1,682 mm, has also grown by 32 mm, yet the overall height has dropped by 13 mm to 1,454 mm.
These slightly larger dimensions and a longer wheelbase mean there’s greater space inside the new Polo.  Head, shoulder and legroom have all increased, as has the load volume which now totals a minimum of 280 litres and a maximum of 952 litres.
Up front, elegant white backlit dials are set into a dashboard constructed out of high-quality, soft touch plastics. Volkswagen’s attention to detail remains apparent in the new Polo with subtle aluminium highlights dotted around the interior and the option of a handy air conditioned glovebox and an easily accessed connection point for an MP3 player.
The new Polo delivers its efficiency improvements by a mix of advanced naturally aspirated 1.2- and 1.4-litre engines as well as a new turbocharged 1.2-litre TSI petrol unit joining another new 1.6-litre TDI common rail diesel engine. All are equipped with either five- or six-speed manual gearboxes as standard and, for the first time on the Polo, selected variants can be specified with Volkswagen’s lightweight seven-speed DSG gearbox.
A Polo BlueMotion model will also join the range shortly after launch. This version will be powered by an efficient 1.6-litre 90bhp TDI common rail diesel engine. The engine is linked to a five-speed gearbox with lengthened ratios in third, fourth and fifth. This combination allows the new BlueMotion Polo to achieve 3.9 litres/100km (74mpg) while emitting just 96 g/km of CO2. This improves on the outgoing Polo BlueMotion model which is itself one of the most fuel efficient vehicles currently on sale.

Caption: Volkswagen has launched a new Polo model which is lighter and more efficient and due on the Irish market later this year. Prices have yet to be announced.

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