Volkswagen Polo S2000
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The Volkswagen Polo is a
supermini car The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
(
B-segment The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
) produced by the German car manufacturer
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in
hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run.


History

As of 2018, six separate generations of the Polo have been produced, usually identified by a "Series" or "Mark" number. Some generations were facelifted midway through production, with the updated versions known unofficially by an addition of the letter F to the mark number, e.g. Mk2F. Some members of the automotive press and some enthusiasts consider the facelifts to be separate models, so have used the unofficial designations Polo Mk1 to Mk7 for previous generations. Each Polo model is also identified by a two- or three-character Volkswagen Group ''Typ'' number. Official VW Polo history describes Mark I to Mark IV using either
Roman numerals Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
or
Arabic numerals Arabic numerals are the ten numerical digits: , , , , , , , , and . They are the most commonly used symbols to write Decimal, decimal numbers. They are also used for writing numbers in other systems such as octal, and for writing identifiers ...
, with facelifted variants known as "Phase II" models. The
body style Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars. The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Types ...
has been varied through the life of the car, originally as a hatchback, which derived from the
Audi 50 The Audi 50 (known internally as the ''Typ'' 86) is a supermini economy car produced by German automaker Audi from 1974 to 1978, and sold only in Europe. Introduced two or three years after the Italian Fiat 127 and the French Renault 5, the model ...
. A saloon version was marketed as the
Volkswagen Derby Volkswagen Derby was the name first given by German automaker Volkswagen for the commercialization of the booted saloon (three-box) version of its Volkswagen Polo Mk1 supermini, between 1977 and 1981 in Europe. Later, the Derby name was used ...
. Volkswagen vehicles built on different platforms have carried the Polo
nameplate A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informat ...
. For example, the Volkswagen Polo Playa hatchback sold in
Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
in the late 1990s was a rebadged
SEAT Ibiza The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spani ...
, which has a different body shell from the Polo Mk3 sold in Europe at the same time. The current saloon is only available in China,
Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
, and South Africa and other Southern African countries. Starting in 1982, Volkswagen sold the Polo in Japan initially through an agreement with Japanese dealership Yanase that specializes in European and North American vehicles. Of all Volkswagens imported into Japan, only the Polo (until 2017) and the Golf (until 1997), complied with Japanese government dimension regulations until the introduction of the
VW Up! The Volkswagen Up (stylized as Volkswagen up!) is a city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New Small Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany (IAA). Production of the Up started in December 2011 at th ...
in 2012.


Related models

The first Polo was effectively a
rebadged In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
version of the
Audi 50 The Audi 50 (known internally as the ''Typ'' 86) is a supermini economy car produced by German automaker Audi from 1974 to 1978, and sold only in Europe. Introduced two or three years after the Italian Fiat 127 and the French Renault 5, the model ...
hatchback launched in August 1974. The Audi 50 was discontinued in 1978, as Audi concentrated on larger luxury models. The Mk1 and Mk2 versions of the Polo were then standalone models in the Volkswagen range. With the expansion of the
Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...
:
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Th ...
(in the 1960s),
SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
(in the 1980s), and
Škoda Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
(in the 1990s) were acquired, and the
platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...
used for the Polo was shared with other models. The Polo shared its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mk2. The Ibiza was actually launched before the Polo Mk3 and shared essentially all its mechanicals, the dashboard, and other interior components, although no body panels were shared between the two cars. The saloon and estate versions of the Polo Mk3 were actually rebadged
SEAT Córdoba The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and coupé version of the SEAT Ibiza supermini car, built by the Spanish automaker SEAT. It was manufactured between 1993 and 2010, and was related with the second and third generations of the Ibiza. F ...
models and had no body panels in common with the Polo hatchback. The
SEAT Inca The SEAT Inca (''Typ'' 9K) was a van and panel van produced by the Spanish manufacturer SEAT between 1996 and 2004. It was designed and assembled in Spain, based on the SEAT Ibiza Mark 2. It was first shown at the Barcelona Motor Show of 1995. ...
and
Volkswagen Caddy The Volkswagen Caddy is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle (M-segment) produced by the German automaker Volkswagen Group since 1980. It is sold in Europe and in other markets around the world. The Volkswagen Caddy was first introduced in Nor ...
vans were also based on this model. The
Volkswagen Lupo The Volkswagen Lupo (''Typ'' 6X) is a city car that was produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, from 1998 to 2005. It shares most of its aspects with the Volkswagen Group's SEAT Arosa, both derived from the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 platform ...
and
SEAT Arosa The SEAT Arosa (''Typ'' 6H) is a city car that was manufactured by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1997 to 2004. The model débuted in March 1997 at the Geneva Motor Show, while its facelifted version was presented in October 2000 at the Paris Mot ...
were also based on a shortened version of the Polo Mk3 platform. The Polo Mk4 continued this trend of platform sharing, with the SEAT Ibiza Mk3 and
Å koda Fabia The Å koda Fabia is a supermini car produced by Czech manufacturer Å koda Auto since 1999. It is the successor of the Å koda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001. The Fabia was available in hatchback, estate (named Fabia Combi) and saloon ( ...
Mk1 and Mk2 both being developed on the same platform and featuring several of the same engines. The 2009 Polo Mk5 is developed on the latest platform, known as the PQ25, the same platform used in the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 that was launched in 2008 and the
Audi A1 The Audi A1 (internally designated ''Typ 8X'') is a supermini car launched by Audi at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Sales of the initial three-door A1 model started in Germany in August 2010, with the United Kingdom following in November 2010. A ...
.


