Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion first drive

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With the new 60 registration plate change month of September almost upon us, frugal motoring costs are still high on the agenda for the UK’s new car buyers whether they are retail, fleet or business user-chooser customers.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders forecasts around 331,000 new cars will be registered during the month of September all carrying the new 60 plate.

Right on cue Volkswagen now offers the latest Polo Bluemotion three and five door ‘supermini’ sized models with CO2 emissions of just 91g/km. This means an official combined cycle fuel consumption of 80.7mpg, no road tax is currently payable throughout its lifetime, for London users there is currently no Congestion Charge payable and for company car users the Benefit-in-Kind tax is a low 13%.

On the subject of figures the Polo Bluemotion three-door hatch costs £14,445 and the five-door option carries a £600 premium. Still on the subject of figures the 1.2-litre, TDI three cylinder, 12-valve common-rail turbodiesel engine develops 74bhp and 133lb ft of torque at 2,000rpm. Top speed is 107mph and zero to 62mph takes 13.9 seconds.

The Polo is VW’s second best selling model range in the UK after the family size sector Golf. Prices for the Polo range start at £9,790 for the 1.2-litre petrol S three-door up to £18,875 for the new 1.4-litre GTI with a 7-speed DSG twin clutch auto gearbox and a five-door body style.

In the first seven months of this year the Polo has achieved 29,381 UK sales putting it in sixth position in the top ten sales chart, just one place below the Golf. Volkswagen’s UK sales continue to grow with an increase of 22% so far this year to 108,644 units. This puts them in third position as a brand behind Ford the number one seller with 176,792 sales and Vauxhall in second place with 150,141 registrations.

The new fifth generation Polo is the largest ever and the most technically advanced. In fact the new Polo is just like a smaller Golf, solid, well built, exemplary handling and balance. It is a real chip of the old block because it looks like a Golf encouraging cash-conscious owners to downsize without moving to a lesser product.

The Polo is so good it has been awarded the titles of European Car of the Year, 2010 World Car of the Year, 2010 World Green Car of the Year for the Bluemotion versions, Best Small Car at the 2010 Fleet World Honours as well as Best Supermini from What Car? and Fleet News magazines – to name just a few.

If these endorsements do not bring in more sales then the Bluemotion cost of motoring credentials surely will for ‘eco’ and high mileage drivers. As countless automotive manufacturers point out modern technology petrol and diesel engines are more fuel and CO2 friendly and cheaper in real world motoring conditions than Hybrids, electric plug-ins or future fuel-cell models. Yes alternative powered vehicles will have a place in the market for some users but the mainstream market will remain petrol or diesel power for many years to come and each year the improvements go on arriving. There are fewer compromises to be made driving a fuel efficient diesel or petrol fuelled car, with a Hybrid or electric powered vehicle there are significant drawbacks as they need care to achieve fuel and CO2 savings and of course they cost more to buy.

Talking of real-life conditions. My test Polo 1.2 TDI Bluemotion three door hatch, the five door would have been better for better passenger carrying ability, achieved an average 67.6mpg for my week’s motoring. This driving included lots of short runs into town and a longer motorway journey carrying a passenger and our luggage. On the motorway cruising at 70mph the Polo Bluemotion returned 72.2mpg and the worst figure I saw on the on-board computer was 61mpg for an early morning stop start journey in traffic.

So it’s not the 80.7mpg official figure claimed by VW but for real-life 72mpg plus is better than any Hybrid I’ve driven on similar journeys and the car is considerably cheaper to buy in the first place. As I say, driving with no compromises.

Well they are a few. The 1.2-litre, three-cylinder TDI turbodiesel engine growls a bit under load, it’s not the smoothest or quietest unit around but generally three cylinder engines tend to be more raucous than four-cylinder units. The gearing is high so be prepared for lots of down-changing to climb hills or when overtaking as the peak torque only arrives at 2,000rpm.

Volkswagen has made a few changes to the latest Polo’s styling for the Bluemotion model. The aerodynamics are smoothed by blanking off the grille and the cooling ducts usually mounted in the front bumper have been moved to the underside of the car. The front bumper has a splitter added to its lower edge, there is a small rear wing to smooth airflow over and away from the bodyshell, there is also a more rounded rear bumper and a set of side skirts to speed up airflow.

The 15-inch alloy wheels are shod with low rolling resistance tyres which firm up the ride but only marginally so and this Polo still remains a comfortable car to ride in and the handling is well balanced as always. I actually like the styling tweaks because they give the supermini a sportier look. There are also start/stop and energy recovery during braking systems fitted as well as ESP stability control, traction control and an electronic differential lock.

Inside there is the usual high quality fit and finish and a good level of equipment. The doors are nice and solid to open and close and they give the Polo a quality feel. Specification includes a full range of airbags and active front seat head restraints, semi-automatic air conditioning, electrically operated windows and door mirrors, cruise control, multifunction computer, optimum gearchange point indicator, a good sound system, lots of storage space, centre armrest and folding rear seats.

In most ways the Bluemotion versions of the Polo add up to a good choice for ‘eco’ driving owners. But the model does cost more than the 1.6-litre TDI turbodiesel and the 1.4-litre petrol versions so private buyers will need to cover more miles to make their extra purchase cost investment financially viable. It is a real pity that manufacturers feel they need to charge customers more for ‘eco’ models over mainstream versions.

MILESTONES. Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion 1.2-litre TDI 75PS 5-Speed, 3-Door. Price: £14,445. Engine/Transmission: 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbodiesel, 74bhp, 133lb ft of torque at 2,000rpm, 5-speed manual. Performance: 107mph, 0-62mph 13.9 seconds, 80.7mpg, (67.6mpg actual average), CO2 91g/km, VED road tax £0, BIK company car tax 13%. Insurance group: 9E. Load space: 280-952-litres. For: Well built, good to look at, classy interior, superb real-life fuel economy so low fuel costs, no road tax, low insurance costs. Against: Tall gearing spoils engine flexibility, noisy engine, price premium over some 1.4 petrol and 1.6-litre diesel versions so only high mileage drivers gain financially. Miles Better News Agency Girlracer magazine

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