Volkswagen has pulled the covers of the sixth generation Polo
After early reports last week, we can now confirm the new compact hatch will be bigger and smarter than its predecessor, and for the first time, available with natural gas drive.
With more than 14 million sales worldwide over five generations the new Polo will be the largest small cars Volkswagen has made. Length has grown by 81mm to 4,053mm, wheelbase has increased by 94mm to 2564mm and overall width has increased by 69mm to 1751mm, all of which has shortened overhangs front and rear.
The new dimensions have also freed up more for space for occupants and increased the boot volume to 351 litres – a 25 per cent improvement over the previous model.
On the style front, Volkswagen has tried to craft a more masculine body and silhouette with the new Polo. The front bumper, bonnet and roof line have all been redesigned to give a more dominant, forward-looking appearance.
Bellow the passenger windows is a new arrow-shaped double feature line, known as the ‘tornado line,’ that runs from the side indicator to the back of the car, giving the impression of a longer vehicle.
The Polo is launching in three familiar trim lines Trendline, Comfortline and Highline, which will be powered by nine Euro-6 engines, including a newly developed 1.0 TGI natural gas engine with an output of 66 kW.
The petrol engines range from the 1.0 MPI with 48kW to the brand new 1.5 TSI with 110kW.
Two diesel versions will also be offered with outputs of 59 KW and 70 kW.
At the top of the rage will be the new Pop GTI. The sporty model will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine with an output of 147kw.
All of these models are equipped with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode.
The interior will feature a new dashboard and cockpit layout with a focus on digitalization of displays and controls.
The new dashboard architecture began with the objective of locating the infotainment system much higher than before so that it would be in the driver's direct line of sight.
The new Polo will be the first Volkswagen Group model to offer a new generation of the Active Info Display. A system designed to make the infotainment system clearer and easier to use.
Just one button on the multifunction steering wheel is used to switch between the menus in Volkswagens latest infotainment system, with display ranging from 6.5 to 8.0 inches that sit in a glass-encased housing.
All key modules – except for the air conditioning unit – have been integrated on the upper cross-panel of the dashboard. This cross-panel is continued up to the front doors and is trimmed with various accents, depending on selected options.
The new Polo will also be one of the smartest compact small cars on the market. Standard features include Front Assist monitoring, City Emergency braking and Pedestrian Monitoring.
Optional systems will include adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection lane changing with rear traffic alert and semi-automated park assist.
The new Polo is expected to arrive in New Zealand in 2018. Full specification and pricing will be announced closer to the local release.
