We’ve managed to get our hand on an early Polo BlueGT brochure, and it reveals a few more details about the technology-laden small hatchback, which is released for sale in Germany in July. Just to recap, the Polo BlueGT mixes near-GTI performance with near-BlueMotion levels of economy, thanks to its clever 1.4-litre 138bhp TSI engine, which features cylinder deactivation technology. Running in two-cylinder mode between torque outputs of 18-74lb ft and between 1250 and 4000rpm, Volkswagen states that the changeover is imperceptible. The Polo BlueGT gets to 62mph from rest in 7.9 seconds, while emitting just 108g/km of CO2, and with forecasts of over 60mpg on the combined cycle, it seems performance and economy can be bedfellows after all.

So, what else does the brochure tell us? Only four paint colours are available – Candy White, Silk Blue Metallic, Reflex Silver Metallic and Intense Black Pearl Effect – with only the former being standard at no extra cost. The seats are trimmed in ‘Blue Speed’ mesh-type cloth with while blue alcantara panels, and the multifunction steering wheel, gear lever gaiter and handbrake are wrapped in leather with ‘Grey Crystal’ stitching. Wheels are 17-inch ‘Montani’ silver alloys, although can be specified with an Anthracite finish at extra cost. We also hadn’t noticed how the rear spoiler is supported by two black aerodynamic fairings either side of the rear window – a neat, but subtle touch. The one thing this early preview brochure doesn’t include however is prices.

A 1976 Berg Cup-style Series 1 Polo racer will run at the ADAC 24-hour Classic race tomorrow at the Nürburgring. The wide-arch Polo will contest the 1300cc class at the Nordschleife event, and will be decked out in the latest Polo R WRC livery colours. Driven by the father and son pairing of Herbert and Michael Schmitz, the original Polo will be joined by the ex-Group 4, Oettinger 16V-engined 220bhp Mk 1 Golf GTI which starred at the Wörthersee GTI Festival last year, and a 1981 Group 2 Scirocco. More than 180 vintage and classic cars will fight for race positions and championship points at this year’s ADAC 24-hour Classic, which starts on Friday 18 May at 12.55pm.

Finally it’s official! Although consistently denied, there is a Polo which will be hotter than the current 178bhp GTI, and here’s the proof: the Polo WRC Street concept, unveiled today at the 31st GTI Festival in Wörthersee, Austria. Powered by a 2.0-litre engine developing 217bhp (220PS/162kW), the limited-edition Polo ‘WRC Street’ will go on sale in late 2013, after the rally-prepped Polo R WRC hits the asphalt, gravel and snow tracks, to capitalise on the motorsport model’s halo effect. Additional features of the Polo WRC Street includes a black rear spoiler and diffuser, sports suspension, multi-spoke alloy wheels, black wheel arch trims and ‘R-WRC’ graphics and badging. It certainly looks the part, and initial web reports suggest that an even hotter Polo R road-going model is also in the pipeline.

Volkswagen Studie Polo R WRC (Street)

Volkswagen Studie Polo R WRC (Street)

Volkswagen Studie Polo R WRC (Street)

Volkswagen Studie Polo R WRC (Street)

Volkswagen Studie Polo R WRC (Street)

Volkswagen Studie Polo R WRC (Street)

The largest development in the ownership of Y464 GHJ came back in January. As reported last time, I took a job at a local design agency which put the car back in daily use, a somewhat alien concept to it. It was used sporadically after I bought it back in September, but had sat for at least four months before coming home with me. Sadly, that spell has now ended and I’m back to freelance work, which sees the car getting less use. Sad news for me, but happy news for the car, as the mileage is currently being kept down. And it also means that I enjoy it more when I do drive it, a positive upside.

On the whole, there’s been no major negatives to report over the three-month period that the car was in regular use. Every day it provided reliable transport, with a added sporty spring in its step, and, as reported last time, it can do the sporty thing and the calming thing in equal measure. I’ve been reading some old road tests of the car, and found out that only 4 per cent of Polo sales in 2001 were of the GTI, and in total, from the summer of 2000 when it was introduced to the start of 2002, only 3393 examples found their way onto UK roads. Well-equipped now, let alone back then, it should have sold more, but was up against fierce competition in the form of the Peugeot 106 and 206 GTIs, and the Citroën Saxo VTS.

