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Introduction background 2
summary 3
market information 4
production 4
Design dimensions 5
exterior 6
interior 7
Engines 1.2-litre 60 and 70 PS 9
1.4-litre 85 PS 9
TSI technology 10
1.2-litre TSI 105 PS 10 1.4-litre TSI ACT 140 PS 10 1.4-litre TSI 180 PS 11
common rail diesel technology 11
1.2-litre TDI 75 PS 11
1.6-litre TDI 90 PS 11
gearboxes 12
servicing 13
Running gear front and rear axle 14
electro-mechanical power steering 14
braking system 14
Equipment highlights S 15
Match Edition, SEL, R-Line 16
R-Line Style, BlueGT 17
GTI 18
Factory-fit options convenience pack 19
and technical highlights parking sensors 19
satellite navigation system 19
Safety and security features 20
Euro NCAP results 21
line-up with insurance groups 22
Warranties 22
Chronology 23
The POLO
Thirty-four years after the original Polo was announced, the fifth generation of Volkswagen’s evergreen supermini went on sale. With each generation change the Polo has become larger and more technically advanced, yet it has remained true to the brand’s core values of safety, reliability, quality and value for money throughout that time. That’s why the Polo remains a popular choice and the second best-selling Volkswagen model after the Golf. It’s also a versatile vehicle, and with a wide range of engine and equipment levels, there is a Polo to appeal to every customer from teenagers to pensioners alike.
The fifth generation Polo made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009. Series production started later that month with European sales beginning in June. Volkswagen UK began taking orders for the new Polo on 7 August, with the first customer deliveries taking place on the ‘on-sale’ date of 16 October. Three-door models followed in December 2009.
Penned under the control of the Volkswagen Group’s Head of Design, Walter de Silva, it’s little surprise and certainly no accident that the new Polo bears strong resemblance to the Golf and other Volkswagen models, with its face in line with the so-called ‘Volkswagen DNA’. It is larger yet considerably lighter than the model it replaced, contributing to improved fuel economy and emissions.
The standard Polo is available with a choice of eight engines: six petrol and two diesel. These are a pair of naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre engines with 60 or 70 PS, a 1.4-litre 85 PS, a 1.2-litre TSI 105 PS and, 1.4-litre TSI 140 PS with ACT Active Cylinder Management (BlueGT) and a 1.4-litre TSI 180 PS (GTI); plus two common rail TDI units: a 1.2-litre three-cylinder with 75 PS, and a 1.6-litre 90 PS. All engines comply with Euro V emissions legislation.
The Polo is offered in seven different trim levels: S and S A/C, Match Edition (replaced Match in April 2013), SEL, R-Line Style and R-Line Style A/C (introduced in April 2013), R-Line, BlueGT and GTI. All models offer a class-leading level of specification with four airbags, ABS, ESP and DAB digital radio receiver standard on every Polo.
In addition to the standard line-up is a BlueMotion model with a 1.2-litre 75 PS TDI which returns 80.7 mpg and emits 91 g/km of carbon dioxide (for which there is a separate press pack).
Optional equipment traditionally associated with cars in higher classes is also offered on the Polo, including touchscreen satellite navigation and climate control.
Since launch, the Polo has received international acclaim, being named European Car of the Year and 2010 World Car of the Year. Several months before the vehicle’s launch, the Polo BlueMotion, along with the highly efficient Golf and Passat BlueMotion models, was also named 2010 World Green Car of the Year. In addition, the Polo has claimed the title of ‘Best Small Car’ at the 2010 Fleet World Honours as well as ‘Best Supermini’ from What Car? and Fleet News.
Volkswagen UK sold 41,901 Polos in 2012.
