Volkswagen Polo and Audi A1 will share new AWD platform

Volkswagen’s small car architecture, which today underpins the VW Polo, Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia, will offer the possibility of all-wheel drive for the next generation of VW group small cars.

"The new small-car platform architecture includes an all-wheel drive option," Erich Schmitt, president of Seat said. "Seat won’t offer awd for its new Ibiza, but other group models could use it."

The first use of the latest development of this platform, called PQ25, is for the new Seat Ibiza. The new-generation VW Polo will be the next model later this year, followed by the all-new Audi A1 in late 2009.

The current version of VW’s Cross Polo has the looks of an awd crossover model, but comes with front-wheel drive only. "Think of an awd option for the next generation Cross Polo, or next Audi A1," an VW group source said. "And Audi already has an awd tradition anyway with its Quattro models."