VW unveils top end of Polo line - Auto Diesel Tech - Volkswagen - Brief Article

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Feb, 2004

Volkswagen has added a new top end to its Polo compact car line in Europe with the debut of a new sport version powered by the company's 130 hp TDI diesel. The diesel is one of a choice of nine engines available for this successful compact car. Five gasoline and four diesel engines not only cover a power range from 55 hp to 130 hp, they also offer a variety of engine technology: starting from the inexpensive 1.2 L three-cylinder through the 1.4 L FSI with its innovative gasoline direct injection, up to the new 1.9 L TDI.

Alongside its high power output, the new turbodiesel's most impressive asset is its powerful torque of 228 lb.ft. at just 1900 rpm. The Polo owes these performance figures to the latest engine technology. At the heart of the engine is a pump-injector system, which is designed to ensure excellent fuel atomization and effective combustion by injecting diesel into the combustion chambers at pressures of up to 29,000 psi.

This diesel engine already provides ample performance in the larger Volkswagen models Bora, Passat and Sharan. In the comparatively light Polo, the result is a small sports car: with the six-speed manual-gearbox (standard) the compact Volkswagen accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 9.3 seconds and peaks at a maximum speed of 128 mph.

As expected with a diesel, the Polo's fuel consumption is impressively low (combined fuel consumption 47 mpg) despite its outstanding performance.

The 130 PS TDI is available in the Polo, Polo Comfortline and Polo Highline, with two or four doors. Alongside the generous standard specification (including ABS, driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, electric/ hydraulic power steering) the Polo is also equipped with ESP, sports suspension and 195/55 R 15 tires to match its high performance. The new Polo model is priced from approximately $20,000.