Body styles

The first Polos were hatchbacks, with the saloon being marketed as the Volkswagen Derby. With the release of the Polo Mk2, the saloon was renamed the Volkswagen Polo Classic' and the "conventional"-styled hatchback (with a sloping tailgate) was renamed as a
coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
, the Volkswagen Polo Coupé. Unusually, the third (and new) body that was ''actually'' marketed as the Volkswagen Polo Hatchback was closer in concept to a small estate, albeit with exactly the same wheelbase and floor pan as the coupé instead of the (longer) saloon. This latter version, also known as the squareback (in the original German brochures, "steilheck", literally "steep tail"), amongst other nicknames, was the most popular in virtually every country where the Polo was sold. Despite the differences in silhouette and target market segment, all body types were two- or three-door only. From the Polo Mk3 onwards, the range was more straightforwardly conventional, including unambiguous "saloon", "hatchback", and "estate" models, with only the hatchback offering both five-door and slightly shorter three-door models (both still with quite vertical tailgates, the coupé variation having been retired), the others being four or five-door only and increasing in length from hatch to saloon to estate.


Summary

*Three-door hatchback (Mk1 to Mk5) – the Mk2 and Mk2F were available in two separate three-door hatchback styles, one of which was badged as a coupé. *Two-door saloon (Mk1, Mk1F, Mk2, Mk2F) *Four-door saloon (Mk3, Mk3F, Mk4, Mk4F, Mk5, Mk6) *Five-door hatchback (Mk3, Mk3F, Mk4, Mk4F, Mk5, Mk6) *Five-door estate (Mk3, Mk3F) *Five-door
crossover SUV A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (S ...
-style (two-wheel drive) hatchback (Mk4, Mk4F, Mk5)


Mechanical layout

The Polo is a compact car, with a traditional transversely mounted engine and
front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...
. Mk1 Polos only came with four-cylinder
petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
engines, but for the Mk2, a
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
was offered for the first time, although only in certain markets, others having to wait until the launch of the Mk3. The current range includes a variety of three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Early versions used a four-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
, whilst the current car is available with either six-speed manual or seven-speed
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
. The suspension system on all models uses a fully independent
MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
front suspension, and a
twist-beam rear suspension The twist-beam rear suspension (also torsion-beam axle, deformable torsion beam or compound crank) is a type of automobile suspension based on a large H or C-shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the r ...
. Most models use
disc brakes A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
at the front and rear
drum brakes A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum. The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...
, although some recent models have all-round disc brakes.


First generation (86; 1975)

The first-generation Polo, a
rebadged In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
version of the Audi 50, was introduced in 1975 and was produced until October 1981. It is also called the Volkswagen Derby. By 1979, 500,000 Polos were produced worldwide. It shared the internal designation ''Typ 86'' with the Audi 50. The differences between the Audi and Volkswagen models were minor, with the Polo being cheaper and much more basic. The two cars were initially sold alongside each other, but the Audi 50 never sold as well, and was withdrawn in 1978. The Polo was manufactured at the Volkswagen plant in
Wolfsburg Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony, located on the river Aller. It lies about east of Hanover and west of Berlin. Wolfsburg is famous as the location of Volkswagen AG's hea ...
. The manufacturer let it be known that
Bertone Bertone is an Italian surname meaning "descendant of Roberto". Notable people with the surname include: * Alicia Bertone, American academic, researcher, and veterinary surgeon * Catherine Bertone (born 1972), Turkish-born female Italian marathon r ...
had been involved in the styling of the Polo and its Audi sibling, although the car was essentially an in-house Audi design, with the Italian design studio's contribution restricted to the circular extractor vent cover at the base of the C pillar, and the small "flick-up" at the rear end of the waist line. In 1977, the Derby saloon was released, which was simply a Polo, identical to the hatchback from the
C-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door stat ...
forward, with a large boot attached. The Mark 1 Polo and Derby were facelifted in 1979 (unofficially referred to as the Mark 1F) with plastic bumpers, a different front grille, and a revised dashboard. The round headlights of the Derby were replaced with square ones, bringing it in line with the similar Golf-based Jetta saloon.


Second generation (86C; 1981)

