New Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion review

The new Polo BlueMotion is available in three and five door body styles and in BlueMotion 1 or BlueMotion 2 levels of specification.

All share VW’s 1.4-litre, 80PS, 144lb ft, three-cylinder TDI turbodiesel engine which has Electronic Gas Recirculation and a diesel particulate filter. A revised five-speed manual gearbox has ‘longer’ third, fourth and fifth gear ratios to optimise fuel economy and lower CO2.

Other changes for the BlueMotion models include the use of tweaked aerodynamics to smooth the airflow over the car in the form of a new grille, an extended lower lip on the front bumper, an integrated wing to the trailing edge of the rear window and the use of narrow low rolling resistance tyres fitted to lightweight alloy wheels. The coefficient of drag is 0.30.

BlueMotion 1 Polos do not have energy consuming air-conditioning fitted so it is the only car on sale in the UK with a conventional internal combustion engine to sit in road tax band A. Its 99g/km CO2 figure means users pay no road tax and 74.3mpg is the combined cycle official fuel economy figure.

Polo BlueMotion 2 versions have semi-automatic climate control air conditioning, automatic coming home lighting, rain sensing wipers, leather trim for the steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake and remote central locking.

All these goodies add a touch more weight and push emissions up by 5g/km so giving these models an annual road tax bill of £35 with a Band B rating. Fuel economy in the combined cycle is 70.6mpg.

All Polo BlueMotion models have as standard equipment anti-lock braking, front and side airbags, power steering, electric front windows, rear one for five door models, electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, electronic trip computer, radio/MP3 compatible CD player, front and three rear head restraints and Isofix fittings to accept two rear child seats.

Polo BlueMotion prices are more expensive than the comparable Polo 1.4 TDI SE three and five-door models - £278 for a BlueMotion 1 three-door and £1,128 more for a BlueMotion 2 three-door. Five door BlueMotion models show similar increases in price. All 1.4 TDI SE models have a Band B road tax rating but are marginally less fuel- efficient.

So it costs more to go ‘green’, or ‘blue’ in VW’s case. Customers have to weigh up the option of whether the added cost is worth it? All 1.4 TDI Polo models are likely to be exempt from the proposed new sub 120g/km London Congestion Charges.

Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion prices range from £11,995 to £13,445. Prices of conventional Polo models, petrol and diesel, range from £7,612 up to £15,622 for the GTi five-door variant.

I think most customers will opt for a BlueMotion 2 level of specification because the advantage of having air- conditioning far outweighs the negative issues. Cool air in summer and rapid de-mist in damp wet weather are important and I am willing to pay the £35 road tax bill and a bit more in fuel costs to have that.

My Polo test model was the likely best selling BlueMotion 2 version but in three-door form. I gather five-door models are marginally more in demand, which is normal between three and five door small hatchbacks. The test car Polo BlueMotion 2 1.4-litre TDI three door has an on the road price of £12,845 and costs just £35 a year for road tax.

Like all mid range Polos the interior is nothing to get excited about. It is a bit bland but relatively well equipped. The quality is very good and the overall driving is uninspiring except for the superb fuel economy.

The driving technique on open roads, over a conventional small diesel, has changed. The long gearing in third, fourth and fifth gears really come into its own on open roads. Around town there isn’t much difference between a conventional diesel Polo and a BlueMotion one. On A and B roads I found myself having to hold onto gears longer before changing up and I would have expected this to not help fuel economy.

Driving along country roads and lanes in third and fourth gear in a diesel powered car instead of top gear is foreign to me but the worst fuel consumption, for a short journey with a cold engine was 65mpg. On a busy motorway at legal maximum speeds, for a 200 mile journey into and around London, the car returned an impressive 68.5mpg.

The best fuel consumption for a series of journeys over A and B roads was an even more impressive 72.5mpg, which bettered the official 70.6mpg figure without me even trying.

BlueMotion works and the 195Nm of torque from only 1,800rpm with this diesel engine really makes driving a pleasure once the need to use frequent gearchanges has been mastered. The engine, being a three-cylinder unit, is slightly harsh and noisy but that is a small price to pay for such fuel economy.

The car is not slow either, 109mph top speed, it cruises easily at 70mph and 0-62mph is covered in 12.8 seconds. Insurance costs too will be pretty reasonable with a group 5 rating.

The future surely is ‘blue’ when it comes to ‘green’ motoring.

Milestones

Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion 2 1.4 TDI three-door

Price: £12,845. Engine: 1.4-litre, three-cylinder, turbodiesel, 80PS and 195lb ft of torque from 1,800rpm

Performance: 109mph, 0-62mph 12.8 seconds, 70.6mpg (68.5mpg on average during the test), CO2 104g/km, Band B VED £35, Tax liability £18%

Insurance group: 5

For: Fuel economy, low CO2 emission, low road tax, no congestion London charges from 2008 onwards, compact in size but roomy enough

Against: Costs more than conventional Polo 1.4 TDI models to buy

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