2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI

2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI

2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI

2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI

2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI

2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI

With the UK press launch of its funky new Citigo city car happening today and tomorrow, we just had to cover this, the Škoda Citigo Rallye Concept. Designed to pull in the crowds and heighten awareness of the Czech company’s new mini car at the 2012 Wörthersee Treffen in Austria from 16-19 May where all things Volkswagen Group GTI are celebrated, the standard Citigo has been popping the pumping-up steroid pills, resulting in a look that’s not too far removed from the Fabia S2000 rally car.

Huge wheel arches have been added to the standard three-door Citigo’s bodywork, to cover the 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. An aggressive roof spoiler and front bumper also add menacing touches, turning the cutesy Citigo into something a Stormtrooper might drive, with this rendering’s black and white colour scheme. Škoda will also show the Citigo DJ at Wörthersee – a rolling disco with 100,000 watts of sound. That shouldn’t be hard to miss then. With the Citgo Rallye concept and the VW Polo R WRC both being shown at the legendary Austrian event, it should be a good one…

Volkswagen UK is adding DAB radios as standard to all its 2013 passenger cars, including the Polo, in readiness for the switch to digital radio broadcasting. Offering drivers a clear and crackle-free sound, a larger range of stations is also available, along with specialist genres. All Volkswagen DAB systems will also pick up AM and FM frequencies, as well as play MP3-compatible and regular CDs, while every model in the range comes with an aux-in socket to connect iPods and other MP3 players. The 2013 model-year Polo S now comes with six speakers connected to a standard RCD 310 audio unit to make the most of the higher quality digital audio, and this basic specification is equalled or bettered up through the range of Volkswagen cars.

Upgrade options include the MDI multi-device interface, which allows easy connection of iPods or USB sticks, which can then be controlled via the car’s audio system; Bluetooth connection of compatible telephones and music playback; Dynaudio speakers and amplifiers; higher-power audio systems with colour touchscreen controls and an SD memory card slot; and touchscreen satellite navigation systems, including with built-in HD memory. The only previous DAB unit available for the Polo was the RCD 510 touchscreen radio system, costing £300 as an optional upgrade. All 2013 model-year VW passenger cars can be ordered from your local Volkswagen Retailer from now.

Debuting online on Friday evening, the new Volkswagen UK commercial for the Polo revives the familiar ‘Small but tough’ tagline from 2004, and chronicles the early life of a young girl. Volkswagen UK says that the 90-second spot ‘shows the evolving relationship of a protective father and his daughter, from the moment he first brings her home from hospital to the day she finally leaves home, when he hands her the keys to a shiny new Polo – ensuring she “stays in safe hands.”’ Soundtracked by Sniffy Dog’s ‘Whispers and Stories’, the ad seems to have gone down well – we particularly like the Mk 2 Polo coupé which appears at the very beginning of the commercial. Let Volkswagen UK know what you think of the ad on its Facebook page, and visit the company’s website to find out more information on the Polo itself.

The Volkswagen Polo R WRC rally car will appear at the 31st GTI Festival in Reifnitz, Wörthersee, Austria, this coming weekend, 16-19 May. Continuing the tradition set by the Scirocco GT24 and the Golf24 endurance racers which were also presented at Wörthersee, the Polo R WRC will be admired by more than 100,000 visitors to the three-day event. After the Polo R WRC’s appearance in Austria, the Volkswagen Motorsport team will head to Greece for the Greek round of the 2012 World Rally Championship on 25-27 May. Once again, two Škoda Fabia S2000s will be fielded, this time driven by the pairings of Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene.

Sneaking in under the radar yesterday, is this, the latest special edition Polo, the CrossPolo ‘Urban White’. Announced late in the day on Friday, the ‘Urban White’ takes the familiar CrossPolo body and embellishes it with coloured trim and interior finishes. Pearlescent white paintwork – a CrossPolo first – contrasts well with black roof rails and mirrors, and the regular 17-inch ‘Budapest’ five-spoke alloys can be specified with either black or white spoke centres. A silver-strip ‘Urban White’ badge similar to that on BlueMotion models sits on the CrossPolo ‘Urban White’s tailgate.