The Polo Mk2 (or ''Typ 86C'') was introduced in October 1981, with the major change being the introduction of a third body style with a steep (almost vertical) rear window, in addition to a version resembling the original Mk1 shape with a diagonal rear window. These two body styles were called the Wagon (in some markets) and Coupé, respectively, although in fact both were three-door hatchbacks, and in some markets the Wagon designation was not used, with that car being simply called the Volkswagen Polo without a suffix. The saloon version received the name Volkswagen Derby. Production was expanded to Spain in the mid-1980s following Volkswagen's takeover of SEAT. By 1983, the one-millionth Polo was produced. The second million were produced by 1986. The Polo competed in the supermini sector with its new rivals such as the
Austin Metro The Metro is a supermini car, later a city car that was produced by British Leyland (BL) and, later, the Rover Group from 1980 to 1998. It was launched in 1980 as the Austin mini Metro. It was intended to complement and eventually replace the M ...
and
Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...
, and it was one of the largest superminis in production at this time, meaning that it was close to larger cars, including the Ford Escort in terms of size, space, and price. Within two years of its launch, however, it was faced with competition from a wave of new rivals, particularly the
Fiat Uno The Fiat Uno is a supermini manufactured and marketed by Fiat. Launched in 1983, the Uno was produced over a single generation (with an intermediate facelift, 1989) in three and five-door hatchback body styles until 1995 in Europe — and un ...
and
Peugeot 205 The Peugeot 205 is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1983 to 1999. It was declared "car of the decade" by ''CAR Magazine'' in 1990. It also won ''What Car?s Car of the Year for 1984. The 205 was intro ...
. The Polo Mk2 was used extensively by Volkswagen to develop future innovations, for example
supercharging In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
with a 40-mm G-Lader supercharger in the GT G40 version. A 60&-mm G-Lader would later be used on the larger and more technically challenging G60 engine used in the Golf and Corrado. A fuel-efficient two-cylinder diesel was prototyped in the mid-1980s with a G40 supercharger to overcome its small capacity, although this did not enter production. A high fuel-efficiency model that did make production was the petrol-engined ''Formel E'' (E for economy), introduced at the launch in 1981 with a 1.1-litre engine and from 1983 with a 1.3-litre engine, overdrive top-gear ratio and an early stop-start ignition system (called "SSA"), which would cut the engine when idle for more than two seconds to save fuel whilst temporarily stopped in traffic, and restart the engine on moving the gear lever to the left in neutral. Similar systems were later used on the
Volkswagen Golf Mk3 The Volkswagen Golf Mk3 is a medium-sized compact family car. The third generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk2, which was produced by Volkswagen from August 1991 (for the 1992 model year) to 2002 (for Cab ...
and various systems from other car manufacturers. It was a popular import in the UK, competing with the likes of the Peugeot 205, Fiat Uno, and
Nissan Micra The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car ( B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982. The Nissan Micra replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry. It was exclusive to Nissan J ...
. Its reliability and build quality were among the best to be found on a small car of this era, and in the years since then, it went on to achieve a higher survival rate than many of its competitors. However, some engines were only available on certain markets. For example, the British market never received any diesel-engined versions of the Polo, though the diesel engine was already available on many similar cars by the end of the 1980s, namely the Ford Fiesta,
Vauxhall Nova The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrolet ...
, and Peugeot 205.


Facelift (1990–1994)

The Mark II Facelift (referred to as the Mark IIF, also erroneously known as the "Mark 3") was a far-reaching facelift of the MkII, including a reskin of the bodywork, launched in the autumn of 1990. The new look had square headlights, enlarged and reshaped tail-lights, bigger bumpers, and a new interior (
dashboard For business applications, see Dashboard (business). A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel (IP), or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle or small aircraft. Usually located directly ahead of the driver ...
and door trim). The three different body styles were maintained. Under the skin, the car received modifications to the chassis, suspension, and brakes, as well as the cosmetic differences. The new Polo retained the previous four-cylinder engines, but now as well as the carburetted 1.0-litre, a fuel-injected model was available with single-point injection, and all engines came with a catalytic converter as standard to combat tightening European emissions regulations. The saloon was only produced in Spain, and production ceased in 1992 due to disappointing sales. At the time of launch of the Mark IIF Polo, the highest-performance model was the Polo GT. This featured a multipoint fuel-injected version of the 1272-cc engine, and a top speed more than 100 mph. This produced and had a quoted top speed of . Times for 0–60 stood at 11.1 seconds. The defining features of the GT include red piping in the bumpers, black overhead cloth, a tachometer, and a red "GT" badge in the grille. This was succeeded by the launch of the G40 in May 1991, displacing the GT as the most powerful Polo at the time, with a top speed around 120 mph – rivalling the likes of the Ford Fiesta XR2i, Peugeot 205 GTI, and Renault Clio 16v. The GT squareback was discontinued in 1992 due to poor sales in comparison with the coupé version. Soon after the launch of the Mark IIF, another sporting model was added to the range — a new version of the
supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
G40, now as a full production model in all markets rather than the limited batch of Mark II G40s. As with the previous model,
Volkswagen Motorsport The Volkswagen Motorsport was a works rally team of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, who competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar Rally. The team started competing in WRC in 1978 and used different specs of Volkswagen Gol ...
modified G40 Cup cars were sold for racing in a one-make series, the Volkswagen Polo G40 Cup. Features that define the G40 from other Polo models at the time (on top of the GT) include a bee-sting aerial,
BBS BBS may refer to: Ammunition * BBs, BB gun metal bullets * BBs, airsoft gun plastic pellets Computing and gaming * Bulletin board system, a computer server users dial into via dial-up or telnet; precursor to the Internet * BIOS Boot Specificat ...
cross-spoke alloy wheels, Le Mans interior trim, and front and rear red "G40" badges.


