Volkswagen Polo BlueMotionWe last carried a review of the Polo in December 09, and if you take a look at that page you’ll find mostly positive comments, sprinkled with the odd caveat about rear leg room and rattly idling from the diesels. Mentioned within that piece was the news that Volkswagen would be releasing a super-green ‘BlueMotion’ version in 2010, which they have indeed done. You might think there’s nothing new here, after all the company launched the first Polo BlueMotion back in 2007, but it’s now gone a deeper shade of green with CO2 emissions reduced from 99g/km to 91, which is way below the figure needed to give road tax-free motoring here in the UK. Indeed the Golf BlueMotion now offers the same fuel economy as did that first Polo example three years ago.For those unsure as to what it is that makes a BlueMotion Polo distinct from its peers, it’s a multifaceted answer. The all-new 1.2 three-cylinder engine is small but powerful enough to give performance you can live with, and fuel economy that will be the envy of your neighbours. Fourteen seconds near enough to 62mph will not endear the car to motorsport enthusiasts, but these days it’s often all you can do thanks to the traffic. When you’re not doing it, the prospect of over 80mpg will certainly persuade you to drive in a more eco-friendly fashion; well it would me.Start/Stop is fitted to a Polo for the first time, and the aerodynamics are assisted by a set of side skirts, a front splitter, small rear wing, and low rolling resistance tyres. To put a figure on the aerodynamic improvements, the Cd (coefficient of drag) for a standard Polo SE is 0.32, while that of the BlueMotion is 0.307; that might not sound too mighty an improvement, but for anyone using the car extensively on the motorway the benefits will certainly be financially apparent. It would be easy to believe that a super-green car would have to be pared down in all manner of areas in order to save weight, but the BlueMotion retains normal Volkswagen levels of comfort, so manual air con, cruise control and leather steering wheel are all standard. Neither are safety features compromised, with four airbags and ESP both also standard fitments.The wee 3-cylinder common rail diesel is quieter than one might expect, though of course it’s no whisperer. What is surprising is the lack of engine noise on the motorway, which is principally a result of the very high gearing (for a 1.2 engine); in top gear the indicated speed at 2000rpm is little short of our legal maximum. As for driving around town, the BlueMotion is for the most part easy to live with provided the revs are kept above 1500 where there is loads of torque; let things drop below that level however, and acceleration will be virtually non-existent. The ride is typical Volkswagen, which is to say on the firm side compared to French competitors, but it’s nonetheless comfortable for all that.The Start/Stop system operates as they all do, by cutting the engine when the car is at rest and the driver has selected neutral; restarting is simply a matter of depressing the clutch. A further fuel-saving measure is ‘battery regeneration’., Similar in operation to a hybrid’s regeneration (though markedly less effective as it’s only the normal 12v battery being charged), during deceleration and braking phases the alternator’s voltage is boosted, which charges the battery more quickly and places a greater drag on the engine, thus helping to slow the car. Thanks to alternator control it’s possible to lower alternator voltage, for example during acceleration or when driving at a constant speed. It’s even possible for the system to switch off the alternator entirely, which reduces engine load and improves fuel consumption.Passenger leg room is ample up front, and not bad at the rear provided that front seat occupants don’t grab all of that ample space. Boot volume is officially 280/952 litres (like the rest of the Polo range), which is up with its main competitor, the Fiesta. It’s not a very long boot, but depth is a prime asset. Read all about the Polo’s benefits and drawbacks in our earlier review, but it’s important to note that whatever the other benefits of the BlueMotion may be, buyers are above all going to be lured into the showroom by the official consumption figure, which is mightily impressive. Against that, the saving to be had from not paying road tax is very small beer; in fact at today’s prices it’s rather less than a pint a week.Size: 3.97m x 1.68mEngine: Diesel: 1.2 litres – 75PSGearbox: 5-speed FWDConsumption: 80.7mpgPrice at Sept ’10: from £14,445Full details of the Polo BlueMotion range available on the manufacturer’s website: www.volkswagen.co.ukPeter Cracknell - Sept 2010
Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion
We last carried a review of the Polo in December 09,
and if you take a look at that page you’ll find mostly
positive comments, sprinkled with the odd caveat
about rear leg room and rattly idling from the diesels.
