Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion review
By David Mason, 19th June 2010
The Polo was the first car in Volkswagen’s range to receive the eco-friendly treatment and the BlueMotion option now encompasses vehicles as diverse as the Caddy van, Eos and Passat. The current Polo is 2010 car of the year and with this in mind, I was eager to try the new BlueMotion model; claims of 91mpg with no real difference to-real world performance sounds enticing, particularly with free road tax thrown in.
Approaching the Polo BlueMotion, there are a few hints of changes - the most obvious is a different grille, then there are the low resistance tyres and slightly different spoilers; their main purpose is to reduce drag rather than increase down-force which isn’t really an issue with this car. Inside the cabin is fairly basic VW fare; no futuristic diagrams popping up giving you lots of unnecessary and frankly, geeky data.
This is a car my mum would get into and potter about in, only this time around she'd think the diesel fairies had been at their work. The combined cycle figure is 80.7mpg; this is a more representative figure than the headline extra-urban 91mpg but a more impressive feat for it. There aren’t any driver’s special skills required to achieve something close to this figure either; the car does all the saving for you through regeneration, stop-start, aerodynamics, economical gearing and clever engine management.
So what is it like to drive?
One of the first things I became aware of was the economy - the entire car is strongly focused on this and is amazing at what it does. It is a huge technological achievement in such an ordinary car, especially when you look at the size of the current Polo – it‘s not a baby any more.
Looking past the impressive economy figures and into practical driving, it‘s time to reassess it in a more day-to-day manner. The distinctive clatter of the 3 pot Diesel; tuned for economy sounds a bit agricultural but is easily drowned out by the stereo. From a standing start it feels sluggish but once at cruising speed, the torque keeps it up with the rest of the traffic and a top speed of 107mph indicates that it‘s not a slow car. However I found myself driving it in much the same way as my Citroën 2CV - watching the road ahead and predicting how I need to drive to protect whatever speed I‘ve gained; momentum is everything.
When stationary and out of gear, the stop-start function kicks in and having experienced variations on this theme in other cars, I‘m not certain that this car needs it; it's already very economical. When you re-engage the clutch and the engine starts, it almost sounds reluctant and the first few seconds remind you of just how clattery the little 3-pot is. I think I‘d be tempted to turn the function off as part of my daily driving routine.
The focus on economy will undoubtedly shift this car in large numbers but it‘s also very focused on its target market. In the centre of London for example, the freedom from the congestion charge and the car's extraordinary urban economy will help claw back the £15k that the car costs. The average calculated annual fuel spend is £1850 but with the BlueMotion costing around 4 grand more than the already economical Polo S, you may need to do a lot of miles to save the extra cost.
> AT A GLANCE
Tested model: Polo Bluemotion 1.2TDI
Cost: £15,045
Max Speed: 107mph
Acceleration (0-62): 13.9seconds
Fuel consumption: 80.7mpg (combined cycle)
