[Cartoday]
Volkswagen’s fifth-generation Polo will move away from the current car’s staid styling and adopt some of the Scirocco’s bold design.
According to a report from AutoExpress, the upcoming Polo will sport a nose heavily influenced by the company’s svelte new coupe and a cabin that sees the long-overdue return of high quality trim and luxury appointments. The new car will also usher in an array of new powerplants, including technologically advanced diesels for low-emissions as well as twin-charged petrol powerplants for performance-orientated models.The AutoExpress renderings show a car that draws a number of styling cues from the Scirocco and the Golf VI. The large chrome grille associated with the present car has been abandoned in favour of a simpler design a pair of slim horizontal air intakes and angled headlights. Other Scirocco-esque touches include uncluttered flanks, a small set of haunches framing the rear wheels and a more swept-forward take on the brake lights. In addition to the three and five-door configurations, there will also be a coupé-cabrio model, an MPV in the mold of the European-only Golf Plus and an all-wheel drive SUV model set to replace the CrossPolo. The new Polo will sit on the same PQ25 small car platform as the latest SEAT Ibiza. This will translate to overall exterior dimensions similar to the existing car’s, but with a larger cabin. A great deal of criticism regarding a perceived drop in standards will has prompted Volkswagen to make the Polo the best built car in its class. The dash is another aspect of the Polo expected to echo the Scirocco and soft-touch materials are the order of the day.
This promised bid to improve quality standards goes hand-in-hand with the Polo’s usual proviso of providing big car features in a compact package. Specification is said to be generous, with features such as an MP3 player input and Bluetooth connectivity set to appear in most models. The Polo could also play host to the Ibiza’s sat-nav docking port, which allows portable GPS units to be plugged into the dash.The engine line up is expected to include 1,4 and 1,6-litre FSI direct-injection petrol units, as well as a range of new TDI turbodiesels. Two versions of VW’s 1,4-litre twin-charged TSI motor are another likely addition to the Polo range in the shape of a 103 kW unit and a 125 kW version earmarked as a replacement for the turbocharged 1,8-litre unit in the GTI. A Bluemotion model is also on the cards and is said to offer 3,5-litre/100 km economy whilst emitting less than 100g/km of CO2. Most of these engines can be mated with the company’s 7-speed DSG transmission as an optional extra.The CC, SUV and MPV models will not see the light of day until least 2010, while the hatch looks set to appear sometime next year.