Mentioned within that piece was the news that
Volkswagen would be releasing a super-green
‘BlueMotion’ version in 2010, which they have indeed
done. You might think there’s nothing new here, after
all the company launched the first Polo BlueMotion
back in 2007, but it’s now gone a deeper shade of
green with CO2 emissions reduced from 99g/km to
91, which is way
below the figure
needed to give road
tax-free motoring here
in the UK. Indeed the
Golf BlueMotion now
offers the same fuel
economy as did that
first Polo example
three years ago.
For those unsure as to
what it is that makes a
BlueMotion Polo
distinct from its peers,
it’s a multifaceted
answer. The all-new
1.2 three-cylinder
engine is small but
powerful enough to
give performance you
can live with, and fuel
economy that will be
the envy of your neighbours. Fourteen seconds near
enough to 62mph will not endear the car to
motorsport enthusiasts, but these days it’s often all
you can do thanks to the traffic. When you’re not
doing it, the prospect of over 80mpg will certainly
persuade you to drive in a more eco-friendly fashion;
well it would me.
Start/Stop is fitted to a Polo for the first time, and the
aerodynamics are assisted by a set of side skirts, a
front splitter, small rear wing, and low rolling
resistance tyres. To put a figure on the aerodynamic
improvements, the Cd (coefficient of drag) for a
standard Polo SE is 0.32, while that of the
BlueMotion is 0.307; that might not sound too mighty
an improvement, but for anyone using the car
extensively on the motorway the benefits will
certainly be financially apparent.
It would be easy to believe that a super-green car
would have to be pared down in all manner of areas
in order to save weight, but the BlueMotion retains
normal Volkswagen levels of comfort, so manual air
con, cruise control and leather steering wheel are all
standard. Neither are safety features compromised,
with four airbags and ESP both also standard
fitments.
The wee 3-cylinder common rail diesel is quieter
than one might expect, though of course it’s no
whisperer. What is surprising is the lack of engine
noise on the motorway, which is principally a result of
the very high gearing (for a 1.2 engine); in top gear
the indicated speed at 2000rpm is little short of our
legal maximum. As for driving around town, the
BlueMotion is for the most part easy to live with
provided the revs are kept above 1500 where there
is loads of torque; let things drop below that level
however, and acceleration will be virtually non-
existent. The ride is typical Volkswagen, which is to
say on the firm side compared to French competitors,
but it’s nonetheless comfortable for all that.
The Start/Stop system operates as they all do, by
cutting the engine when the car is at rest and the
driver has selected neutral; restarting is simply a
matter of depressing the clutch. A further fuel-saving
measure is ‘battery regeneration’., Similar in operation
to a hybrid’s regeneration (though markedly less
effective as it’s only the normal 12v battery being
charged), during deceleration and braking phases the
alternator’s voltage is
boosted, which charges
the battery more quickly
and places a greater
drag on the engine,
thus helping to slow the
car. Thanks to
alternator control it’s
possible to lower
alternator voltage, for
example during
acceleration or when
driving at a constant
speed. It’s even
possible for the system
to switch off the
alternator entirely,
which reduces engine
load and improves fuel
consumption.
Passenger leg room is
ample up front, and not bad at the rear provided that
front seat occupants don’t grab all of that ample space.
Boot volume is officially 280/952 litres (like the rest of
the Polo range), which is up with its main competitor,
the Fiesta. It’s not a very long boot, but depth is a
prime asset.
Read all about the Polo’s benefits and drawbacks in
our earlier review, but it’s important to note that
whatever the other benefits of the BlueMotion may be,
buyers are above all going to be lured into the
showroom by the official consumption figure, which is
mightily impressive. Against that, the saving to be had
from not paying road tax is very small beer; in fact at
today’s prices it’s rather less than a pint a week.
Size:
3.97m x 1.68m
Engine:
Diesel: 1.2 litres – 75PS
Gearbox:
5-speed FWD
Consumption:
80.7mpg
Price at Sept ’10:
from £14,445
Full details of the Polo BlueMotion range available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.volkswagen.co.uk
Peter Cracknell - Sept 2010
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