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Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Double premiere at GTI meeting – apprentices from Wolfsburg and Zwickau present the Golf show cars they have developed

Admin May 08, 2018 0

Wolfsburg Team shows Golf GTI Next Level with 302 kW (411 PS) and app control for video game monitor
Apprentices from Saxony make their debut with Golf Estate GMOTION with 96 kW (131 PS) CNG and all-wheel drive

Tomorrow, on May 9, the day they have been waiting for will finally arrive for two teams of Volkswagen apprentices. The double premiere of the special unique Golf show cars they have developed and built themselves as to take place at the 37th GTI meeting. Each year, tens of thousands of automobile fans come to Lake Wörthersee for the legendary event. Volkswagen’s budding specialists will be presenting their show cars to a large audience there: the Golf GTI Next Level (from Wolfsburg) and the Golf Estate TGI GMOTION (from Zwickau).

The two unique Golfs were created in about nine months on the basis of ideas from 29 apprentices in 12 vocations. For the design of the exterior and interior, the young women and men contributed considerable crafting skills and used digital development and production methods such as CAD and 3-D printing technology. They also programmed dedicated applications for the control of special vehicle functions from a smart phone or tablet PC.

“During the creation of their dream Golf, our apprentices learn about the complexity of automobile production and many future-oriented topics. They also gain practical experience in the application of digital technologies, control and systems technology and the networking of vehicles with the Internet,” says Andreas Strutz, Head of Vocational Education and Further Training Vehicle Construction of the Volkswagen brand. “For this unique vehicle project, we select especially committed young talents and give them the opportunity to learn from experienced colleagues at an early stage.” This year, the project was supported by departments including design, technical development, the pilot hall, the seat center, plastic parts production, the paint shop and the multimedia center.

First premiere: Golf GTI Next Level from Wolfsburg
The Golf GTI Next Level* is powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with an output of 302 kW (411 PS) and is equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The unique GTI is painted in the standard colors of white silver metallic and deep black pearl effect (at the rear). Contrasting foils with forked arrows are applied to the paintwork. Like the body kit including the rear diffuser and the interior strips of the forged aluminum wheels, these foils are painted by hand.

Digital technologies were used for the creation of the Next Level. The apprentices developed the design of the exterior and the interior on graphic computers – for example for the complex sound and multimedia installation in the rear of the two-seater. They designed the side trims and the mounts for loudspeakers and subwoofer on CAD computers and fabricated them using 3-D printer technology. In addition, the apprentices programmed special apps to control the electric-powered opening cargo floor, the retractable LED monitor and the LED underfloor lighting using a Tablet PC or smart phone.

The Wolfsburg team of project manager Holger Schülke (by training vocations):
motor vehicle mechatronics technicians: team spokesperson Maximilian Klar (21), Florian Dimt (21), Maximilian Purrucker (21), Vincent Siermann (20), electronics technicians for automation: Patrick Schilling (19) and Maurice-Christian Ziesmann (21), vehicle paint technicians: Anna-Katharina Heumann (22) and Marie-Kristin Schildwächter (20), vehicle interior fitters: Henny Stegmann (19) and Lena Volk (20), specialists in office management: Lina Bosse (20) and Tina Geißler (20), technical model maker: Sandra Dombrowski (21), technical product designer: Nico Sennhenn (21), process technician specializing in plastic and rubber engineering: Marc Fitzlaff (23). Maurice-Christian Ziesmann is completing a dual course of studies and is combining his apprenticeship with a bachelor degree course in electrical engineering and information technology (Ostfalia, Wolfenbüttel). Henny Stegmann is completing her apprenticeship with Sitech in Wolfsburg, all the others work at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant. Sitech is the Volkswagen Group company specializing in the development and production of vehicle seats.

Second premiere: Golf Variant TGI GMOTION from Zwickau
14 apprentices from Volkswagen Sachsen are unveiling the Golf Estate TGI GMOTION* with a 96 kW (131 PS) 1.5-liter natural gas engine with seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and integrated all-wheel drive. Together with their mentors, the apprentices from the vehicle plant in Zwickau, the Chemnitz engine plant and the Transparent Factory in Dresden have created a Wörthersee show car that combines a sporting character, elegance and off-road capabilities. The GMOTION shows that alternative powertrains are not only suitable for families but also for business use.

The show car is painted in matt and gloss colors. The Bentley colors ice, hallmark and St James red harmonize with the standard Golf color deep black pearl effect. In the interior, all decorative trims feature chrome paint. The sports seats have red decorative stitching, sewn honeycombs and an embroidered GMOTION logo. The trainees installed a chassis with coil-over suspension, which can be lowered by up to 40 millimeters, and a 4-piston brake system. In addition, they adapted the underbody and the exhaust system to all-wheel drive.

