Of the many vehicles Volkswagen has released in Frankfurt, the new R-Line package for the Volkswagen Polo may be just another vehicle to some people, but rest assured, it’s anything but.
Save for a performance program, it’s got everything you need, including exterior and interior upgrades, new color options, and a new set of alloy wheels. Among the new accessories that can be fitted into the Polo include new front and rear bumpers, a roof spoiler, new side skirts, LED license plate illumination, daytime running lights, chrome exhaust tailpipes, and a new set of 16" alloy wheels. A new sports chassis is also available, one that can lower the car’s ride height by 15 mm. Various color options are available for the Polo R-Line, including Deep Black Pearl Effect, Reflex Silver Metallic, Pepper Grey Metallic, Shadow Blue Metallic, Hot Orange Metallic, Candy White, and Flash Red.
The car’s interior was also given some fresh enhancements. There’s new leather and Alcantara upholstery, GTI sports seats, a black roofliner, a leather steering wheel, aluminum pedals, door sills, and a number of R-Line logos.
Volkswagen has yet to announce a price for the R-Line package. The launch date is expected to begin at the end of the year with versions available for just about every model of the Polo.
Volkswagen will finally be entering the World Rally Championship and have prepared a new Polo R WRC Concept to help prepare the onslaught of fans ready to see the company in action. This new model will preview the production model that will be used in competition from 2013 and on.
"Almost exactly two years ago, in May 2009, the most recent model of the Polo was presented here in Sardinia. Today we are proud to show you the hottest Polo of all time – the Polo R WRC," said Luca de Meo, Head of Marketing of Volkswagen AG.
Volkswagen will take the experience of their three consecutive victories at the Dakar Rally and use it to formulate a vehicle especially for the WRC rally. The car set to compete in the WRC will be a near-300-hp rally vehicle with a 1.6-liter TSI engine and four-wheel drive based on the Polo.
"The new Technical Regulations of the World Rally Championship are an ideal fit for Volkswagen’s philosophy with respect to the development of production vehicles," says Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Management Board of the Volkswagen Brand, Development Division. "Downsizing, high efficiency and reliability are top priorities for our customers. The timing of the WRC debut is optimal for Volkswagen. The big task of engineering a vehicle that is competitive and capable of winning at a large number of challenges holds great appeal for us."
UPDATE 09/13/11: The Volkswagen Polo R WRC was finally unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, giving the world a glance at the new prototype that will be used by Volkwagen to launch the testing program this year in preparation for the FIA World Rally Championship. Volkswagen is gearing up for its entry in the world’s pre-eminent rally racing category in 2013 and the development of the Polo R WRC prototype is the first step in fielding a full-fledged contender.
German auto tuner, H&R, has been working on a 2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI with the intention of turning it into a meat-packing piece of machinery. A few days ago, the aftermarket company unveiled the result of their hard labor by introducing a better-than-ever Volkswagen Polo with an upgraded suspension that H&R says will drastically improve both the car’s handling and stability.
The Polo GTI is already powered by a 1.4-liter TSI gasoline engine with turbo and superchargers that produces an output of 180 horsepower with 184 lb-ft of torque that’s available from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm engine and is mated to a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. The Polo GT is capable of a north-to-60 time of 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 142 mph.
While H&R largely left the engine alone, what they did was develop and improve the car’s suspension components to further increase its dynamics. This was done by improving the vehicle’s spring sets without compromising its overall drivability. On top of that, the front end of the Polo was lowered by 20mm with the rear seeing a 30mm decrease in ride height with a height adjustable H&R Monotube coilover suspension to boot.
H&R also took the task of including a set of TRAK+ wheel spacers that are made of high tensile aluminum alloy with an eventual option of offering a set of stabilizers in the near future.
The offerings may be a little limited compared to what we’re accustomed to with aftermarket tuning firms, but despite the lack of quantity, H&R Springs knows that quality is a much more important barometer in a successful tuned-up program. And as one of the foremost authorities in a vehicle’s suspension system, we have no doubt that this Polo GTI is going to have a lot more bite than its standard counterpart.
Press Release after the jump.
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During the recent Paris Auto Show, Volkswagen Group not only confirmed that the company was preparing a new all-wheel drive PQ25 platform that will be used for the future Audi S1, but they also stated that the use of this new platform could extend to two future models: a possible Polo R and a CrossPolo.
The Audi S1 needed this all-wheel drive platform to become a proper model, but engineering costs needed to produce it cause Volkswagen to get a little jumpy at the thought. The final push for the decision came when they realized they could develop the Polo R with the same platform. The Polo R gets a chance and Volkswagen’s money is well spent. Sounds like a good compromise to us.
It was already rumored that the next Audi S1 would be offered with a 270 HP engine and Quattro system. The S1 will also get a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and will come with a lowered suspension and a set of special edition 17-inch wheels. The 0 to 60 MPH sprint will be made in 6 seconds, while top speed will be limited to the German gentleman’s agreement of 155 MPH.
Volkswagen unveiled today the all new Polo Sedan in Russia. It is the first time in the company’s history that they have developed a car especially for the Russian market. It will premier in Moscow.
The new Volkswagen Polo Sedan is powered by a 1.6-liter Otto engine that develops a total of 105 HP and is mated to either a 5-gear manual gearbox or a 6-gear automatic gearbox with sequential shift function (Tiptronic) which makes Volkswagen the first automaker to offer Tiptronic in Russia.
It will be offered in three trim levels. The Trendline comes standard with two airbags, head rests, and three-point seat belts for all five passengers. The Comfortline offers ABS as standard and the Highline offers side air-bags and ESP as standard.
Pricing for the Russia-only VW Polo Sedan will be announced at a later date.
Press release after the jump.
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