2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo Urban White

2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo Urban White

2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo Urban White

2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo Urban White

2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo Urban White

[Source: German Car Scene]

Announced at the end of March, ex-Ford Special Vehicle Team supremo Jost Capito has now officially become a member of the Volkswagen Motorsport team, taking up his post as Motorsport Director. Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand for Development, welcomed the 53-year-old Capito on Wednesday. At the same time he thanked outgoing Motorsport Director Kris Nissen, who has lead VW’s motorsport division to, among other victories, three consecutive Dakar Rally wins. Nissen will be supporting Volkswagen Motorsport in an advisory role.

Hackenberg commented: ‘I cordially welcome Jost Capito to our ranks as new Motorsport Director. I wish him and the team a lot of success. I view the transfer of Kris Nissen’s role to Jost Capito like the handover of a relay race baton. This process is taking place place hand in hand, and aims to accelerate afterwards. My personal thanks go to Kris Nissen – he has moulded the squad into a winning team over the past years.’

‘I’m very much looking forward to working together with this strong team and have a lot of respect for the successes that have been achieved so far. My first impression is that the squad is working with great enthusiasm, and big and interesting tasks are awaiting all of us and we will tackle them with high motivation. My thanks also go to Kris Nissen, who has done very good preparatory work and who will continue to play a part in this endeavour in order to assure a harmonious handover,’ said Jost Capito.

Capito joins Volkswagen Motorsport at an exciting time. The division is gearing up for a full-scale assault next year on the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with the new Polo R WRC rally car, and has commitments in touring car racing with the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup, which supports rounds of the German DTM championship. In addition, there are also numerous one-make global series in which Volkswagen is involved, such as the Volkswagen Polo Cup India and Engen Volkswagen Cup.

In its latest batch of historic motorsport titles, motorsport-dvd.de has released a round of the 1980s Volkswagen Polo Cup on DVD. Original uncut footage courtesy of MCN Nuremberg, sees thrilling overtaking moves and numerous position battles, complete with the 28 year-old, 1984 soundtrack. The 65-minute, German-language DVD retails at €16,80 plus postage. Taken from original VHS, S8, and 16mm media, the ‘Uncut’ range is, according to the company’s website, a series of DVDs from the ‘good old days’ of motorsport. motorsport-dvd.de specialises in DVDs with footage and races from the ‘80s and ‘90s from the DRM German Racing Championship and the ‘old’ DTM German Touring Car Championship. Other original Polo Cup races available on DVD include rounds from the Nürburgring in 1987, and the Norisring in 1988.

According to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for April 2012, the Volkswagen Polo held its position as the seventh best-selling car in the UK, and the third best-selling supermini, behind the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. Once again the sixth best-selling car for 2012 so far with 15,743 sales, its larger Golf sibling sold only 21 units more last month, placing it one position ahead in the SMMT’s chart. April again saw a rise in supermini registrations, while overall, registrations rose 3.3 per cent to 142,322 units, the largest 2012 increase.

‘A strong April new car market has raised confidence across the UK motor industry with registrations increasing 3.3 per cent,’ said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. ‘We are seeing a steady increase in consumer confidence with growth in private demand, boosted by the arrival of a raft of new products. SMMT has increased its full year forecast to 1.95 million units, putting the market marginally ahead of 2011, indicating a period of relative stability.’ The top 10 UK best-selling cars in April 2012 and for the year overall (sales figure and position in brackets) are as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 8780 (42,170, 1st)
2 Vauxhall Corsa: 6184 (29,934, 2nd)
3 Ford Focus: 5491 (29,933, 3rd)
4 Vauxhall Astra: 4684 (19,578, 5th)
5 BMW 3 Series: 3737 (13,685, 8th)
6 Volkswagen Golf: 3600 (22,394, 4th)
7 Volkswagen Polo: 3579 (15,743, 6th)
8 Nissan Qashqai: 2990 (15,481, 7th)
9 Vauxhall Insignia: 2751 (12,082, 9th)
10 Fiat 500: 2600

(The 2012 year-to-date top 10 best-selling car absent from April’s sales figures is the Peugeot 207 selling 11,957 units in tenth place.)

