Remember the bright yellow little Volkswagen that arrived with me last summer? While Polos are obviously the main interest over at PoloDriver, I do have a roving eye for most other Volkswagen models, too. So, last summer, I took a 1.2-litre Fox Urban to the North York Moors for a 1200-mile road test to see if Volkswagen’s city car can do most of what the Polo can do, but for £2000 less. Can the smaller, Brazilian-built town tiddler be a true cut-price Polo alternative? For the answer to this question and more about the global Fox family, read the PoloDriver digital mini-mag (previewed below) here.
The new Volkswagen Polo is now on sale in the UK and the rest of Europe, and with revised and updated economical and high-performance versions at opposite ends of the Polo spectrum coming in the next few months, as well as a launch in India and a new saloon variant, it’s going to be a busy 2010 for VW’s newest arrival.
With the Car of the Year 2010 victory ending 2009 on a high, read what impressed the European jury enough to hand the industry award to the Polo in a review of the new range. Driven back in September at the UK press launch, read the initial findings of the 1.2 59 and 69bhp SE, 1.4 84bhp SE, 1.2 59bhp Moda, 1.4 84bhp SEL and 1.6 74bhp TDI.
The mini-magazine can be found on PoloDriver’s Issuu virtual bookshelf here and is previewed below.
Volkswagen Polo in European Car of the Year 2010 winner shock. Yes, the fifth-generation of Volkswagen’s supermini (above, front right) has gone and done it. I can’t quite believe it. After 34 years it’s finally been awarded one of the oldest prizes in motoring. Snatching victory from the clutches of the Toyota iQ, the new Polo was announced the winner today at a ceremony in Madrid. Beating 33 contenders for the title, it drove over the six other shortlisted finalists with its total of 347 points. Pop over to PoloDriver for the full story.
This spot is now a little old, but still deserves a mention for the stunning driving and cinematography. Volkswagen launched the latest Mk 6 Golf GTI to great fanfare earlier in the year and this TV commercial showcases the car and some superb driving. Made for the ‘Only for Advanced Drivers. From 21 years-old: a recommendation from Volkswagen’ campaign for continental TV screens, it certainly hits the spot (no pun intended) for impact, looking like an action sequence from a Hollywood blockbuster. Great car, great commercial. See how they made it here.
You know that new online project I said I was working on about a month ago? Well, here’s what it was. Actually, it’s one of two, but it’s the one I’ve been spending most of my free time on recently. As you’ve probably guessed from some of the posts on this site, I’m a fan of Volkswagen Polos, and, as strange a choice that may be, they wormed their way in around 18 years ago, and have stayed with me ever since.
I used to co-run the UK’s first enthusiast group for the model, the VW Polo Register, and now, after 13 years and modest success (other clubs are now in operation for the small Volkswagen), I’ve launched PoloDriver.com – the new online resource for the Volkswagen Polo. I’d originally planned a Volkswagen site for all models, but realised that it might be too big an undertaking, so I decided to stick with what I know best.
Partly-timed with the arrival of the new fifth-generation model, the editorially-focused site features all the latest Volkswagen Polo news from around the world, road tests, spotlights on specific model variations, flashbacks to past generations, standard and modified cars and views from contributors.
They’ll also be digital infrequent ‘mini-magazines’, which take advantage of the latest innovations in digital publishing. PoloDriver.com has just published issue one – a first drives supplement of the new model, which is available to view online or download for offline reading in the popular PDF format. With viewing stats readily available, it’s instant, and much easier than the paper newsletter I used to compile and edit.
I hope it’s the start of something exciting. Not only does it promote the Polo (with some support from the Volkswagen UK Press Office, although the site is wholly independent), but it can also be used as a showcase for writing and design, which is what I can be found doing as a day job.
But, as the car is one of my hobbies, too, that’s what the site’s primary remit will be – to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for all enthusiasts of the model. In time they’ll be a forum and other sections and pages, including coverage of the Polo in motorsport. And, with almost as many years under its tyres as I have under my feet, there should be plenty of tales to tell.
While there still may be some Polo-related stories found here, the majority will be over at PoloDriver.com – the new online resource for the Volkswagen Polo. Send press releases and editorial contributions to rich@polodriver.com. Subscribe to the PoloDriver.com news feeds at http://www.polodriver.com/feed/ and catch up with all the latest on the Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/polodrivercom.
