The homogonization of Volkswagen cars continues with the announcement of a refurbished Polo, as the car receives the same LED light strip along the radiator grille as the ID 3, Golf and Arteon.
During the unveiling, Volkswagen’s head of exterior design, Marvo Pavone, said the connection with the extended family was essential: “It is very important to have this relationship with the design language of the Golf 8. [because] this makes the car significantly wider and easily recognizable. “
The light strip is one part of a series of styling changes to the car, as Volkswagen seeks to surpass the 18 million Polos sold in the model’s 45-year history.
Other changes include LED headlights (now standard), new front and rear bumpers, redesigned tailgate and LED taillights. Front LEDs are available with matrix technology for the first time in the Polo, dubbed IQ Light.
The car also gains the firm’s new signage, dominated by a large VW logo with Polo lettering underneath. The wheelbase remains the same, but the refurbished version is slightly longer, due to its reshaped bumpers.
In addition to the styling changes, the Polo is now available with optional Travel Assist. This Level 2 autonomous driving feature, first seen on the Passat, combines adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist to enable partially automated driving up to 130 mph. A more regular version of Lane Keeping Assist is fitted as standard.
Inside, the Polo gets Volkswagen’s latest infotainment system with a 6.5-inch touch screen as standard, offering all the latest connectivity options. A 9.2in version is available as an option, while the new slide-in temperature control that sits lower in the center console is carried over from the Golf.
A redesigned and standard multifunction steering wheel is also part of the changes, while in the dashboard an 8.0-inch digital instrument display greets the driver.
The engines remain the same as before. Offering a power range from 79 hp to 108 hp, the all-gasoline three-cylinder range offers a choice of manual or dual-clutch automatic transmissions.
Official fuel economy figures will be released closer to the car’s launch.
There are currently no plans to offer the Polo with an electrified powertrain. Volkswagen claims to have the ID range to fulfill this role, stressing that it plans an electric vehicle that will be located under the ID 3 the size of a Golf.
In the UK, the Polo will be available in Life, Style, R-Line specifications, matching the Golf lineup and replacing the older Match, SEL and R-Line versions. The Polo GTI hot hatch will continue to be offered, but the refurbished version will not arrive in the UK until early 2022.
The new Polo range will go on sale here in the third quarter of 2021. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but the update is likely to result in a slight increase in costs for a starting price of around £ 17,500.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-21 14:33:34