The Zwickau Team of project manager Claudia Kittler (by training vocations):
electronics technicians for automation: Benjamin Liebold (20) and Tobias Siebert (18), vehicle paint technicians: Simon Boguslawski (19) and Denise Zeißler (22), industrial mechanic: Dennis Leuthäuser (21), construction mechanics: Jonathan Hammig (19), Marius Neumeister (21), motor vehicle mechatronics technicians: Tom Dubielczyk (20), Hannes Flade (18), Tobias Kalbas (19), Laura Saller (18) and Elisabeth Trompelt (18), mechatronics technician: Laura Hofmann (19), process technician for coating technology: Laura Wagner (20).

Volkswagen designers Tomasz Bachorski and Marco Pavone on the Polo's design

Wolfsburg

Admin August 30, 2017 0

Volkswagen designers Tomasz Bachorski and Marco Pavone on the Polo's design

‘The proportions are right. This is light design. It radiates agility!' Marco Pavone energetically follows the outline of the ocean-blue classic. Tomasz Bachorski nods: ‘Absolutely. It looks somehow bold – a bit like it is on the move.' Two creative minds encounter two members of a successful Wolfsburg family; they know each other well. Allow us to introduce Tomasz Bachorski and Marco Pavone. As designers for interior and exterior, they designed the new Polo¹ with their teams. And in the process, they put the first Polo under the microscope.

The Polo was launched in 1975. The new sixth-generation Polo will come out in 2017. Are there similarities?
Marco Pavone: Although the first Polo had completely different dimensions and the new Polo is the largest in its family, the proportions are indeed related: short overhangs, a harmonious distribution of the roof structure in relation to the vehicle length and the dynamics that taper to the front. And very important: the fast C-pillar! It is considerably more dynamic in the new Polo.
Tomasz Bachorski: At the time, the first Polo provided a secure and generous sense of space. With the new Polo, it was about making you feel like in a modern home.

So the predecessors also play a role in the design?
Pavone: Absolutely! At Volkswagen, evolutionary design is the goal overall. Where did the story begin? What is the DNA of the model?
Bachorski: The car should be new – yet also recognisable as the new Polo, inside and outside.
Pavone: The window graphic is a good example. Already in 1975, it was an important design element. And you only get this with the Polo! The long window hinge on the new Polo is merely more dynamic and more powerful. The Polo 2017 shoots forward with its wedge shape, strong shoulder section and tornado silhouette. Overall, it is clearly more masculine, more grown-up – and more emotional.

Bachorski: We have also carried over the good sense of interior space into the future. Our goal: the cockpit must be an experience – new and desirable, but also familiar. With a sense of feeling at home digitally, a sporty automotive interior architecture and driver-oriented design. All instruments and displays are arranged in one visual and operational axis. Of course, today there are many more elements than in the 1970s, but the clarity of that time has inspired us. A sense of well-being like 1975, but also high-tech like 2020.
Pavone: Thus, evolution and revolution.

Which specifications significantly influenced the development of the design?
Pavone: There are, of course, always many different factors from all areas that play a role in the development of a vehicle, but one keyword was ‘masculinity'! The new Polo had to be stronger, more powerful, more modern and generally more masculine. The wheel arches, for example, are strongly formed, allowing the Polo to fully hug the road – which makes it pretty sexy!
Bachorski: The interior got more clearer and more specific, with a technical feel. This model has completely different interior proportions, compared to its predecessors; the H-point is lower, for example. The first Polo here is an honest car, absolutely authentic, and we have also incorporated these values in the sixth generation – simply adapted to suit modern lifestyles and expectations.

Pavone: Volkswagen design is logical. The dynamic lines help to structure the surfaces and provide a sense of perspective. The logic can be seen very nicely on the front of the car – all the lines run together to create a masculine dynamism. It is like mathematics: certain factors combined produce a certain result; everything ultimately hangs together.

What is the biggest challenge you face as designers?
Bachorski: We have to think incredibly far ahead. About ten years.
Pavone: And to look so far into the future, we really need a crystal ball.
Bachorski: We start working on the design around three or four years before market launch. We analyse social and digital trends and interpret them in a forward-looking car design. Even years after it has entered the market, the car still needs to look modern.
Pavone: Therefore the design must be clear, precise and easy to understand. Thus we need to create something timeless – that is a great challenge, but also a wonderful one.

Bachorski: You could say that good design is like a cool suit. It needs to fit well from the beginning, and even years later, you must still feel perfect in it. With the new Polo, there is the addition that there's a high-end smartphone included in the stylish suit!

And in this, Marco Pavone and Tomasz Bachorski agree: the new Polo will be in style for a long time, it is designed well and, above all, it will be a good fit for all.