Third generation (6N/6KV; 1994)

The Mark III Polo or ''Typ 6N'', (sometimes referred to as the "Mark 4" by enthusiasts as it is the Polo's fourth guise) appeared in 1994, and was a completely new model (on a new chassis), available as three- and five-door hatchback versions, the latter making VW the last major European manufacturer to finally offer rear side doors in this class. It shared its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mark 2. This platform actually used the floorpan of the
Volkswagen Golf Mk3 The Volkswagen Golf Mk3 is a medium-sized compact family car. The third generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk2, which was produced by Volkswagen from August 1991 (for the 1992 model year) to 2002 (for Cab ...
(a multitude of mechanical parts and all of the suspension components were interchangeable among the three models). Although the dashboard and a number of mechanical components, including engines, were shared with the Ibiza, outwardly the two cars were different, with no shared body panels. An all-new 1.0-litre petrol engine was added to the range from launch, while the 1.3-litre petrol engine from the MK2 was briefly carried over. Also new to the range were 1.4- (8-valve or 16-valve) and 1.6-litre petrol engines, as well as a 1.9-litre diesel (with or without a turbocharger). The saloon and estate versions of the Mark III, which debuted in 1995, were essentially rebadged version of the
SEAT Córdoba The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and coupé version of the SEAT Ibiza supermini car, built by the Spanish automaker SEAT. It was manufactured between 1993 and 2010, and was related with the second and third generations of the Ibiza. F ...
, which were launched early in 1994. They were referred to internally by Volkswagen as the ''Typ 6KV'', and shared body panels with the SEAT model rather than the Polo hatchback models, with some cosmetic alterations such as new rear and front bumpers and headlights. The Volkswagen Caddy 9K van also shares the same platform and front-end styling as the 6KV models. The later Volkswagen Lupo and
SEAT Arosa The SEAT Arosa (''Typ'' 6H) is a city car that was manufactured by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1997 to 2004. The model débuted in March 1997 at the Geneva Motor Show, while its facelifted version was presented in October 2000 at the Paris Mot ...
city car The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...
s were based on a shortened version of the Typ 6N platform, and shared many components.


Polo Playa (1996–2003)

The Volkswagen Polo Playa was a model for the South African market. It was sold instead of the European Polo Mark III from 1996 until 2002, and was effectively a rebadged SEAT Ibiza Mark II. In 2002, the Mark IV Polo was adopted in South Africa, and the separate Polo Playa model was dropped.


Fourth generation (6Q/9N/9N3; 2002)

Unveiled in September 2001, the all-new Mark IV (or ''Typ 9N'', sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Mark 4") model was put on sale in early 2002. It shares its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mk3, Å koda Fabia Mk1, and Å koda Fabia Mk2. The car is all new compared to the Mark III/F, and bears structural resemblance to Golf MK4 (1J). The rear tail-lights resemble those of the B5.5 Passat. Outwardly, the most recognisable change is the use of quadruple round headlights similar to the Lupo's. Volkswagen Racing rallied a Polo S1600 in the 2003 Junior
World Rally Championships The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
, winning the
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
round. The Super 1600 developed /215 to its front wheels. This version of the Polo was a mixed success in the United Kingdom. It sold reasonably well (though not as well as some earlier Polos), but several customer-satisfaction surveys by high-profile motoring magazines such as ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'' gave the Polo a very low rating. ''Top Gears 2005 survey rated the Polo as the third-least satisfying supermini to own, with only the
Fiat Punto The Fiat Punto is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1993 to 2018, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed between 2005 and 2009 as the Grande Punto, and between 2009 ...
and
Rover 25 The Rover 200 Series, and later the Rover 25, are a series of small family cars that were produced by British manufacturer Rover (marque), Rover from 1984 until 2005. There have been three distinct generations of the Rover 200. The first gener ...
receiving worse ratings. It fell behind most of its crucial rivals, namely the Ford Fiesta,
Vauxhall Corsa The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrole ...
,
Citroën C3 The Citroën C3 is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by Citroën since April 2002. It replaced the Citroën Saxo in the model line up, and is currently in its third generation. The third generation model made its appearance in June 2016, and ...
, and
Peugeot 206 The Peugeot 206 is a supermini car (B-segment) designed and produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot since May 1998 as a replacement to the Peugeot 205. Developed under the codename ''T1'', it was released in September 1998 in hatchback fo ...
. A saloon version of the Mk4 Polo was produced for markets outside Europe, including most Latin American countries, South Africa, China, and Australia. The Polo Classic for the Australian market was sourced from China, making it the first Chinese-built car to be exported to a
right-hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...
country.


Fifth generation (6R/6C/61; 2009)

Volkswagen launched the fifth generation Polo (internal designation ''Typ 6R'') at the
Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
in March 2009. For the first time in Polo's history, the car was declared
European Car of the Year The European Car of the Year ("ECOTY") award is an international Car of the Year award established in 1964, by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organising companies of the award are ''Auto'' (Ita ...
, for 2010. The Polo was also declared 2010 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show in April 2010. It also won
What Car? ''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil ...
Supermini of the Year 2010, as well as being awarded Japan Import Car of the Year for 2010–2011. It shares its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 and the Audi A1. Production for the UK market started in August 2009, with first deliveries beginning in October 2009. The Polo Mark V is 44 mm longer, 32 mm wider, and sits 13 mm lower to the road than the previous generation Polo. Boot capacity is increased by 10 L to 280 L of storage space with 952 L with the seats folded down. The car is 7.5% lighter than its predecessor. The Polo has thorcic airbags and has been awarded a five-star
Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in February ...
crash impact rating.


