New Volkswagen Polo confirmed to be revealed on 16 June

Volkswagen has confirmed that the new Polo will make its world premiere on 16 June at a special event in Berlin. The sixth-generation Polo has been teased in a series of videos, and the global unveiling will happen ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. 

The German carmaker had confirmed that the production of the new Polo will commence this month. A camouflaged prototype was officially revealed by the carmaker a few weeks back. However, we got a closer look at the new-gen Polo when two test mules of this hatchback were also spotted doing test runs near Volkswagen’s headquarter in Wolfsburg.

The sixth-generation Polo will replace the current car which has been around for almost eight years now. The new Polo will ditch the previous PQ25 architecture and move to VW’s versatile MQB platform. Owing to the new platform, the new Polo will grow in dimension, making it more spacious on the inside while cutting down significant amount of weight and manufacturing cost.

The design of the new Polo will be evolutionary, with signature Polo elements like the grille, tail lamps and silhouette. There will be an inclusion of LED DRLs upfront and new LED lighting signature for the tail lights. The most significant changes will be on the inside though. Firstly, the cabin will be far more spacious compared to the outgoing car, thanks to the new platform. The wheelbase will be stretched by 90mm thus bringing in much-needed cabin space, particularly for rear passengers. A new infotainment system and creature comfort filtered down from the bigger Golf will also be part of the new package. It is likely that the higher variants would come with the large 9.5-inch touchscreen system borrowed from their sibling, while the base Polo will get smartphone connectivity as standard. 

As far as powertrain is concerned, the new Polo will get an array of three-cylinder and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines across the range. The entry-level, 1.0-litre, naturally aspirated gasoline unit with 75bhp is likely to be available alongside two turbocharged versions of the same motor with around 100-115bhp. Apart from these, the VW family’s 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel will also be available in different states of tune. The transmission options would likely include a five-speed manual or a six-speed unit. The automatic variant will continue with the seven-speed dual-clutch DSG unit.

The new generation Polo is an important car for Volkswagen, especially in India. Apart from the Polo itself, it will also form the basis for the Ameo compact sedan as well as the C-segment Vento. In the future, it is expected to underpin an SUV as well. Due to a slash in prices, the new Polo’s segment shift is expected to translate into higher volumes for the German carmaker in India. The new-generation Polo will make its way to India only in 2018.