As with the parent company, the BlueMotion version of the Polo hatchback comes first. The car is offered in silver only and retails from the equivalent of $20,100-$24,100, the average price of premium compacts here.
But the real difference between German BlueMotion models and the Brazilian one lies in the fact that the originals are TDIs only, while the standard Otto-cycle 1.6-liter EA-111 Polo flexible-fuel version is used here instead.
The recipe is a rather simple one: less drag through improvements in body parts and taller gearing, together with lower, 32 percent-lower-rolling-resistance tires on ultralight alloy wheels. Electrohydraulic power steering helps, too.
A smaller front grille opening combines with bigger airdams fore and aft, and a deflector on top of the rear hatch adds to better streamlining. Ride height was lowered by 0.6 inch, too. These measures combine to result in a 0.31 coefficient of drag versus 0.35 in the normal Polo.
The 119-mph top speed is reached in 4th gear at less than 200 rpm over peak power, 5,250 rpm engine speed, clearly indicating a precise powertrain matching.
Fuel economy is this Polo's forte. On gasoline (Brazilian-mandated E25), the improvement was from 33.6 to 38.6 average miles per gallon and on ethanol E100, from 22.4 to 25.5 mpg. On a rough calculation, since CO2 value was not announced, the greenhouse gas emissions attained 109 g/km on highway driving and 141 g/km average.
Inside Line says: The VW Polo BlueMotion gives ecologically minded Brazilians a ticket into the brave blue world — besides being very pleasant to drive. — Bob Sharp, Correspondent
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