Saloon versions


Volkswagen Vento/Polo Sedan

In 2010, a saloon based on the Polo Mk5 platform was developed for launch in India and Russia. This saloon is known as the
Vento Vento may refer to: * Vento (surname), a Finnish and Italian surname * Vento (motorcycle manufacturer), an Italian motorcycle manufacturer * Volkswagen Vento (A3), a German compact sedan * Volkswagen Vento (A05), a German subcompact sedan * VinF ...
or Polo Sedan, depending on the country. It has a length of 4,384 mm, increased wheelbase (2,552 mm) and ground clearance (168–170 mm), and had one petrol engine (1.6-litre, four-cylinder, 105 PS; coupled with either five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox) and one diesel engine (1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder common-rail, 105 PS; only five-speed manual gearbox) options available. In several markets, it is succeeded by the Virtus, while some markets such as Mexico offered the Virtus alongside the Vento for the purpose of keeping a budget-friendly option. In Russia, the Polo Mk5-based Polo Saloon is succeeded by the Å koda Rapid-based Polo liftback.


Volkswagen Ameo

The Ameo is another saloon based on the Polo Mk5 which was released in June 2016. It was specifically developed for the Indian market which offers lower excise tax for vehicles shorter than 4 meter in length. The Ameo is more heavily derived from the hatchback body of the Polo, retaining its shorter wheelbase and the rear doors, unlike the larger Vento/Polo Saloon. It was discontinued in 2020 due to low demand. File:2016-2020 Volkswagen Ameo front.jpg, alt=, Volkswagen Ameo File:2016-2020 Volkswagen Ameo rear.jpg, alt=, Rear view


Sixth generation (AW/BZ; 2017)

The sixth-generation Polo was first unveiled in Berlin on 16 June 2017, and launched in late 2017. Based on the Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform, it is claimed to carry improvements in cabin space, engines, and interior technology. It is the first Polo generation that is not available with a 3-door body style, in order to cut costs. Boot space has increased by about 25% from 280 to 351 L. Optionally, it now features the second-generation version of the Active Info Digital Display Cockpit, a first in its class. As standard, the car comes with front collision detection, blind-spot assist, and emergency stopping. The car is said to be extremely customizable, available in 14 exterior colours and 17 dashboard colours. Production for all right-hand drive markets are allocated to the Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage/Kariega, South Africa. The South African plant is also the sole producer of the Polo GTI. File:2018 Volkswagen Polo SE 1.0 Rear.jpg, alt= Rear-three-quarter view, Rear view File:2018 Volkswagen Polo SE TSi BlueMotion 1.0 Interior.jpg, alt= Dashboard of a car with front airbags, a manual gearbox, rotary air conditioning, heater, and audio controls, analogue and digital gauges, a screen which may be used for satellite navigation, USB 2.0 ports, and a glove box., Interior File:2018 Volkswagen Polo R-Line TSi 1.0 Front.jpg, alt= Front-three-quarter view of a five-door car which is fitted with door mirrors, flush headlamps, body-coloured bumpers, fog lamps, dark-tinted rear windows, and alloy wheels., Volkswagen Polo R-Line (front view) File:2018 Volkswagen Polo R-Line TSi 1.0 Rear.jpg, alt= Rear-three-quarter view, Volkswagen Polo R-Line (rear view)


Markets


Europe

In Europe, the car comes with a range of 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engines with various outputs; 1.0-litre and naturally aspirated versions, a natural gas-powered 1.0-litre TGI producing - as well as TSI. The GTI model gets a 2.0-litre TSI engine. The 1.6-litre TDI engine was also available with and outputs.


Latin America

The Latin American-spec Polo debuted in Brazil in September 2017. At the time of its introduction, the Polo was positioned between the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
and Golf in the Brazilian market, and marks the reintroduction of the nameplate in the country since the discontinuation of the fourth-generation Polo in 2015. Some changes were made compared to the European version, including a reworked suspension to provide higher ground clearance, a different headlight assembly and a revised front bumper design. Engine options available are the basic 1.0-litre MPI petrol engine producing , 1.6-litre MSI rated at , and the top-spec 1.0-litre TSI with marketed as '200 TSI', referencing its maximum torque. In Mexico, the Brazilian-imported, facelifted Polo will be released in 2023, six years after the Brazilian model's launch, sharing the same engines and specification with the Virtus saloon. It will replace the Indian-made Polo Mk5.


Polo Track

Announced in November 2022 as a replacement for the Gol, the Polo Track is a low-cost version of the Mk6 Polo that will be produced in Brazil in 2023 as the cheapest model in the range. It is powered by a 1.0-litre MPI petrol flex engine producing .


=Safety

= The Polo in its most basic version for Latin America received 5 stars for adult occupants, 5 stars for toddlers, and ''Advanced Award'' from
Latin NCAP The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) is an automobile safety assessment programme for Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2010, it offers independent information to consumers about the safety levels of new cars in the ...
in 2017. The facelifted Polo was reassessed by Latin NCAP in 2022, and achieved a three-star safety rating against more demanding Latin NCAP assessment protocols than the original 2017 test. Latin NCAP noted that since the original test, the car had lost a manual passenger airbag disconnection switch that allows for safe installation of a rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat.


