Chilling out in the new Polo

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

Volkswagen New Zealand is chuckling at the timing. It launched its new Polo when much of the country was in the grip of polar-like weather.

VW names all its cars after windy weather or natural phenomenon. Passat is German for trade winds. Vento is from ventus, Latin for wind. Polo comes from the Latin polus, meaning pivot or axis, as in the North and South Poles.

And the South Pole sent the cold weather that greeted the Polo in Auckland yesterday.

VW warmed to the coincidence. It said Polo could survive the worst Mother Nature could throw at it. Polo was a "tough, small car for a tough, small country".

But that's not a line from its advertising campaign. VW and its ad agency, mindful that women will mostly buy the Polo and that male mates will approve of the choice, is telling prospective buyers that the car is "big enough for five average-sized people or eight supermodels".

VW wants people to picture Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell and six of their leggy friends inside a Polo.

Why not? It is cheaper than putting them there - and visually nicer on the mind's eye than five of anything average.

The ad is also saying in a roundabout way that the Polo is bigger than the car it replaces. It is, too - 154mm longer, 47mm higher and 18mm wider. This means more interior room for things like drawers under the front seats.

The car also rides on a 53mm-longer wheelbase, which almost always means a more comfortable ride.

In this case it is aided by a suspension set-up of MacPherson struts in the front and a newly designed torsion beam trailing arm axle at the rear.

VW says the five-door Polo, with its dual round headlights, quarter windows in the rear C-pillars, flared wheelarches and stiff and strong body (a 50 per cent improvement in side-impact safety is claimed) provides a big-car feel in a small package. The engine is a 1.4-litre, 16-valve, four-cylinder producing 55kW and 126Nm of torque and coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Polo will cost $25,990, the same as the outgoing model. But VW has added climatic air-conditioning, remote locking, alarm and immobiliser as standard equipment along with dual airbags and child seat-mounting points.

What hasn't made it on to the standard list is anti-lock brakes and an electronic stability programme. These, along with electronic brake pressure distribution, are optional extras.

Oh yes, the Polo's body carries a 12-year warranty against rust. Even supermodels can't beat that.

* The fourth-generation Polo comes 27 years after the first, during which time more than seven million models have been built.

The first-generation front-drive model, based on the Audi 50, was launched in March 1975. Its front suspension featured the then-radical negative steering roll radius to improve directional stability. It was powered by a four-cylinder engine producing 29kW (40bhp) and a top speed of 132km/h. Larger 37kW (50bhp) and 44kW (60bhp) engines were made available during its life.

* The second-generation Polo, appearing in August 1981, broke away from its Audi origins. It was based on the running gear of the original Polo, but with a more rust-resistant body. It was distinguished by its long, side windows and near-vertical rear hatch, giving it the appearance of a small stationwagon. Its luggage capacity of 1000 litres was a record for the class.

Many versions of the second-generation Polo were produced, including a coupe, which was later available with a supercharged 85kW (115bhp) engine and a diesel option. Fuel injection came in 1988, and a major facelift in 1990 brought upgraded engines and the first airbags.

* The third-generation model in August 1994, available for the first time as a five-door, took the Polo to a higher level of presentation and quality. Its good looks set a new trend for small cars and its interior was roomier.

A new 1.6-litre 55kW (75 bhp) engine was available, along with a 1.9-litre diesel. A facelift came in 1999. With a fully galvanized body and major styling changes, a higher level of perceived quality was attained. In Europe, a choice of four petrol and four diesel engines was offered.