VW Polo bags the 2010 World Car of the Year award!

After the judgement of about 59 automotive journalists from all over the world, Volkswagen AG confirmed that the Polo has been declared as 2010 World Car of the Year. Professor Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG stated, ‘We're honoured that the Volkswagen Polo was chosen by this distinguished group of jurors. After the triumph of the Golf last year, we are delighted to repeat this success with the new Polo. This shows that Volkswagen is on the right track and is offering arguably the best range of products in its history.’ Leaving the WCOTY Award aside, the Golf, Passat, and Polo which are included in the Volkswagen BlueMotion product brand were declared 2010 World Green Car of the Year by the World Car of The Year organization. Amongst the finalists in this award were the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius.

The car is know for its compact looks from the exterior and the spacious interiors. In India, the car is available in three variants - Petrol, Diesel and Race Variant. The Polo Petrol is powered by a 1.2 liter MPFI engine that churns out 75 horses at 5400 rpm and torque of 110 Nm at 3750 rpm. The Diesel variant comes with a 1.2 Liter CRDI Diesel Engine while the Race variant features a 1.6 Liter R4 CRDI Diesel Engine.

According to the 59 jury members, it may not always be necessary to replace the combustion engine with an electric motor and a heavy battery assembly to achieve better efficiency. The BlueMotion models boast of an engine based on the Volkswagen’s common rail diesel engines. These engines are reportedly the most efficient engines available in the market. It is believed that the Passat BlueMotion can cover a whopping distance of 1600 km on a single full tank of fuel. Thus, these engines can be a boon not only to the pockets but also to the environment and depleting fuel resources. According to Dr Winterkorn, ‘BlueMotion is one of the most successful efficiency brands worldwide. It stands for tremendous competence in efficient and economical drive trains at Volkswagen.’ 

2011 Volkswagen Passat – a technological marvel!

Germany’s highly regarded magazine Auto Bild has come up with the first leaked image of VW’s much awaited 2011 Passat. The new car (in case it really is what it’s said to be) is the most honest representative of the VW’s new design language.

The new design stresses on highlighting the width of the car and is reminiscent of the recently updated Phaeton limousine as well as the Touareg. The front and back of the new car have been accentuated with a heavy dose of chrome. The new Passat has a flat shoulder line and with the subtle, yet strong lines of its reasonably big size, it presents itself as a transportation tool of choice for well-to-do executives. The new Passat is expected to hit the international market by the end of this year and it should be first previewed at the Paris Motor Show.

The new Passat is expected to take the game higher for VW, and the company expects the new machine to be comparable to the 3-series, C-class and the A4 in terms of brand perception. While that may sound a little too optimistic to a lot of people, it’s not difficult to understand why VW are so positive. The new Passat will host an array of technologies which have yet been unheard of. Some of these wondrous technologies will include airless tyres and a wiper-less windscreen cleaning system. A magical electronic stability system is also expected which will automatically offer counter-steering assistance in adverse driving conditions.

Engines for the new car will include a 300bhp power plant with a displacement of 3.0L. The new engine will also be using direct injection for enhanced power and fuel efficiency. The rest of the engine lineup is expected to benefit from some form of forced induction as well. Other models will include a new hybrid as well as a high-performance diesel with AWD.

VW Polo coming to India

VW are planning to launch their flagship small car Polo's launch in India during early 2010. The car has already been a big success in european markets and if priced competitive it could soon cause ripples among sales figures of other small cars in the same segment.