Facelift

In April 2021, the restyled version of the sixth-generation Polo was revealed for the European market. It gained a redesigned front end, featuring reshaped headlights and an LED light bar on the grille. A matrix LED setup is optional for the first time in a Polo. The rear end now adopts wider LED taillights extending onto the tailgate. With the facelifted version, the Polo comes with a fully digital instrument cluster as standard. The dashboard also received a redesigned touch climate control. File:Volkswagen Polo VI (2021) IMG 5732.jpg, alt= Front-three-quarter view of a five-door car which is fitted with flush headlamps, body-coloured bumpers, fog lamps, a sunroof, dark-tinted rear windows, and alloy wheels., 2021 Volkswagen Polo (facelift) File:Volkswagen Polo VI (2021) IMG 5730.jpg, alt= Rear three-quarter view, 2021 Volkswagen Polo (facelift)


Virtus

Volkswagen developed the sixth-generation Polo in a saloon body style badged as the Volkswagen Virtus, which is produced in Brazil and exported to most Latin American countries. It is also produced in India since 2022. It is marketed as the Polo Sedan in South Africa since September 2022. File:VW Virtus MSI (Brazil, front view).png, alt= Front-three-quarter view of a four-door car with flush headlamps., Volkswagen Virtus (Brazil) File:VW Virtus MSI (Brazil, rear view).png, alt= Rear-three-quarter view of a four-door car with a three-box body style whose luggage compartment is separate from the cockpit which is fitted with door mirrors., Volkswagen Virtus (Brazil)


Other versions


Polo liftback (Russia)

In Russia and the neighbouring
CIS Cis or cis- may refer to: Places * Cis, Trentino, in Italy * In Poland: ** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central ** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north Math, science and biology * cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
countries, a separate Polo model was released in 2020 to replace the Polo Mk5 saloon. Unrelated to the Mk6 Polo, the model heavily based on the Å koda Rapid liftback to cut costs instead of having to produce the MQB A0-based Volkswagen Virtus. The Russian-market Polo features a Jetta-like front fascia, and a unique rear fascia to differentiate it from the Rapid, while sharing the front bumper and hood panel with the
Jetta VA3 The Chinese version of the Volkswagen Jetta is manufactured by the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen since 1991. In 2019, the name was split out from Volkswagen to become its own marque and the model became known as the Jetta VA3. First generation ( ...
. As it is based on the Rapid, it is based the A05+ (PQ25) platform and has a
liftback A liftback is a variation of hatchback with a sloping roofline between 45 and 5 degrees. Traditional hatchback designs usually have a 90 to 46 degree slope on the tailgate or rear door. As such the liftback is essentially a hatchback with a more ...
tailgate instead of a conventional saloon trunk opening. It is offered with a 1.6-litre MPI four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine with with a five-speed automatic gearbox, and also with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.4-litre TSI four-cylinder with , only with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. File:Volkswagen Polo sedan 2020 (Russia, front view 3).png, alt= Front view of a four-door car which is fitted with flush headlamps and door mirrors with integrated turning indicator lights., Volkswagen Polo (Russian version, front view) File:Volkswagen Polo sedan 2020 (Russia, rear view).png, alt= Rear-three-quarter view of a four-door car with a three-box body style whose luggage compartment is separate from the passenger cockpit., Volkswagen Polo (Russian version, rear view)


GTI

The Volkswagen Polo GTI is a
hot hatch A hot hatch (shortened from hot hatchback) is a high-performance hatchback car. The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, factory high-performance versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s. Front-mounted petrol engines, ...
version of the Polo.


Mk2 Polo GT G40 and Mk2F Polo G40

The Volkswagen Polo GTI can trace its roots back to the original hot Polo, the
supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
1.3-litre G40. It was sold in the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1994 in the form of the Mk2F Polo, but was available during the late 1980s in limited numbers in Europe in the form of the Mk2 Polo GT G40. The car was expensive compared to its rivals of the time, so did not sell in vast numbers. This makes it highly collectible today, and according to ''Top Gear'', "a potential future classic". If kept in good condition, this lightweight and small-engined car will keep up with much larger rivals due to its
supercharger In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
.


Mk3 Polo GTI

After production of the G40 ended in 1994, Volkswagen decided to release the first GTI-branded Polo in a limited batch of just 3000. It was released in 1995 and available only in left-hand drive. It featured a 1.6-litre, 16-valve engine. The GTI was not available in the UK at any stage during its limited production, so as of 1994, the UK only had the 1.4-litre, 16-valve as a model with any sporting intent. This was the case until 2000, when the Polo Mk3 model range was finally revamped and the first GTI-branded Polos arrived in the UK.


Facelift (6N2)

Between 2000 and 2002, Volkswagen offered two sporting models — the 16V and GTI. The 16V came with the 1.4-litre, 16-valve (V), engine, and had options such as 15-in Spa alloys and air conditioning. However, the GTI – available only in three- or five-door hatchback body styles in three colours being red, silver, and black, used a 1.6-litre 16-V engine with variable valve timing. External changes included a deeper front splitter with honeycomb mesh grilles, lowered sports suspension (by 10 mm), a subtle rear spoiler, deeper side skirts, fog lights, and 15"
BBS BBS may refer to: Ammunition * BBs, BB gun metal bullets * BBs, airsoft gun plastic pellets Computing and gaming * Bulletin board system, a computer server users dial into via dial-up or telnet; precursor to the Internet * BIOS Boot Specificat ...
RXII split rims for the wheels, bearing 195/45/15 tyres. There were also standard extras such as Climatronic fully automatic air conditioning, xenon headlights with a headlight washer system, a six-disc CD autochanger with a GAMMA head unit, exclusive sports interior with leather steering wheel, handbrake and gearstick, chrome inserts, and driver aids such as ABS with EBD and an EDL (a system to aid traction). Leather and satellite navigation were also optional extras. The Polo GTI Mk3F, however, never got the new six-speed gearbox that was introduced in the smaller
Volkswagen Lupo GTI The Volkswagen Lupo (''Typ'' 6X) is a city car that was produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, from 1998 to 2005. It shares most of its aspects with the Volkswagen Group's SEAT Arosa, both derived from the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 platfor ...
, which shared the same engine. Many of the Polo GTI five-speed gearboxes failed due to faulty differential rivets and bearings, which can only be rectified through a rebuild. File:1999-2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI.jpg, alt=Front-three-quarter view of a five-door car with fog lamps and alloy wheels., Front view File:1999-2001 Volkswagen Polo GTI rear.jpg, alt=Rear-three-quarter view of a two-box car with door mirrors and a small aerodynamic spoiler atop the rear hatch, Rear view File:Cockpit Polo III GTI RHD.jpg, alt=Dashboard of a car with a manual gearbox, digital and analogue gauges, front airbags, and some sort of head unit., Interior