The new Polo – World premiere

world premiere

Admin June 16, 2017 0

New edition of the 14 million unit best-seller
Charismatic Polo overcomes class boundaries

In brief: Key facts: overview of the new Polo^1/2

The sixth generation Polo to continue the model's success story: with more than 14 million cars sold to date, the Polo is one of the most successful vehicles in its class.
Largest Polo ever: new Polo is 4,053 mm long; 94 mm longer wheelbase perfects the car's excellent ride comfort.
New Polo is a space wonder: more room for everyone on board.
Boot volume grew 25 per cent to 351 litres.
This Polo plays in a higher league technologically: Front Assist, Blind Spot Detection, ACC and LED headlights like in the Golf class.
First Polo with digital instruments: second generation of the Active Info Display celebrates its world premiere in the new Polo.
Polo attracts with charismatic design: the new exterior is marked by expressive dynamism and a masculine front end.
As you like it: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline, GTI, Beats and lifestyle packages create a broad selection of versions.
Polo sets standards in personalisation: 14 body colours and 13 dashpad colours lead to almost limitless possibilities.
Natural gas for the first time: engines have outputs from 48 kW / 65 PS to 147 kW / 200 PS.
New Polo engine: TGI (natural gas) with 66 kW / 90 PS.
Extremely attractive pricing: new Polo launches with four doors and Front Assist as standard at a price of 12,975 euros (Germany).

The new Polo – summary

This Polo makes the future real

Sixth generation. With more than 14 million units sold, it is one of the world's most successful compact cars: the Polo. Now a completely new generation of the best-seller is launching. With an entirely new exterior design, noticeably more spacious interior that has also been redesigned down to the last detail, new cockpit layout structured for the digital world, efficient TSI (petrol), TGI (natural gas) and TDI (diesel) engines^1/2 as well as an array of assistance systems which previously was only familiar in larger Volkswagen cars. Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen brand: "The Polo is a young, fresh car. It combines charisma with strong technology. No other car offers so much space for its size. This makes our Polo the number one compact, and it will remain number one."

New Polo overcomes class boundaries

Digital instruments, new information and assistance systems. Dr Frank Welsch, Board Member for Development of the Volkswagen Brand: "The new Polo brings the future to the compact class. A whole lot of space – based on the modular transverse matrix – sustainable engines like a new natural gas TGI, the world premiere of a new generation of the Active Info Display, the latest infotainment systems and forward-thinking assistance systems – these qualities enable this Volkswagen to overcome traditional class boundaries."

Much more interior space, yet still compact outside

Polo has made continual gains in comfort. The sixth generation Polo has grown, making it larger than its predecessor in all of its dimensions. This has resulted in much more interior space and a significantly increased boot volume, which has grown from 280 to 351 litres. Nonetheless, it is still a snappy compact car on the outside. It is enlightening to compare this car to the fourth generation Golf (built until 2003) which has sold in the millions. It shows that the Polo has adapted to people who have grown, but also that it utilises its enclosed space even more effectively. The new Polo, with its length of 4,053 mm, is slightly shorter than the fourth generation Golf, but it surpasses that Golf when it comes to its wheelbase (53 mm longer) and space for the driver, passengers and luggage (21 litres more). Key dimensions in comparison:

All data in mm	Polo Mk. 6 (2017)	Polo Mk. 5 (2009)	Golf Mk. 4 (1997)
Length	4,053	3,972	4,149
Width (w/o mirrors)	1,751	1,682	1,735
Height	1,446	1,453	1,439
Wheelbase	2,564	2,470	2,511
Track, front	1,525	1,463	1,513
Track, rear	1,505	1,456	1,494
Head room, front	1,019	1,004	1,014
Head room, rear	964	943	955
Boot volume	351	280	330

Design follows the credo of our times

Crystal-clear charisma. The positive effects of the modular transverse matrix (MQB) on the car's proportions, and thereby on its design, are very significant. Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand, explains: "The much better proportions create the framework for a grown-up, confident appearance of the sixth generation Polo – charismatic, progressive, contemporary and friendly. We have systematically capitalised on this realignment of dimensions to build a compelling compact car." The project targets, as defined by Bischoff: All Polo models should be made more sporty, more powerful, fresher, more masculine and more charismatic. Looking at the new Polo, the Head of Design sums it up: "This Volkswagen can immediately be made out as the original of its class, but also as a completely new generation. A Polo with an expressive design which makes the compact – now as a four-door only – sportier, cleaner and unique within the brand range. This is a car that fits in perfectly with our times – both visually and technologically."

Almost limitless personalisation

Five equipment versions and three packages. The Polo is launching in three familiar trim lines Trendline, Comfortline and Highline, and in the 'Beats' special edition with a sound system configured for contemporary sound. Another version that appears from the start on the new car's life: the Polo GTI. Several packages are also being offered in the form of R-Line, Black and Style. All three have a lot to offer. Consider the R-Line: it makes the Polo even more dynamic with such features as 16-inch alloy wheels ('Sebring'), a big, sporty front bumper and at the rear a diffuser with chrome trim and a roof spoiler. The Polo with an R-Line package also has wrap-around black sill trim strips which visually press the car down to the road. The R-Line package also upgrades the interior completely – adding dynamism at a low additional price.