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SUMMARY
· Original Polo was announced in 1975. European sales started in March of that year and in the UK in June
· New, fifth generation Polo announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009, production started later that month, European sales began in June 2009
· UK five-door sales commenced in October 2009; three-door in December
· Total Polo sales worldwide amount to 10.6 million; over 1,060,000 in the UK
· Larger, lighter, and safer than the previous generation, the Polo established new standards in the supermini class
· Basic body structure weighs 7.5 per cent less than the version it replaced – despite being wider and longer. This helps the new Polo deliver a 20 per cent improvement in fuel economy over the previous model
· Polo now measures 3,970 mm in length (+54 mm over previous model); is 1,682 mm wide (+32 mm); and 1,462 high (-5 mm). Clever use of interior space means increased head, shoulder and leg-room
· Eight engines are available in the standard line-up (six petrol and two diesel, ranging from 60 to 180 PS). In addition a Polo BlueMotion with a 1.2-litre TDI common rail diesel engine is included
· Seven-speed DSG transmission appears in the new Polo for the first time
· Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) is standard along with ABS; five star Euro NCAP result
· Styled by a team led by Walter de Silva (Head of Design, Volkswagen Group) the new Polo gains a distinctive look that draws on the design direction established by the Scirocco and Golf. Clean, uncluttered lines mix with a thin, horizontal grille element framed by a set of sleek light units
· Use of high quality materials and advanced production processes enhance the Polo’s interior. White backlit dials mix with high-quality plastics and subtle aluminium highlights throughout the cabin
· Touchscreen satellite navigation and climate control offered for the first time
· The Polo is offered in seven different trim levels: S and S A/C, Match Edition (replaced Match in April 2013), SEL, R-Line Style and R-Line Style A/C (introduced in April 2013), R-Line, BlueGT and GTI. All models offer class-leading specification with four airbags, ABS, ESP and DAB digital radio receiver standard on every Polo
· Shown as a concept car at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and available from June 2010, the Polo BlueMotion has a 1.2-litre three-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 75 PS, Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems, a gearbox with revised ratios, optimised aerodynamics, suspension lowered by 15 mm and low rolling resistance tyres. Key figures are 80.7 mpg combined and 91 g/km of CO2
· The fleet market accounted for 37 per cent of Polo sales in 2012
· The best-selling model overall is the Match 1.2-litre 60 PS 5dr
· Volkswagen sold 41,901 Polos in 2012
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Market information
The Polo is Volkswagen’s second best-selling car, after the Golf. It competes in the supermini class, and is a direct rival to cars such as the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. Volkswagen sold 41,901 Polos in the UK in 2012.
Nearly two-thirds of all Polos (63 per cent) are sold into the retail market, and the majority (86 per cent) are petrol-powered. The most popular trim level is Match, accounting for around three-quarters of all sales. Over 90 per cent of Polos are sold in the key specifications of S and Match Edition (replaced standard Match in April 2013). The best-selling trim and engine combination overall is the Match Edition 1.2-litre 60 PS. The three-door Polo is responsible for around a quarter of total sales.
Production
The Polo is produced at two Volkswagen production facilities: Uitenhage in South Africa and the Volkswagen Navarra plant in Pamplona, Spain.
Volkswagen of South Africa
The Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA) plant is situated in Uitenhage, an industrial
city around 450 miles east of Cape Town. More than half (260 000 m²) of the plant’s 501 000 m² area, consists of production facilities. The plant was founded in 1946, under the name ‘South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors’. In 1966, 10 years after Volkswagen AG requested more capital, the factory’s name was change to Volkswagen of South Africa. In 1974 the factory became the sole property of Volkswagen AG.
From the time the very first Volkswagen Beetle left the production line on 31 August 1951, the product range of VWSA has expanded considerably. As well as producing components for the entire Volkswagen Group, the Uitenhage plant currently produces the Polo and Polo Classic. In 2008, a total of 92,025 vehicles were produced of which more than 40,000 were exported to markets in Great Britain and the Asia Pacific Region. Approximately 5,500 people are employed at the company, making VWSA the biggest employer in the region.
VWSA is actively engaged in many different social improvement programmes in the area, and increasingly on a national level. VWSA is also involved in environmental projects and job creation. Of particular importance is VWSA’s involvement in the fight against HIV and AIDS; in fact VWSA was recognised by the Global Business Coalition in Washington in 2005 for the role it played in its HIV/AIDS drive.