Mk4 Polo GT

With the introduction of the 2002 Polo, the GTI model was discontinued and was given no direct replacement. A GT model, though, was produced, featuring the same 1.9-litre TDI, engine found in the popular
Škoda Fabia vRS Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
and
SEAT Ibiza FR TDI The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spanis ...
, as well as a six-speed gearbox. Although this model had a relatively slow 0–100 km/h (62 mph) time over 9 seconds, it did have impressive midrange clout with torque figures of 310 Nm (228 lb-ft). This gave the GT very impressive in-gear acceleration, meaning it could make light work of overtaking, as well as pulling itself out of corners on twisting B roads with ease whilst returning fuel economy over 50 mpg.


Mk4 Polo GTI

The GTI was not released until late 2005, after yet another Polo revamp was reintroduced. This time it boasted a 1.8-litre, engine, which had been used in models from the Mk4
Volkswagen Golf GTI Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
to the
Audi A6 The Audi A6 is an executive car made by the German automaker Audi. Now in its fifth generation, the successor to the Audi 100 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, and is available in saloon and estate configurations, the latter marketed by Aud ...
. Despite the impressive figures, this new model lacked the standard features of the Polo GTI Mk3, with xenon headlights not even on the options list, and fully digital climate control only being an expensive option. Although faster than the 2000–2002 Polo GTI, the newer model was also seen as being off the pace when compared to its rivals, most of which are now nudging . In Europe, this led to VW quickly beefing up the Polo further to create the Polo GTI Cup Edition, which was tuned to around and featured more aggressive styling. The Polo GTI Cup Edition has 177 bhp, 29 bhp more than both the standard Polo GTI. The standard Polo GTI model completes 0–100 km/h in 8.2 seconds, but in the Cup Edition completes 0–100 km/h 7.5 seconds This model was also featured in 'Mighty Car Mods', the famous YouTube car show, where it is quickly sold as it was described as not having any 'soul'. File:2005-2010 Volkswagen Polo (9N3) GTI 3-door hatchback (2011-10-25).jpg, alt= Front-three-quarter view of a three-door car with a two-box body style fitted with alloy wheels, a sunroof, and fog lamps., Front view File:2005-2010 Volkswagen Polo (9N3) GTI 3-door hatchback 02.jpg, alt= Rear-three-quarter view of a car fitted with a roof rack, Rear view File:Polopics1.jpg, alt= Dashboard of a car with a manual gearbox, compact disc player, front airbags, electric windows, rotary stereo and heater controls, and analogue and digital gauges, Interior


Mk5 Polo GTI

The Mk5 Polo GTI was launched at the 2010
Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. The new GTI is powered by VW's award-winning 1.4-litre TSI engine (adapted from that used in the current Scirocco), which uses both a supercharger and
turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
to provide torque throughout the revolution range. The Mk5 Polo is also 7.5% lighter than its predecessor and with a increase in power over the previous generation Polo GTI it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. The Mk5 Polo also includes features not found on previous generation Polos, such as touch-screen satellite navigation and a seven-speed version of VW's DSG gearbox as standard. File:VW Polo GTI (V) – Frontansicht, 7. März 2011, Mettmann.jpg, alt= Front-three-quarter view of a five-door car with fog lamps and alloy wheels, Front view (5-door) File:VW Polo GTI (V) – Heckansicht, 7. März 2011, Mettmann.jpg, alt= Rear-three-quarter view of a car with twin exhausts, Rear view (5-door)


Facelift

The Mk5 Polo GTI facelift was launched in 2015. It featured a new 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, which had been developed by Audi. It produced 190 bhp and was capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds (real world test). It came standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, unlike its predecessor, which was only available with a seven-speed DSG. File:2015 Volkswagen Polo GTi S-A 1.8 Front.jpg, alt= Front-three-quarter view of a three-door car with fog lamps and alloy wheels, Front view (3-door) File:2015 Volkswagen Polo GTi S-A 1.8 Rear.jpg, alt= Rear-three quarter view of a three-door car with twin exhaust pipes, Rear view (3-door)


Mk6 Polo GTI

The Mk6 Polo GTI was launched in 2017. It features a slightly detuned version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine from the Mk7 Golf GTI. It produced 197 bhp and was capable of getting to 60 mph in under 6.7 seconds. It was launched with only a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission available. Along with the engine, the GTI version came standard with lowered suspension, GTI badges, GTI bumpers, 17-in wheels, sill extensions, bigger brakes, red brake calipers, twin exhausts, tartan seats, sport steering, red stitching, and a roof spoiler. Options include GTI LED headlights, 18-inch wheels, and adaptive dampers. File:2019 Volkswagen Polo GTi Plus TSi S-A 2.0.jpg, alt=Front-three-quarter view of a five-door car with fog lamps and oversized alloy wheels, Front view File:2019 Volkswagen Polo GTi Plus TSi S-A 2.0 Rear.jpg, alt= Car with twin exhaust pipes, Rear view File:KristofferssonRallySweden2020(1).jpg, alt= Five-door two-box car in a racing livery fitted with a rear aerofoil and a roof-mounted air scoop for ventilation travelling at speed on a gravel course, Mk6 Polo GTi R5 rally car