Trendline. Even the base version of the new Polo, the Trendline, is well equipped and has standard features such as LED daytime running lights with coming-home and leaving-home functionality, a speed limiter and the Front Assist area monitoring system with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring. These are all features that confirm safety does not allow for any compromises. On the Polo Trendline, power is transferred to the road via
14-inch wheels. The base price of the Polo Trendline is 12,975 euros in Germany – this represents a significant price advantage compared to the previous model when the price is adjusted for now standard options such as the rear doors and the area monitoring system that is included free-of-charge.

Comfortline. At the Comfortline trim level, additional details are added such as the Composition Colour infotainment system, air conditioning (Climatic), Driver Alert system, centre armrest, seat covers in knitted velvet, front and rear electric windows with one-touch control, and a multi-function steering wheel. Also standard: 15-inch wheels.

Highline. Customers who choose the Highline also get Park Distance Control (PDC), white LED background lighting (front doors and instrument panel), multifunction steering wheel in combination with leather-trimmed gear shift lever and brake lever ('small leather package') and 15-inch alloy wheels ('Salou').

Beats. A new edition of the successful Polo Beats has been designed, which targets younger customer groups. It has a 300-watt sound system by legendary US headphone producer Beats (Dr. Dre) as well as a host of other features. Exterior features include 16-inch alloy wheels, black painted exterior mirror housings, decorative decals on the bonnet and roof and 'Beats' badging on the B-pillars. Inside, the 'Beats' model is customised with such features as a dashpad painted in 'Velvet Red', sport seats with specially designed covers and 'Beats' logo, the 'small leather package' and special sill panel trims. The sound system can be ordered as an option in other models.

GTI. Rounding out the model range at the top, as already noted, is the new Polo GTI. This sporty top model will now be powered by a 2.0-litre TSI with an output of 147 kW / 200 PS (previous model: 1.8 TSI with 141 kW / 192 PS). Matching the engine's high output are the standard sport chassis and the optional Sport Select chassis. At the front, this most powerful Polo stands out by virtue of such features as a specially designed bumper with integrated spoiler lip and fog lights as standard. Typical GTI insignia at the front include the red stripe on the radiator grille, honeycomb air vent screens and, of course, the GTI badge. An exclusive feature offered in the GTI: optional LED headlights with a red winglet; stylistically they are extensions of the red stripe of the radiator grille. At the rear, the Polo GTI sports a large roof spoiler in high-gloss black (underside: black matt), a diffuser in the bumper, GTI-specific dual tailpipes (left side), LED tail lights and, again, the GTI badge. On the sides, GTI characteristics include standard 17-inch alloy wheels (18-inch optional), side sill extensions and brake calipers that are painted red. In the interior, the 200-PS Polo also offers unique characteristics that are typical of a GTI. They include top sport seats with the legendary 'Clark' tartan pattern, a multifunction leather-trimmed sport steering wheel with red stitching, rooflining and roof pillars in black and a GTI gear shift grip. Also included as standard: ambient lighting.

14 exterior colours. Everything becomes more colourful and personalised in new Polo with a large range of fresh new colours (a total of 14 exterior colours are available) and twelve wheels (14- to 18-inch, some painted in contrasting colour), dashpads in 13 different decors, two interior trim versions and eleven different seat covers.

Comfort & convenience features from the Golf class. The Polo can be further personalised and upgraded to satisfy individual budgets and tastes. New in the options programme are features such as light-intense full-LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights, 'Air Care Climatronic' system with air quality sensor and allergen filter, wireless charging for smartphones (optional inductive aerial connection) and one of the largest panoramic roofs in its class (opening is 10 mm wider and 20 mm longer than before). Another available option: the Sport Select running gear with active dampers. The new Polo can be personalised to create an almost unique car by choosing from different trim lines, colours, interiors, wheels and optional features. These options may also be combined with a broad range of highly efficient engines.

Polo makes its debut with new turbo natural gas engine

Market launch in 2017. The new Polo will arrive on the markets of most European countries in 2017, and it will launch successively with nine
Euro-6 engines. The power range at market launch: 48 kW / 65 PS^1/2 to 110 kW / 150 PS^1/2. For the first time, the Polo is available with a natural gas engine: the newly developed 1.0 TGI with an output of 66 kW / 90 PS^1/2. Four petrol and two diesel engines are also available. The petrol engines range from the 1.0 MPI with 65 PS^1/2 to the brand new 1.5 TSI EVO with cylinder deactivation (ACT) and 150 PS^1/2. The Polo is launching with diesel versions (TDI) with outputs of 59 KW / 80 PS^1/2 and 70 kW / 95 PS^1/2. All of these models are equipped with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode. Starting from an output of 70 kW, all engines may be combined with a dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The GTI rounds out the range of the Polo family as a highlight. As previously noted, the TSI in the Polo GTI develops an output of 147 kW / 200 PS^1/2.