Volkswagen Navarra
The factory grounds of Volkswagen Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, occupy an area of some 1,630,000 square metres, of which around 300,000 sq m is buildings. The Polo is the only ‘full vehicle’ Volkswagen to be produced at this plant, which also makes engines. Around 5,000 people are employed here.
Volkswagen Navarra, S.A. was set up in 1965 with the name of ‘AUTHI’ (Automóviles de Turismo Hispano Ingleses). The first vehicle to be produced in 1966 was a green Morris 1100. Nine years later, the plant was acquired by SEAT. The first car produced after the takeover in 1976 was a white SEAT 124. In 1982 SEAT and Volkswagen concluded a joint cooperation agreement, after which the second-generation Polo went into production at Pamplona in 1984. The name of the plant has been changed twice since it was set up in the capital of Navarra. In 1993 and under SEAT control, AUTHI became the ‘Fabrica Navarra de Autómoviles S.A.’. When Volkswagen acquired the SEAT shares in 1994 the new subsidiary was renamed ‘Volkswagen Navarra’. Since the start of production of the Polo in 1984, Volkswagen Navarra has built more than five million Polos.
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Also on the site of the plant, is the ‘Polo Park’, a joint foundation of Volkswagen Navarra and the Caja de Ahorros de Navarra, the Navarra savings bank. Occupying an area of over 20,000 sq m and inaugurated in 1999 by the Spanish King and Queen, the Polo Park is a centre for road safety. Cycling proficiency tracks, a go-kart circuit, a road safety training area and interactive classrooms are used to teach road safety and traffic sense to around 10,000 school children a year.
DESIGN
At launch, the new Polo became one of the new Volkswagen design family members, and as such has strong similarities with the Scirocco and Golf. A precondition for implementing this design philosophy is the combination of progressive and highly innovative development and production techniques. Designers, development engineers and production experts at Volkswagen work together far more closely than is usual, and this is to achieve a level of quality – both technical and visual – that is generally found only in cars from higher classes. Under the leadership of Volkswagen Group chairman, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, experts including Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann (Group Board Member for Production), Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg (Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Development) and Walter de Silva (Head of Group Design) combine their creative energies to design and produce cars like the Polo.
Dimensions
The new Polo is longer and wider than its predecessor but lower, giving it a more purposeful appearance and dynamic stance. The wheelbase was lengthened slightly by 4 mm to 2,470 mm, while track width was substantially increased by 29 mm at the front to 1,463 mm and by 30 mm to 1,456 mm at the rear.
Despite the fact the car is not as tall as before, inside, head, leg and shoulder-room are all improved meaning this is a supermini that can accommodate five adults.
Polo(mm) / Previous Polo (mm) / Difference
(mm)
length, mm / 3970 / 3916 / +54
width, w/out door mirrors, mm / 1682 / 1650 / +32
height, mm / 1462 / 1467 / -5
wheelbase, mm / 2470 / 2466 / +4
maximum luggage capacity
w/out rear seat folded, litres / 280 / 270 / +10
with rear seat folded, litres / 952 / 1030 / -78
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Exterior
The design of the Polo is modern, clean and efficient. In contrast to so many cars in the supermini sector the Polo is crafted to be timeless and does not follow short-term fashion trends. As already mentioned, its dimensions give a purposeful and dynamic stance, while the design itself is defined by sharp, precise lines without stylistic gimmicks. Volkswagen’s consistently high resale values are in part due to these qualities.
Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group, Walter de Silva declared ‘La Semplicità’ (simplicity) as his design philosophy for the Polo. He explains: ‘Elegance and emotionality, sportiness and dynamics, continue to guide design and styling. In pursuit of simplicity and clarity, one must carefully consider how to express the intentions of designers while speaking to those of the observer.’
His starting point for the design was the Volkswagen brand itself and its history and values. De Silva continues: ‘Certain distinctive design elements have evolved as typical of the brand. Mastery of the architecture and a balance of proportions have formed the foundation, the emphasis on horizontal lines has evolved into a unifying characteristic across models, and a literal love for details has become an essential means of expression… Reduced radii, tight seams and extremely sharp panel edges in its side profile, engine hood and tailgate underscore the car’s logical design concept.’