Mk5 Polo – AUSmotive.com

Volkswagen gives Polo mid-cycle makeover

Volkswagen has given its award-winning Mk5 Polo a refresh and you’ll do well to spot the differences, as is often the case with these mid-cycle updates.

If you look closely you’ll see the lower spoiler has been updated and likewise with the lower valance. There’s a bunch of new paint colours as well to help you spot the difference. Similarly, the interior of the Polo has been revamped to ensure trainspotters have something new to look at.

Mostly the changes are beneath the skin with the full engine range also being given the once over by Volkswagen’s engineers. All engines in the Polo now meet EU6 emissions standards and have stop/start fuel saving technology.

Other new tech added to the Polo range includes optional LED headlights, a battery regeneration mode, City Emergency Braking, Automatic Distance Control, Driver Alert and more. The infotainment system has also been updated and includes Bluetooth audio among other features.

Perhaps the biggest change of note is to the Polo GTI, which we’ll go into a bit later. For now there’s more pics and details from Volkswagen after the break.

The new Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen have released images of its new fifth generation Polo ahead of its reveal at the Geneva Auto Salon. Visually, at least, this is a big step forward for what is fast becoming a baby Golf. The exterior looks better than the outgoing model, although, perhaps the rear tail light treatment lets the new car down a bit.

However, it is inside where the biggest advances have been made. The new Polo interior is Golf-like in its level of appointment and detail, and you can see this car attracting a number of new buyers to the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen has pushed the safety aspect of the new Polo with ESP standard across the range. The car has been designed, from the ground up, with the 5-star NCAP criteria in mind, which has recently been made more difficult to achieve.

Usual TSI and TDI four cylinder engine offerings will be available in the new Polo, including a 77kW 1.2 TSI turbo powered petrol engine that uses just 5.5 litres of fuel per 100km, and emits a low 129g of CO2 per kilometre. Bettering those figures, and by some margin, is the BlueMotion Polo, equipped with a 66kW 1.6l TDI, which uses a meagre 3.8 litres of diesel per 100km with a CO2 figure of 96g/km. Volkswagen claim this is the most efficient five-seat diesel powered car in the world.

Continuing Volkswagen’s faith in dual clutch transmission technology the new Polo will a offer 7-speed DSG option.

Production of the new Polo starts this month with a European market release scheduled for June. And, judging by these new pics, the Polo GTI guess looks pretty close to the mark, as well.

UPDATE: Volkswagen Australia is saying the new Polo should be on our shores in early 2010.

UPDATE 6 April 2010: Over 25 new images added at end of article.