Facelift

File:Volkswagen Polo VI GTI (2021) 1X7A0344.jpg, Front view File:Volkswagen Polo VI GTI (2021) 1X7A0343.jpg, Rear view


Performance versions and motorsport

Volkswagen helped consolidate the pre-eminence of the so-called
hot hatch A hot hatch (shortened from hot hatchback) is a high-performance hatchback car. The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, factory high-performance versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s. Front-mounted petrol engines, ...
genre of high-performance hatchbacks with their
Golf GTI The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
in 1975, and has produced a number of performance versions of the Polo. The first of these was the Polo ''GT'' version of the Polo Mk1F. The Polo Mk2 and Mk2F were available as
supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
G40 models. The GT G40 with its 1.3-litre engine could reach in 8.1 seconds from standstill and had a maximum speed of . It was used by Volkswagen to set a number of world endurance speed records, such as the 1.3-litre class records for speed over 24 hours and speed over a distance of . The fastest version of the Polo Mk3 on the United Kingdom market was the 1.6-litre, 16-V, model. A Polo GTI model was also produced, but only in a limited edition in Germany, and this was the first time the GTI label had been used for a Polo. A GTI version of the Polo Mk3F, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine was also produced. In 2004, Volkswagen Individual, a specialist division of Volkswagen, produced a limited number of ( Polo Mk4) Club Sports with a 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine producing . Available only in Germany, this was based on the one-make racing series Polo Cup Racer hatchback. The Club Sport came with a roll cage inside the vehicle and
Recaro Recaro Holding, as the parent company of the Recaro Group, owns the Recaro brand and the independently operating companies Recaro Aircraft Seating (aircraft seats) based in Schwäbisch Hall and Recaro eGaming (gaming seats) based in Stuttgart, Germ ...
racing seats as standard. A GTI version of the Polo Mk4F was launched in 2006. This features styling similar to that of the contemporary Golf GTI and a turbocharged 20-V, , 1.8-litre petrol engine. It has a 0–100 km/h time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of . Volkswagen Individual have also engineered an even faster Polo called the Polo GTI Cup Edition. Available with the same 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine, albeit with , its claimed 0–100 km/h is 7.5 seconds and it has a claimed top speed of . Volkswagen Racing in South Africa rallied a
four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...
Polo Mk4F that shared some components with its sister
World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
Å koda Fabia; the S2000 has a 2.0-litre, engine. Mk4 Polos have been entered into the
Junior World Rally Championship The FIA Junior WRC, also known as JWRC and previously known as Junior World Rally Championship, is an international rallying competition restricted to drivers under 29 years old. The championship currently consists of five select rallies of th ...
. The Polo also competed in the
Russian Touring Car Championship The Russian Circuit Racing Series (RCRS) is a national Russian racing series created in 2004. It incorporates four classes: touring, super-production, touring-light, national class and national-junior (since 2015). Sergey Krylov has been the c ...
. A number of one-make race series were made of the Polo, starting with the G40 Cup for Polo Mk2 and Mk2F G40 versions. The current Polo Cup championship for cars is a support race at rounds of the
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM, German Touring Car Masters) is a grand touring car series sanctioned by ITR e.V. who have been affiliated to the DMSB-FIA since 1984. The series is based in Germany, with rounds elsewhere in Europe. The ser ...
.
Sébastien Ogier Sébastien Ogier (born 17 December 1983) is a French rally driver, competing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC), who is teamed with the co-driver Julien Ingrassia. He has won the World Rally Drivers' Champions ...
won the
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and te ...
in
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
,
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
and
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
driving a
Volkswagen Polo R WRC The Volkswagen Polo R WRC is a World Rally Car built and operated by Volkswagen Motorsport and based on the Volkswagen Polo for use in the World Rally Championship. The car, which made its début at the start of the 2013 season, is built to th ...
.


Sales

The sales of Volkswagen Polo set a benchmark for Volkswagen, which sold more than 12 million cars globally so far; in February 2010 Volkswagen produced the 11,111,111th Polo worldwide at the celebration event of its first production anniversary in Pune, India. In 2010, its first full year on sale in the United Kingdom, more than 45,000 units were sold. It was the UK's sixth-best selling new car. 11 years later, in 2021, the Polo has maintained consistent sales figures with it being the fifth best-selling car in the UK in 2021 having had 30,634 new registrations throughout the year. The Polo Vivo is consistently the top-selling passenger car in South Africa.


References


External links


Volkswagen Polo website

Volkswagen Motorsport: 40 Years of Polo
{{Authority control 1970s cars 1980s cars 1990s cars 2000s cars 2010s cars Cars introduced in 1975 Coupés Euro NCAP superminis Latin NCAP superminis Front-wheel-drive vehicles Hatchbacks Plug-in hybrid vehicles Rallycross cars Sedans Station wagons Subcompact cars Touring cars
Polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
Rally cars