The all-new, sixth generation of Volkswagen’s Polo is here, even though you might need to look at these images, courtesy of Wheelsage, twice or thrice to make sure it’s not an updated version of the outgoing model.
An official presentation will be held Friday morning at 5:00 am EST or 9:00 am GMT in Berlin, Germany, with a public appearance set for the Frankfurt motor show in September, before the new Polo goes on sale in Europe and other markets around the globe.
Some of you might remember a prototype of the Polo photographed without any camouflage in South Africa earlier this year and which had many readers questioning whether it was the all-new model or a regional facelift.
That’s not to say there’s nothing new, but we’re willing to bet that many casual viewers will be hard pressed to tell the fifth generation model apart from its successor. Much like sister companies Porsche and Audi, VW has gone for an overly mild restyling with some new details, mostly inspired by the Golf, like the thinner and more dynamic looking headlights and three-dimensional tail lamps.
In these pictures we see the sporty R Line trim and the top-of-the line performance model, the GTI. The former has different bumpers with gloss black elements, including the roof, bigger tires, and black lip, side and roof spoilers. The GTI adds even bigger wheels and tires along with honeycomb grille patterns and red elements on the front.
We’re still waiting for interior pictures, but VW promises a new dashboard with elements from the Golf and even better quality with soft materials and new trim elements. A digital instrument panel is likely to be offered an as option, as are new infotainment systems and the latest version of VW’s automatic parking technology.
While the 2017 Polo may look all-too familiar on the outside, it’s all new underneath with VW dropping the old PQ25 platform for the MQB-based structure that underpins the latest Seat Ibiza. The new model will be longer and wider than before, with elongated tracks and wheelbase to significantly increase passenger and trunk space.
VW is believed to consolidate its engine offerings for the new Polo, with base models getting a revised 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol available in a number of outputs ranging from 65PS to 115PS. There will also be a larger 1.5-liter turbo four petrol sourced from the Golf with 130PS and 150PS. The diesel range will likely include a 1.6-liter four offered in 80-110PS guises.
The sportiest model of the range, the Polo GTI that’s pictured here, is rumored to get the 200PS (197hp) 2.0-liter TSI from the fifth-generation Golf GTI, giving it a slight power advantage over the 189hp of the outgoing Polo GTI (read our test drive here) and matching the latest Ford Fiesta ST.
For more details, join us here tomorrow to watch the presentation from Germany.
Tip of the hat to our friend Niko!
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