Assistance systems from the Golf and Passat in the Polo

High-tech finally democratised. In producing the new Polo, Volkswagen has put one of the world's most advanced compact cars on wheels. This is reflected in such advanced features as the array of new assistance and convenience systems – systems that were previously reserved for the Golf, or even the Passat, class. As already noted, even the base version of the new Polo is launching with the Front Assist area monitoring system including City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring as standard. One option that is being offered again in the Polo is Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC; can now be activated up to a speed of 210 km/h). In conjunction with a dual clutch gearbox (DSG), ACC also offers a Stop & Go function (for first time with a manual parking brake). New options in the Polo are the Blind Spot Detection lane change system with Rear Traffic Alert, the semi-automated Park Assist system for exiting parking spaces and a ‘manoeuvring function'. The latter automatically protects against minor but often expensive parking dents. The optional Keyless Access locking and engine starting system, which is also new, can be used to unlock and start the Polo.

New interior in harmony with the digital world

World premiere of a new Active Info Display. Interior and HMI (human-machine interface) designers created a new, clean interior layout in order to locate the digital and connected displays and controls on a continuous visual axis that is as high as possible and thereby optimally visible to the driver. Background: The Polo will launch as the first Volkswagen and the first Volkswagen Group model ever to offer this new generation of the Active Info Display. The functionality of the digital instruments reaches a new peak; just like the graphics, everything is clearer and easier to use. For the first time, just one button on the multifunction steering wheel is used to switch between the basic Views menus, for instance. At the same time, the Polo is getting the latest generation of infotainment systems with display diagonals ranging from 6.5 to 8.0 inches – glass-encased devices that are as sophisticated as high-end smartphones. The clean, high-tech image of the interior is reinforced by background lighting (standard equipment in Polo Highline and GTI) as well as by dashpads and decorative trim strips in a wide variety of colours.

'We by Volkswagen' launches. Volkswagen is also forging new paths in the area of connectivity. Not only are the 'App Connect' Car-Net applications (with MirrorLinkÒ, Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™) and 'Guide & Inform' available in the Polo. Now there is also the new 'We by Volkswagen' – a digital user platform from Volkswagen for all drivers. 'We by Volkswagen' will open up another online level of mobility. One example is the app-based 'WePark', a cashless payment service for parking: in the German capital Berlin, this feature will already be a reality at the time of the Polo world premiere. Other large German cities such as Hamburg and Cologne will follow the example of Berlin and launch 'WePark'.

New brand strategy defines DNA of the sixth generation Polo

Polo embodies the brand's four fields of innovation

Strategic DNA. The new Polo was developed based on the latest Volkswagen brand strategy with its four fields of innovation. This strategy is known by the motto: "We make the future real." The Polo DNA develops its product characteristics via these fields of innovation.

Automated Driving
Volkswagen wants to make cars even safer, more convenient and more comfortable by means of automated driving or semi-automated systems.
Intuitive Usability
Volkswagen focuses on cars that are intuitive to operate and feature new display and control concepts.
Connected Community
Volkswagen will interconnect humans, cars and their surroundings more intensively than ever in the future.
Smart Sustainability
Volkswagen is advancing the development of innovative high-volume models with sustainable drives.

Progressive compact car. The new Polo is precisely following this roadmap, with Volkswagen Research & Development as its compass. It has led to one of the most progressive cars in its class based on the four fields of innovation: Automated Driving, Intuitive Usability, Connected Community and Smart Sustainability. An overview of the new and most important features of the Polo in relation to these fields of innovation:

The assistance systems of the new Polo.

Volkswagen has integrated a new generation of assistance systems into the Polo. These are systems which were adapted from larger car classes and are being further democratised by their use in the Polo.

Front Assist/ City Emergency Braking / Pedestrian Monitoring. They include the Front Assist area monitoring system with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring. In the new Polo, it comes as standard in even the Trendline base version. Its automatic warning and braking functions contribute towards avoiding frontal collisions on highways, secondary roads and in the city. Another system that is already included in the Polo Trendline as standard: a speed limiter, which can limit the car's driving speed to a desired figure, e.g. to avoid going too fast in the city. The Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is also always on board a new Polo.