Once again, Volkswagen Motorsport’s Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have scored points on an international rally, taking their third consecutive set at Rally Argentina on 27-29 April. Finishing seventh overall, the French pair took the S2000 class victory over their Norwegian team mates, Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene, who had to retire within sight of the finish line due to suspension damage. The 19 stages around Villa Carlos Paz near Cordoba included gravel tracks, dangerous cliffs, a number of jumps and spectacular water splashes. Stages of up to 65kms in length required hard concentration from all the participating teams as well as careful tyre choices. Volkswagen Motorsport’s all-Škoda Fabia S2000 in-house competition entertained the crowds – at one point, Ogier and Mikkelsen were just 1.5 seconds apart.

‘It was a very interesting and exciting rally for us. The inter-team duel with Andreas was the hardest up to now and we had to try everything to be quicker. It’s a shame that both the cars didn’t make the finish,’ said Ogier, who now holds 10th position in the WRC with 16 points. ‘The team richly deserves the World Championship points, since the engineers and mechanics did a flawless job throughout the four days. The tyre strategy was also crucial for our good result. We managed our tyres very well, so we were quick. Participating in the rally was very valuable for the drivers and the whole team because we have now familiarised ourselves with the long stages, know much more about the entire rally, and can now prepare meticulously for next year’s event.’

2012 Rally Argentina: Ogier/Ingrassia

2012 Rally Argentina: Ogier/Ingrassia

2012 Rally Argentina: Ogier/Ingrassia

2012 Rally Argentina: Mikkelsen/Floene

2012 Rally Argentina: Mikkelsen/Floene

‘Our good experiences continue in Argentina: not just three victories in the Dakar Rally, but this test event in the WRC will also remain in our memories for a long time,’ explained Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. ‘It was the longest WRC rally held for years and because of its character, one of the hardest. The thrilling head-to-head duel between Ogier and Mikkelsen impressed the spectators and provided us with a great deal of data and knowledge. The team did a perfect job to match in preparing and entering the cars and also the overseas logistics. We were well-equipped and are looking forward to 2013 when we will roll across the start ramp in Argentina with the Polo R WRC.’

Volkswagen Group South Africa has once again seen its small car stars light up the market, with the Polo Vivo and Polo 6R dominating their segment last month. Continuing the market dominance shown in recent months, the Polo Vivo was once again the top-selling passenger car in South Africa with 2256 units sold, while the latest fifth-generation Polo shifted 1766 examples. Overall, Volkswagen Group South Africa has kept its top position in the passenger car market with total sales of 6461 units and a market share of 21.9 per cent.

‘Volkswagen Group South Africa maintained its top position in the passenger car market for the fourth consecutive month in 2012. Our two top-selling Brands, Polo Vivo and Polo continued their market dominance in their respective segments,’ said Mike Glendinning, Director, Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa. ‘In spite of the passenger car market decline, the encouraging fact is that the selling rate of the new cars per day in April decreased by only 10.5 per cent when compared to the selling rate in March, when the seasonal analysis of the selling rate would have indicated an expected 13 per cent decline,’ he added.

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 104bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. Costing from R106,100 for the base-model 1.4 hatchback to R153,200 for the top 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the 2012 Polo Vivo is based on the revised version of the Series 4 Polo (9N3), built from 2005 to 2009. The fifth-generation Polo (6R) is available as both a three and five-door hatchback, in addition to the traditionally-styled four-door Polo Sedan.

It was business as usual at the third round of the Engen Volkswagen Cup at the Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth on 28 April, with much bumping and barging, many drivers attempting to tackle corners two, three, or four abreast! A full 29-car grid ensured space was at a premium, but the pair of Polo races only saw two racers unable to finish the timed laps. Sudhir Matai from Car magazine was one, hit from behind and run off the track, resulting in a damaged front end from striking the tyre barrier. A second race start was possible due to work put in by Matai’s pit team and fellow Engen racers, but a damaged lower control arm saw him retire. Ettienne Prinsloo was the other unfortunate casualty.

