Photo: Volkswagen
Cosmetic changes for the Polo supermini hatchback have just been announced by the German automaker. Just like Ford did when it introduced the Fiesta facelift last year, Volkswagen is focusing on downsizing and fuel efficiency.
Only initial details are available about the intricate engine range but it's still enough for us to paint a vivid picture for the Polo model that will go on sale this April and is expected to start being delivered in late July.
Keeping in mind that these changes affected the Polo facelift for the European market, let's get started. The Polo is switching to a new EU6-complient lineup and promises fuel efficiency increases of up to 21 percent over the older models.
At the bottom of the range 1.0-liter MPI engines have been introduced. These produce 60 or 75 PS. Volkswagen doesn't say this per say, but it sounds like the 1.2-liter 3-cylinder units that Skoda developed for superminis are gone. We believe this is a mistake on Volkswagen's part, but one made for reasons dictated by the market. A Polo 1.2 60 PS used to have 108 Nm of torque, but the new 1-liter engine probably make the same 95 Nm of torque as in the Up!.
Things get a little better moving up the engine range. The 1.2-liter four-cylinder TSI turcharged engines are safe. The base version with 8 valves has the same 90 PS, but the top-spec Polo will now get 110 instead of 105 PS. Frankly, these can only be the Golf 7 engines, which should have stop-start and better thermal management. Just to give you an example, the Polo 1.2 TSI 90 with a 5-speed manual currently gets 6.5 l/100km in the city, but the Golf gets 5.9 l/100km, even though it's a bigger car.
As for the diesel, Volkswagen is again getting rid of older units. The 1.2 TDI three-cylinder and 1.6 TDI four-cylinder are gone, replaced by a three-cylinder 1.4 TDI, with 75 and 90 PS. Being the only engine we've never heard about, this is easily the most important new engine. Why? Because the 1.6 TDI is on a lot of other cars, including mass-market models like the Skoda Rapid and VW Golf.
No hybrid or electric versions for the VW supermini. In fact, even the diesel-powered Polo BlueMotion is to be replaced with a new petrol-powered Polo BlueMotion TSI. This is a 1.0-liter TSI that produces 90 PS. Again, this is an engine that we've never heard about and a direct challenger for the 1.0 EcoBoost from Ford and 0.9 TCe from Renault. The UK branch says to expect as much as 68.9 mpg (provisional figure), which is equivalent to 4.1 liters per 100 km/h. The blue car above appears to be the BlueMotion model in question. It has the right badging but strangely runs on 17-inch wheels with 205-width tires, not exactly small for a supermini.
Keeping in mind that these changes affected the Polo facelift for the European market, let's get started. The Polo is switching to a new EU6-complient lineup and promises fuel efficiency increases of up to 21 percent over the older models.
At the bottom of the range 1.0-liter MPI engines have been introduced. These produce 60 or 75 PS. Volkswagen doesn't say this per say, but it sounds like the 1.2-liter 3-cylinder units that Skoda developed for superminis are gone. We believe this is a mistake on Volkswagen's part, but one made for reasons dictated by the market. A Polo 1.2 60 PS used to have 108 Nm of torque, but the new 1-liter engine probably make the same 95 Nm of torque as in the Up!.
Things get a little better moving up the engine range. The 1.2-liter four-cylinder TSI turcharged engines are safe. The base version with 8 valves has the same 90 PS, but the top-spec Polo will now get 110 instead of 105 PS. Frankly, these can only be the Golf 7 engines, which should have stop-start and better thermal management. Just to give you an example, the Polo 1.2 TSI 90 with a 5-speed manual currently gets 6.5 l/100km in the city, but the Golf gets 5.9 l/100km, even though it's a bigger car.
As for the diesel, Volkswagen is again getting rid of older units. The 1.2 TDI three-cylinder and 1.6 TDI four-cylinder are gone, replaced by a three-cylinder 1.4 TDI, with 75 and 90 PS. Being the only engine we've never heard about, this is easily the most important new engine. Why? Because the 1.6 TDI is on a lot of other cars, including mass-market models like the Skoda Rapid and VW Golf.
No hybrid or electric versions for the VW supermini. In fact, even the diesel-powered Polo BlueMotion is to be replaced with a new petrol-powered Polo BlueMotion TSI. This is a 1.0-liter TSI that produces 90 PS. Again, this is an engine that we've never heard about and a direct challenger for the 1.0 EcoBoost from Ford and 0.9 TCe from Renault. The UK branch says to expect as much as 68.9 mpg (provisional figure), which is equivalent to 4.1 liters per 100 km/h. The blue car above appears to be the BlueMotion model in question. It has the right badging but strangely runs on 17-inch wheels with 205-width tires, not exactly small for a supermini.
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