ACC / Blind Spot Detection / Rear View. Volkswagen is offering the Polo with an optional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system (up to 210 km/h; with DSG it includes the Stop & Go function as well). Another option new in the Polo: Blind Spot Detection including Rear Traffic Alert. ACC is a smart cruise control based on radar, which automatically brakes and accelerates according to the traffic situation. The Blind Spot Detection lane change system gives a warning in the exterior mirror if vehicles are located in what is known as the blind spot during overtaking. Meanwhile, Rear Traffic Alert assists in reversing out of parking places, because it can detect vehicles in cross traffic behind the car. If it detects a hazard, the system warns the driver here too, and it even brakes if necessary.

Park Assist with manoeuvring braking function. Another automated technology from a higher vehicle class is the Park Assist system; it automatically guides the car into nearly any conceivable parking space. This means that the Polo steers, and all the driver needs to do is brake and accelerate. The new 'manoeuvring braking function' assists in an extremely practical way, especially in the city. It is active during parking at speeds of up to 10 km/h, and it brakes automatically as soon as it detects obstacles such as the infamous bollard. This saves on repair costs, and aggravation.

Digitalised cockpit of the new Polo.

Volkswagen cars are cars that are intuitive in operation. However, the exponential growth of digital systems in the car and their continually increasing number of functions pose new challenges for preserving this intuitive operation in the future. This, though, has been assured in the new Polo. The interface engineers and interior designers have reassessed the interior, analysing and reorganising it from the perspective of tomorrow. This has led to an interior which will be considered a frontrunner for years to come.

One visual and control axis. Everything is located where it should be in a world with analogue and digital functional elements. The interior specialists have therefore created a new visual and control axis in the Polo. Instruments and infotainment are increasingly merging onto one level. The designers and engineers accomplished this by positioning the infotainment system display high up and the air vents and air conditioning controls beneath them. As a result, the driver has a better view than ever of the cleanly designed displays and controls. The digital world is making its way into the Polo in the form of glass-encased infotainment systems, fully digital and newly designed instruments (Active Info Display), wireless interfaces for smartphones (including wireless charging) and the Keyless Access automatic locking and engine starting system.

Infotainment & Active Info Display. A whole new generation of infotainment systems is being used in the Polo. With glass-covered surfaces and digital operation that is more powerful than before. Even the Polo Comfortline has the Composition Colour infotainment system with a 6.5-inch display as standard. Also new, and a novelty in the segment: the optional new generation of the Active Info Display. The digital instruments offer more information, a more logical structure, even more graphic clarity and more joy in operating them. Now, one button on the steering wheel can be used to activate different graphic menus quickly, for example. A digitalised level is created, especially in combining infotainment and the Active Info Display. On this level, it is very easy to 'drag' functions such as the play list or phone contacts from the infotainment system display to the screen of the Active Info Display.

Wireless Charging & Keyless Access. Along with the classic way of supplying power to smartphones by cable, in the new Polo it is also possible to do this via an optional inductive interface (for compatible phones). The interface is located beneath the air conditioning controls. The smartphone can also be connected to an external aerial via the 'Deluxe' phone interface. Right in front of it is the 'Start engine / stop engine' button for starting or stopping the engine without a key. This is a function of Keyless Access, the first keyless locking and engine starting system to be offered in the Polo.

Online services in the new Polo.

The new Polo interconnects the driver and other vehicle occupants more innovatively and more simply than ever before. Likewise, with the Volkswagen's outside world. In the Polo, they are 'always on', which is to say they are online whenever they wish. Not only can they access the 'App Connect' Car-Net applications familiar from the previous model (App Connect integrates Android and Apple smartphone apps via MirrorLinkÒ [Android] Android Auto™ [Google] or Apple CarPlay™) and 'Guide & Inform' (wide variety of online services). Another new feature is 'We by Volkswagen' – a digital user platform from Volkswagen for all car drivers. 'We by Volkswagen' opens up another online level for automobiles. Take cashless payment for parking, for instance. In Berlin, this is already a reality in the context of the Polo world premiere. Other German cities such as Hamburg and Cologne will follow. The project is known as 'We by Volkswagen Park' or simply 'WePark'.

We by Volkswagen Park. Just how much easier the new services of 'We by Volkswagen' make life for car drivers is illustrated by the 'WePark' project that is running in Berlin. All that users need to do is download the app of the same name from the Apple Store or Google Play. Then register via the app or at park.we-vw.com, and they can begin. The app recognises the parking site by GPS and automatically shows the price. Parking is billed based on the actual amount of time the car is parked. Simply drive to the parking zone, start the parking time by app and later end the parking time by app as well. Billing is cashless. A small sticker on the windscreen (download and print online, or have it mailed) shows that the car user is participating in 'WePark' cashless payment for parking. Searching for coins for parking is now passé, as are parking meters, payment machines and parking tickets. 'WePark' will officially kick off with the world premiere of the Polo. In the future, plans call for including parking structures and available parking places found online. For more information visit: park.we-vw.com.

Engines of the new Polo.