In race one, Dorian Garvie and Kosie Weyers both sat on the first line of the grid, with Jordan Pepper and Bryan Morgan behind them. Mark Silverwood and Kelvin van der Linde brought up the rear. After the lights had turned green, Garvie tried to hold onto his lead, while Silverwood was on a mission to fight through the cars in front of him, netting him two places during the race. Despite Garvie nudging Pepper, the latter finished seventh, while Garvie crossed the line in 16th. At the front, van der Linde gave Weyers a friendly tap, giving him the lead which he held onto until he took the chequered flag. Weyers was also under attack from Silverwood, but stayed firm in second place. Silverwood came home third.

2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Scribante

2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Scibante: van der Linde

2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Scribante: Weyers

2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Scribante: Kruger

2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Scribante: Hodges

2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Scribante: Matai

The 2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup series is similar to the other racing Volkswagen Polo Cup single-series championships run in China, Europe and India. Just as in those officially-sanctioned Volkswagen-moderated series, the South African one-make format highlights new driving talent. In the Engen championship, as many as thirty drivers regularly take to the track in technically-identical, 2.0 234bhp Volkswagen Polo Vivo racers.

RACE RESULTS
Race 1
1 Kelvin van der Linde (31: Ferodo Racing)
2 Kosie Weyers (2: Engen Xtreme)
3 Mark Silverwood (38: Q8 Oils)

Race 2
1 Kelvin van der Linde (31: Ferodo Racing)
2 Jeffrey Kruger (6: Indy Oil)
3 Mathew Hodges (ITR Africa)

Overall standings
1 Kelvin van der Linde (31: Ferodo Racing)
2 Jeffrey Kruger (6: IndyOil)
3 Kosie Weyers (2: Engen Xtreme)

Here’s a nice surprise for a Friday afternoon. After its initial launch in Germany late last year, the Polo R Line is now available for UK customers. Not to be confused with the much-rumoured, high-performance Polo R, the R Line brings style to the impressive specification of the popular Polo Match. A unique ‘R’ styling pack with deeper front and rear bumpers, gloss black radiator grille, deeper side sills, and 16-inch ‘Mallory’ alloy wheels gives the Polo more visual presence, while dark-tinted glass from the B-pillar back and front fog lights with cornering function add yet more optical punch.

2012 Volkswagen Polo R Line (UK)

2012 Volkswagen Polo R Line (UK)

2012 Volkswagen Polo R Line (UK)

2012 Volkswagen Polo R Line (UK)

2012 Volkswagen Polo R Line (UK)

Available with one engine, the Polo R Line is powered by the turbocharged 1.2-litre TSI unit with 104bhp, coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox. Performance is a little off GTI pace, with 62mph coming up in 9.7 seconds from rest, and a top speed of 118mph, but fuel consumption is a very respectable 53.3mpg on the combined cycle, while emissions are a low 124g/km. How much for the unique Polo R Line style? Prices start at £15,195 on the road for the three-door model, rising to £15,815 for the five-door. The striking Polo R Line is available to order at Volkswagen Retailers now, with the first deliveries expected in July.

The second round of the South African National Rally Championship took place last weekend (21-22 April) in Mpumalanga, and after two days of hard competition, the BP Volkswagen rally team took its first podium of the season. The Sasol Rally saw Hans Weijs Jnr and Bjorn Degandt take their new Polo S2000 to third place – on their second ever event in South Africa. ‘We were pushing at maximum on Friday,’ said Weijs. ‘We did lose a bit of time with one or two issues, but that was fixed and and we got a good result. The team did excellent work on the car and we pushed very hard for our first podium.’

Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries claimed seventh in the S2000 class, a reward for surviving a tough weekend. The pair were robbed several minutes with two punctures, and despite claiming a number of second and third place stage finishes during the two days of competition, there wasn’t enough distance for them to close the gap. Teammates Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson fought their way into 11th place by the second last stage of the event, also having lost time due to punctures. The pair were unable to make the start line of the final stage of the rally and were sadly unable to complete the event.

2012 Sasol Rally: Weijs/Degandt

2012 Sasol Rally: Fekken/Arries

2012 Sasol Rally: Kuun/Hodgson

2012 Sasol Rally: Zulu/Peskin

2012 Sasol Rally: Verlaque/Auffray

‘It has been a very satisfying result after a week of hard work,’ said Mike Rowe, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport. ‘A podium result is very rewarding at this point in the development of the new BP Volkswagen Polo S2000, as is having five Volkswagen cars finish in the top 10. Add an S2000 Challenge victory and three podium places in the S1600 class, and it has been a good rally weekend for Volkswagen Motorsport.’

