VW Polo
Is it 1973 all over again? Volkswagen is amping up for a fuel-economy battle with a new hatchback. Only this time, the name has changed and so have the rules. Back in 1973 it was the Golf, this time it’s the VW Polo readying for a fight. The fuel economy sea-changes and financial crises? Those things are reassuringly familiar.
At the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of March 2009, the Polo debuted with a completely new look and technology. After its celebrated world premiere, this latest Volkswagen is now entering the Australian market. VW has sold over 10.6 million Polo’s over its 5 generations – though Australian drivers have only been part of the last couple.
Comfort, quality and safety have all taken a considerable leap forward. One example: among other things, the Polo was specifically designed to attain the recently established, stricter and more comprehensive, 5-star EuroNCAP rating.
For those that are interested, the greater structural rigidity of the Polo’s bodyshell contributes to these results. In the footwell area alone, intrusion – related to the car body’s resistance to deformation in a frontal crash – was lowered by 50 percent. In the case of a side impact, the intrusion value was reduced by 20 percent.
In addition, the Polo is equipped with standard ESP electronic stabilisation program (something which needs to be part of any car you buy) and another marvel – Hill Start Assist – which means you won’t have to coordinate hill starts with a hand brake anymore. When it comes to airbags it has almost come to the point of not having enough fingers to count them on – including front, front side and side curtain airbags (head airbag system for front and rear passengers).
You will not move in your seat either with belt tensioners and belt force limiters and head restraints that counteract the risk of whiplash injury (both front seats), three rear head restraints with 3 point seatbelts for all passengers. I think you get the drift now it is a very safe car.
Volkswagen has rearranged the structure of its equipment lines since the previous model: ‘Trendline’ represents the entry level variant, and ‘Comfortline’ refers to the upgraded equipment level.
Convenience features that are already standard features of the Polo Trendline include: electro-hydraulic power steering, power windows in front, remote central locking, luggage compartment lighting and load restraining hooks, warning buzzer headlight-on, height adjustment for driver’s seat with ever important vanity mirrors in the sun visors. Meanwhile, black cloth seat upholstery gives the interior a perceptibly high-end ambiance.
VW have now introduced their new TDI and my favourite engine the TSI (Turbo Supercharged Injection) engine to the new Polo lineup. These coupled with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG), has resulted in considerable improvement in fuel economy and reduced emissions over a wide range of engine power outputs.
An excellent example here is the new 1.2 TSI. This turbo-charged four-cylinder direct injection petrol engine produces 77 kW, yet it consumes just 5.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (128 g/km CO2); this is 24 percent less than on the equivalent model of the previous generation!
In total, 3 different engines will be offered – two petrol and one diesel. The 66TDI and 77TSI engines are being used for the first time in the Polo and from $16,990 I recommend you take one of these trendsetting and fun Polo’s out for a test drive.
VW Golf GTD
The Golf model lineup has been growing in leaps and bounds. At the end of 2008, the sixth generation of the bestseller was launched in Europe. Shortly thereafter, in early 2009, the new Golf arrived in Australia. Then, the current Golf GTI was vaulted to centre stage, closely followed by the new Golf Wagon.
And now the lineup continues: with the new Golf GTD. Its 125 kW power level makes it the highest-performance production Golf with a diesel engine today. The code letters GTD have revolutionised the diesel market with its turbocharged diesel engine; a diesel that is not only economical but exceedingly sporty too.
The new Golf GTD is powered by a highly advanced common rail TDI engine with a torque of 350 Newton-metre, fuel efficiency of 5.5 litres and CO2 emissions of 145 g/km and sprints from 0km/h to 100 km/h in just 8.1 seconds. The Golf GTD is making its debut with phenomenal fuel economy and a range of approx. 1,000 kilometres (with a 55 litre fuel tank).
The car’s visual appearance is impressive too. The GTD – equipped with a chassis lowered by 15 millimetres with 17-inch alloy wheels. Among the hallmarks of the GTD and GTI are their bumper designs with standard front fog lights in a typical vertical layout. Their headlights and radiator grilles share the same construction as well.
In the case of the GTD, the horizontal stripes in the radiator grille – typical of the GTI – are styled in chrome. At the rear, the turbo-diesel also has a diffuser, but it is modified: The diesel Golf can be recognised by the twin chrome tailpipes of its exhaust system in the diffuser. The taillights are also smoked.
Furthermore, Golf GTD features include details such as chrome bezels for various switches, a black roofliner and black roof pillar trim, automatic climate control, Multi-Functional Display (MFD Plus) trip computer, centre armrests and the RCD 510 radio system. Standard features also include ESP with braking assistant, as well as seven airbags, including a knee airbag on the driver’s side.
If you’re conscious about the amount of fuel you use the GTD, no matter how hard you drive it, will always return around the claimed average fuel figure of 5.5L/100km. That’s pretty special if you like performance cars but not an expensive fuel bill.
Andrew Koch
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