Sustainable drives are the core of the Smart Sustainability field of innovation. They might be battery-electric systems such as in the e-up!, plug-in hybrids like in the Golf GTE or innovative new engines with conventional or alternative fuels. That is true of the Polo, too. Volkswagen is equipping the compact car with a natural gas drive for the first time: the entirely new 1.0 TGI with 66 kW / 90 PS can actually be CO₂-neutral, depending on the energy source. It is one of a total of nine Euro-6 engines available for the Polo, which always has front-wheel drive. The five petrol engines range from the 1.0 MPI with 48 kW / 65 PS to the new 1.5 TSI EVO with 110 kW / 150 PS and cylinder deactivation (ACT). The drive systems are rounded out by a sixth petrol engine, the GTI engine that is a 2.0 TSI with 147 kW / 200 PS. As a diesel, the Polo will launch with a choice of two 1.6 TDI engines whose outputs are 59 kW / 80 PS and 70 kW / 95 PS, respectively. Both TDI models have an SCR catalytic converter. All Polo engine variants come equipped with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode as standard. Overview of the entire line-up of drive versions:

Natural gas

1.0 TGI with 66 kW / 90 PS^1/2, 5-speed gearbox

Petrol

1.0 MPI with 48 kW / 65 PS^1/2, 5-speed gearbox
1.0 MPI with 55 kW / 75 PS^1/2, 5-speed gearbox
1.0 TSI with 70 kW / 95 PS^1/2, 5-speed gearbox / 7-speed DSG
1.0 TSI with 85 kW / 115 PS^1/2, 6-speed gearbox / 7-speed DSG
1.5 TSI with 110 kW / 150 PS^1/2, 6-speed gearbox / 7-speed DSG
2.0 TSI with 147 kW / 200 PS^1/2, 6-speed gearbox / 7-speed DSG

Diesel

1.6 TDI with 59 kW / 80 PS^1/2, 5-speed gearbox
1.6 TDI with 70 kW / 95 PS^1/2, 5-speed gearbox / 7-speed DSG

Expressive exterior – charismatic compact car

MQB A0 as a basis. The sixth generation Polo is the first to be based on the new Modular Transverse Matrix for compact models (MQB A0). The positive effects of the MQB on the car's proportions and, in turn, on its design, are huge. The car has much more dynamic proportions and a significantly longer silhouette, because the wheelbase, exterior length and width all grew while the car's height remained nearly identical. The design team took advantage of these realigned dimensions to put a sporty, powerful, fresh, masculine and overall superior Polo onto wheels of up to 18 inches in size (GTI). This resulted in an expressively designed, charismatic compact car – which can immediately be made out as the original of its class and yet as an entirely new generation.

Simply impressive. The MQB's dynamic effects on the proportions are reflected in the Polo's new dimensions. The length of the compact Volkswagen has grown by 81 mm to 4,053 mm. A much larger wheelbase now spans the axles; it has grown by 94 mm to 2,564 mm. This shifts the wheels further towards the front and rear. It also shortens the overhangs, which gives the car a much more powerful and sportier visual image. At the same time, the new Polo gained a total of 69 mm in width and now measures 1,751 mm. As already mentioned, interior height decreased just slightly, by 7 mm, and remains nearly the same as the previous model at 1,446 mm.

Silhouette. The sixth generation Polo has become a masculine car, which generates charisma from all perspectives with its new expressive design. The following details – considered from top to bottom – define the Polo when it comes to its significantly stretched silhouette. The roof line was made longer and thereby more elegant; it transitions into a roof spoiler at the rear. A fine line on the side body runs parallel to the roof line; it visually lowers the Polo's centre of gravity. Key detailing of the Polo includes its long line of side windows – the Polo is the only Volkswagen to have a window line that terminates in a rise at both front and rear. This contour with the window integrated into the C-pillar was further developed and sharpened. The C-pillar in particular, which is now designed to reach forward more and is precisely sculpted, makes the car dynamic in this area and makes it appear to lunge forward, even when stationary.

Arrow-shaped 'tornado' double line defines the side body. Emerging from the straight line of the window shoulder is another line that runs towards the front and into the headlights, making the Polo appear very long. Other new and important design features follow beneath this window line. An arrow-shaped double line, which is known as the tornado line, is a new design feature defining the Polo. The surface of this three-dimensional tornado line is – in the style of a shoulder section – slightly flared, and it finishes with a sharp downward undercut. The upper of these two double lines starts in the C-pillar and visually shoots forward into the front wings. The second, lower line, on the other hand, forms the mentioned undercut. It develops from the 3D graphic of the tail lights and also extends forward into the front wings, where it rises slightly, meeting the upper line. This strong, arrow-shaped tornado line structures the car's side profile, forming, as already mentioned, a strong shoulder section and giving the Polo a low and sporty stance on the street.

