VW Polo Cup made a huge splash at the New Delhi International Auto Show – and why not, look at these stats: 15″ alloy wheels, petrol and diesel variant (with respective 1.2 liter engine with an output of 75HP @ 5400 rpm and a Torque of 110NM @ 3750 rpm / 1.2 liter engine with an output of 75HP @ 4200 rpm and torque of 180 NM @ 2000 rpm, 5-speed manual gear box & a ton of interior storage spaces. A little racer with lots of torque and hidden compartments – not bad for the 2010 – 2011 model. Check out full details in the press release below.

Volkswagen unveils the new Polo at the tenth Auto Expo in New Delhi

New Delhi, January 5, 2010: Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car maker unveiled its much awaited premium hatchback the new Polo at the New Delhi Auto Expo today. The company also showcased the Race Polo for the Volkswagen Polo Cup which will commence in India with the inaugural race event on June, 2010.

Speaking about the showcasing of the new Polo, Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management, Volkswagen A.G, with responsibility for Group Production said, “The Volkswagen brand plays an important role in our success story. The new Polo is a key player in our ongoing strategy. It is an outstanding model in the exceptional range of the Volkswagen Group.”

He further added “The Polo stands for German engineering and top technology. It is a lively young and cosmopolitan car. This particular model has been designed with the expectations and wants of our customers in mind, making the Polo a new benchmark in the compact segment and even creating its own class -the Polo class” he concluded.

Commenting on the new Polo, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd said “The new generation Polo offers our brand’s core values of innovation, value and responsibility. It is designed to offer the very best in comfort and drivability. It features all new interiors and its pure and powerful design makes the new Polo a bold styling statement.

The good news is that this hatchback from Volkswagen will be ready for sale at all our dealerships from March this year.”

The new Polo:

The new Volkswagen Polo will be available with a petrol and diesel variant. The petrol variant is equipped with a 1.2 litre engine with an output of 75HP @ 5400 rpm and a Torque of 110NM @ 3750 rpm.

The diesel variant is also equipped with the 1.2 litre engine with an output of 75HP @ 4200 rpm and torque of 180 NM @ 2000 rpm.

It will be available in three trim levels including Trendline, Comfortline and Highline and is paired with a 5-speed manual gear box.

The interior is equipped with storage compartment in front doors for 1 litre Bottles, sunglass storage inside glove box, single folding rear seat backrest and the dashboard are proof of the sure instinct of high design quality which interprets the classic elements of the Polo in a contemporary way.

In exteriors too, the new Polo offers body coloured bumpers with green tinted heat absorbing glass, halogen headlights and galvanized Body with 6 years Anti Corrosion Warranty.

The Polo highline has large 15″ alloy wheels, ensconced in their flared arches; give it a higher and more commanding stance.

In safety it is equipped with Advanced occupant safety with Dual airbags, driver and passenger side, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and electronic Anti theft immobilizer.

On comfort the car has a number of unique, thoughtful touches. It is equipped with CD MP3 Player changer with 4 speakers, power steering for better drivability, central locking with unique boot opener in company logo, height adjustable driving seats with a steering wheel tilt which improves the drivability of the passenger.

The new Polo will establish a leadership position in its class with category defining attributes of space, style, comfort, safety and fuel efficiency. It will be manufactured at Volkswagen’s Chakan plant with an annual capacity of 110,000 cars and will be available through Volkswagen’s 40 dealerships across the country.

The Source: WorldCarFans

The Golf was chosen over two other finalists: Ford’s Fiesta and Toyota’s IQ. Pretty steep competition. The Golf won thanks to the German automakers combination of size, speed, reliability, fuel range and all around design package. Check out full details in the press release below.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF NAMED WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR

The Volkswagen Golf was honored as the 2009 World Car of the Year. A jury comprised of fifty-nine international automotive journalists from twenty-five countries around the world chose this year’s World Car of the Year, which was announced this morning at a news conference during the New York International Auto Show.

“It is a tremendous honor for Volkswagen to have its global best selling model, the Golf, named the 2009 World Car of the Year,” said Stefan Jacoby, President/CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “This is a great way to kick-off the new Golf here in America. We’re excited for the arrival of the sixth generation Golf, which will be in Volkswagen showrooms later this year. Simply put, we believe this is the best Golf ever.”

The Golf, a perennial favorite in the Volkswagen line-up, has sold more than 26 million units in 120 countries, making it one of the top selling vehicles of all-time. The new sixth generation Golf first debuted at the Paris Motor show last fall, and made its U.S. debut at this year’s New York International Auto Show. The Golf has been designed to be quieter, sportier, fuel efficient and present a clean, distinctive appearance that – staying true to Volkswagen – is fun-to-drive.

The new Golf embodies Volkswagen’s product strategy aimed to sharpen the brand design in all classes and apply greater global consistency among model names. These steps are intended to leverage the offerings of the world’s third largest automaker as it looks to increase sales and market share. The 2010 Golf will be available in dealer showrooms across the U.S. this fall in gasoline and TDI versions.

Now, as we all know, Volkswagen has launched the new line of Rabbit models. The reworked Volkswagen Golf has raving reviews, as people are demanding smaller, economical, socially acceptable cars. However, the 2008 Rabbit must cope with a much different set of challenges than its predecessor.

A new bread of competitors:

The Ford Focus, Suzuki Reno, Nissan Versa, Kia Optima, Saturn Ion, Mazda3, Scion xB, and Volvo C30 are a number of cars within the same range around today that weren’t around in 1984. Since there are so many compact vehicles alike, Volkswagen has positioned itself to appeal to users interested in performance and style. A little pricier than most of its competitors, Volkswagen seems to pull more money from wallets in general. The Rabbit’s starting price is listed at pricy $15,600 for the two-door, and $17,575. But a fully loaded 2 door can be upward of $20,000+, a far cry from its lower priced competitors.

The hefty price tag places the Volkswagen Rabbit more in line to compete with the Volvo C30 1.0. However, there is a large jump in price compared to the C30 2.0 edition (starting $25,700).

Overall, the Volkswagen Rabbit is a mix between style, performance, and luxury to place it among the top of its class. Volkswagen is hoping a new name for it’s once Golf line and a new look will invigorate sales to younger urban consumers.