Launched in March 2010, the Polo Vivo continues to dominate the South African passenger car market. Selling over 56,000 units in two years, it is the only locally-produced entry-level model on the market, and has been the top-selling car in South Africa for the past 18 months. Replacing the hugely popular Mk 1 Golf-based Citi Golf, the A0 segment Polo Vivo has both created jobs and a new supplier park near the Uitenhage factory in which it is built. Nearly 70% of Polo Vivo parts are sourced from local suppliers.

Government fleet buyers as well as rental companies list the Polo Vivo as their car of choice, due, in large part, to its ‘South Africaness’. ‘The success of Polo Vivo in the past two years has been overwhelming. Polo Vivo is a unique offering that we introduced two years ago with the aim of providing our customers with an affordable and a reliable product,’ said Mike Glendinning, Director, Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa.

‘The cornerstones of the Polo Vivo Brand are affordability, proven German product quality, safety, space and comfort. It represents excellent value for money without compromising on core product essentials that customers expect from Volkswagen. In short, Polo Vivo customers are getting an A-class car for the price of an A0 car, a difficult proposition to ignore in this heavily contested segment of the market. As if that were not enough, Polo Vivo also has the class-leading residual value in its segment in the used car market. This ensures that the cost of ownership over a three-year cycle makes Polo Vivo one of the cheapest cars on the South African market to currently own,’ added Glendinning.

The Polo Vivo is available as a three or five-door hatchback and four-door booted saloon with 74bhp/84bhp 1.4-litre and 104bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. Costing from R106,100 for the base-model 1.4 hatchback to R153,200 for the top 1.6 Trendline Sedan, the Polo Vivo is based on the revised version of the Series 4 Polo (9N3), built from 2005 to 2009. In the past year, Volkswagen South Africa has introduced additional exciting derivatives to the Polo Vivo range to broaden its appeal, including the sporty 3-door Polo Vivo GT (above).

The Polo is among the most secure vehicle winners announced by Australia’s National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC) last week. Volkswagen took top honours in four of the six classes, the Polo, Golf and Tiguan taking the first prize in their respective categories, while the Passat came joint first in the medium car group. NMVTRC chairman, David Morgan, said: ‘While there are some luxury vehicles amongst the winners, the inclusion of the many affordable cars, with the Polo starting at around $20,000 clearly demonstrates that good security is within reach of everyday motorists and that other manufacturers should be aspiring to matching these levels of design.’

Tough vehicle security tests included expert competitor analysis, and credits for entry system security, engine immobiliser effectiveness, and vehicle identification. Alarms, body stamping, boot access, doors, glazing, ignition locks, and micro dotting were considerations which helped the Volkswagens distinguish themselves as the most secure cars in their class. Volkswagen Australia Managing Director, Ms Anke Koeckler, commented: ‘We’re delighted to accept not one, but four awards for the most secure cars in Australia. These awards further demonstrate our commitment to offer vehicles with class-leading security as well as unparalleled drivability, at a price to suit every motorist.’

We thought we’d heard the end of the story, but the Polo R rumour book has opened again, although once more, it’s not good news. Recent reports state that the road-going Polo R was to be based on the limited edition, 252bhp left-hand drive-only Audi A1 quattro. That car costs £41,020, which would certainly price a similarly-expensive Polo out of the market. Volkswagen has reportedly realised this, admitting that the number of potential buyers for the car would be very limited. The Polo GTI only makes up 1 per cent of Polo sales in the UK.

‘Producing a Polo R road car is one possibility, but we need customers for such a car. Maybe it is easier for Audi than VW to market a powerful, all-wheel-drive city car,’ Volkswagen’s board member for development, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, has reportedly stated. ‘If we make a Polo for WRC homologation, then that makes sense. But in the basic Polo, we don’t have the customers to make a R version of the car,’ he continued. A Polo R road car would make sense from a WRC marketing point of view, but for now it appears as unlikely as ever.