Volkswagen Polo 2012 News

On display for the first time in Australia, the pint-sized, but power-packed, Polo GTI is sure to live up to its legendary name thanks to crisp handling, uncompromising engine responsiveness, impressive safety features and excellent fuel economy. Never before has such a powerful Polo come even close to the fuel efficiency of this GTI. Thanks to clever downsizing of the twincharged 1.4-litre TSI engine (turbo plus supercharging) and the extremely efficient seven-speed dual clutch DSG gearbox, the development team was able to deliver official fuel consumption of just 6.1 litres per 100km together with a low CO² output of just 142g/km. By comparison, its direct predecessor – equipped with a 1.8-litre turbo engine − consumed 8-litres per 100km and 190g/km CO²). This new car is an incredible 24 percent more fuel efficient. This economy is matched by highly dynamic driving performance. The light 1189kg Polo GTI accelerates to 100km/h in just 6.9 seconds. Power is transferred to the front wheels via the standard DSG transmission. An electronic transverse differential lock reduces understeer and improves handling during demanding cornering. Like all Polos, the GTI also comes equipped with ESP standard – including Hill Start Assist. The car’s extensive safety-features list consists of a highly effective airbag network, including front, front-side and curtain airbags, belt pre-tensioners with load limiters plus belt warning, head restraints designed to avoid whiplash trauma (in front) and three rear head restraints. The Polo GTI’s convenience features include electro-hydraulic power steering, electric windows, remote central locking, boot-space lighting and tie-down eyes, driver seat height adjustment, make-up mirror in the sun visors and green-tinted insulating glass. The GTI will be the first Polo to be available with bi-xenon headlights with cornering lights, LED daytime running lights and corner marker lights. Naturally, GTI-specific features are always standard too, such as sports seats and 17-inch alloy wheels.

After leading the world on so many fronts - from quality to comfort and reliability - they have been hit badly by the global financial crisis.  Toyota and Honda and many of the others wound back dramatically at the onset of the GFC, not just on their production lines but also in their motorsport programs - F1 was the first casualty - and new-product development.We are now seeing the results in Australian showrooms, where the Corolla and Civic are now mid-pack in the small-car class and former pacesetters including the Mazda6, Honda Accord Euro and even the locally-made Camry are struggling against newer and better rivals.  They are fine for everyday transport, but not as impressive as they were just five years ago.Subaru has also cut costs and its latest styling work - particularly on the Liberty and Outback - reflects a desperate desire to win sales in the USA.  Contrast all of them against the Suzuki Kizashi, which comes from one of the few Japanese brands that held its nerve through the GFT. Suzuki has cut its production targets, and admits that extra Kizashi models are on the back-burner, but is going to do brilliantly well with the car.Toyota and Honda, in contrast, are relying on value-added deals to keep customers coming in Australia. They are recovering from the economic downturn but nowhere near as rapidly as some of their rivals  - particularly Hyundai.In Australia, many of our Japanese cars are now also actually built in Thailand. It's not a major drama, because the quality is much the same, but it shows how the battle to cut costs is influencing the Japanese makers. The Thai drive also shows that Japan Incorporated is now happy to produce bland transport modules instead of appealing cars, going for numbers first - in showrooms and on the balance sheet. It's a reasonable response to the GFC but is going to cause problems in coming years.Why? Because Australia is seeing so many classy European cars at more affordable prices - look at the Volkswagen Polo - and because Korean is coming up fast.  Hyundai is now doing a better job than Toyota at building Toyota-style cars, with adventurous styling, classy quality and great prices. It's latest, the i45 replacement for the dowdy Sonata, is really good on every front except its awful steering and lacklustre front suspension.The i45 is a Camry done better and, like the Kizashi, one of the stars of 2010. And it's not the end for Hyundai, which has all sorts of new models coming from the baby i20 to an overdue sporty car sometime in 2012.And that's whan the Japanese really could be in trouble. It's not because Hyundai has something new but because the Japanese wound their development programs back during the GFT and the results of that conservative risk management will not really be known until we see - or don't see - the work which should have been done over the past two years.Follow Paul Gover on Twitter!

The Frankfurt Motor Show literally roared to life this morning when a classic BMW 507 roadster ran laps of a custom-built oval track inside the German carmaker's $30 million stand.

There's only one parking space left, you see. And it's got my name on it. At least it's got the name of my VW Polo on it. This is a great little car; "little" being the operative word. And the car park? It's a nightmare spot wedged in between a big cement pole and the up ramp. No way would I attempt it in any other car. It still takes a bit of manoeuvring – after all, I've only had the car a day – but in she goes. Fits like a glove. So close, in fact, that when I lift the hatch to get my bag out, there is a very close encounter with the roof. Needless to say, the Polo handles beautifully. Steering is easy, and she has a tiny turning circle and great visibility. As for her other qualities, this little GTI is the Sporty Spice of the Polo group. Bright red with black and red-trim interior, she's also fashion-conscious. Blue dash lights give her a distinctive look after dark and she comes armed with an impressive list of accessories: eight-speaker CD player, one-touch indicators (a slight tap will give three automatic blinks for quick lane changes), extra indicator lights on the side mirrors, a groovy honeycomb radiator grille, six airbags, self-lighting vanity mirrors, three cup holders (watch out for the flip-open version in the front), sunroof and the all-important butt warmers. "Pocket rocket", "slingshot", whatever you want to call her, the Polo GTI can move. Beware if your teenage son wants one. She looks harmless enough but behind the "cute" exterior is a 1.8-litre turbo engine that can reach 216km/h and can leap to 100km/h in just 8.2 seconds. That's a lot of power in a little package. But she doesn't cost much to run. On the open road, the Polo can hold her own. Again the power sees her climb hills with ease and, despite her diminutive size, she doesn't feel flighty on the highway. Like her body, everything inside the Polo comes in "mini" version. It's a tight fit – especially in the back seat where there are belts for three people but room, really, for just two (unless you're tiny). There is one big component on the Polo. Her booty, sorry, boot. It will take a week's worth of grocery shopping and at least an afternoon's worth of clothes bargains. In typical sports style, her seats hug passengers. But in a car so small, this can be a problem. The arm supports tend to get in the way of gear changes ... or is that just because I'm short and need the seat pulled so far forward? One last concern; when will they learn not to have the indicator and high-beam controls on the left of the steering wheel in manual cars? Trying to manage both and change gears has to be a safety issue, doesn't it? LOVE IT LEAVE IT Volkswagen Polo GTI Turbo Price: $30,320 (on road) LOVE IT Power and panache. Blue dash lights look great and are easy to read. LEAVE IT Still can't get used to high-beam control, indicator and gear stick being on the left side of the steering column. Has to be a safety issue in Australia doesn't it? It's quite a noisy ride – there's a drone in the back that drowns out even the cranked-up stereo.