Front end. The front end of the Polo was made much more emotional, dominant and sportier than that of the previous model. Each detail was carefully re-designed. The headlights are now also available in an LED version. Together with the new radiator grille, they form the new 'face' of the Polo that extends across the entire vehicle width. Self-confident: a bumper which also emphasises vehicle width in its design elements. More pronounced contours: the bonnet which now extends far downward into the 'face'.

Self-confident, masculine look. Two lines on the bonnet are influential; they develop from the A-pillars and run in a V-shape to the inner sides of the headlights and the radiator grille. Outside of these lines, which appear as though cut by a knife, the bonnet transitions into the powerful side flanks. Two straight lines that run along the middle of the bonnet also finish at the radiator grille. The uppermost grille cross-bar is now painted in body colour. The cross-bar joins with the lines of the headlights on the left and right. As noted, this gives the bonnet a lower visual appearance. At the same time, it emphasises the greater width of the Polo. The low-profile headlights give the car a more concentrated and dominant, forward-looking appearance. A slender, second radiator grille louvre (this one in chrome) begins at the sides of the Volkswagen badge, transitions over into the chrome lines of the headlights and thereby reinforces this concentrated, self-confident and masculine look. Also unmistakable is the new signature of the daytime running lights.

Strong bumper. The bumper was also completely redesigned. The large glass surfaces of the fog lights and turn signal lights are eye-catching from the side of the car. They terminate outwards in three-dimensionally contoured angles. Between them there are two air intakes: a V-shaped one in the middle, and a narrow second intake that extends across the entire width.

Rear bodywork. The Polo's rear bodywork design had been instantly recognisable even before the fifth generation made its debut. Now the clean, well balanced overall architecture has been significantly further developed and – like the sides and front end – made more precise and sharper. Powerful: the much fuller volume of the shoulder section. Concise: the new trapezoidal-shaped tail lights that are worked into the shoulder section and, now, inwards too. For the first time, they will also be available on the Polo as LED tail lights with a very distinctive light signature. Typical: a horizontal line beneath the tail lights on the rear hatch, which now transitions into the bumper and also underscores the Polo's width from this perspective. Distinctive: the new diffuser that is integrated into the bumper.

Revolutionary interior – welcome to the digital world

Cockpit is the centre of focus. A new dashboard and cockpit layout for Volkswagen compact models is making its way into the sixth generation Polo. Interior designers have made revolutionary changes. Their focus was on continued growth in the digitalisation of displays and controls as well as connectivity, and this called for clever new solutions. Another declared goal was to give the interior much more character than before and to thereby give the Polo an interior 'face' as well.

Starting with a blank slate. The interior team started with a blank slate, departed entirely from the vertically-oriented dashboard layout of the previous model and developed instead a bold horizontal architecture. As is always the case in interior design, this architecture is primarily defined by the modules that are used on the dashboard. In the case of the Polo, designers took the 'form follows function' motto very seriously, because a new digitalised world was being kicked off here in the A0 segment. The interaction between the new Active Info Display and the infotainment systems, in particular, made it necessary to take new approaches. The new dashboard architecture began with the objective of locating the infotainment system much higher than before so that it would be in the driver's direct line of sight. Because the display should visually merge with the instruments to create a high-gloss 'island', it was also clear that the middle air vents had to migrate downward. All of this was done, and it has now resulted in a dashboard architecture that is refreshingly contemporary and charismatic – introducing an exciting new epoch of digitalisation and connectivity.

One visual and control axis, up high. All key modules – except for the air conditioning unit – have been integrated on the upper cross-panel of the dashboard. This cross-panel is continued up to the front doors and is trimmed with various accents, depending on selected options. A highlight here is the trim strip of the Polo Beats which is painted in 'Velvet Red'. The outer air vents are integrated on the far left and right. Located in the middle of the high-gloss black 'island' is, as mentioned, the glass-encased screen of the infotainment system. The only additional button in this area is the button for the hazard warning lights. To the left, the high-gloss black user control island transitions into the level of the instruments. This creates a coherent digital cockpit landscape, especially in conjunction with the Active Info Display. Arranged on the next lower level are the air conditioning functions in the middle, and the lighting functions on the driver's side. The horizontal dashboard is slightly angled towards the driver in the middle. This is also true of the centre console with the gear shift grip and the buttons for the various car handling functions. A fin surrounds the outer right side of the centre console. The sum of these actions: a sporty cockpit feeling.

Jump in vehicle class. Contributing towards a perceptible jump in vehicle class are the new design, which is both clean and fresh, the horizontal structure, the high-gloss black surfaces and enormous visual impression of width. Or, to express it in the words of one of the main interior designers involved in the project: "The Polo is no longer just the small sibling of the Golf when it comes to its interior. It is no longer the car that people only buy when they cannot afford the Golf. Now it is exactly the car that people want!"