Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion, test drive (Part I)

With the current state of fuel prices, this test comes at just the right time, since if we are looking for a fuel-efficient car we would normally think of some hybrid model or a diesel offering reduced consumption. Well, the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion we are testing today is the diesel that has consumed the least of all those that have passed through our test team, and at the same time it is cheaper than any hybrid on the market.

The Polo BlueMotion hides under its bonnet a 1.2 TDI engine producing 75 CV, more than enough to move this model with ease, achieving very low consumption figures. In normal driving we achieved an average of 3.8 litres per 100 km on the open road, and getting close to 4 litres is a really straightforward task with this especially frugal Polo.

Engine and performance

To get to know our little city car better, we start, as usual, with its engine, a 1.2 TDI producing 75 CV. It is a three-cylinder unit that offers a good response but is above all optimised to consume as little as possible. That is to say, we have to give up the lively character that the 1.6 TDI 75 CV engine does have, since our Polo is more relaxed.

It responds from 1,800–2,000 rpm up to 3,500–4,000 rpm, but if we really want to make a somewhat quicker overtake we should keep our Polo above 3,000 rpm so that it shows its full strength. The response is quite progressive and above all smooth; in normal driving it is more than sufficient for everyday use.

Paired with this three-cylinder engine is a five-speed gearbox, with a fairly precise feel for a city car and sensible, rather long ratios that help reduce consumption as much as possible. Another standard feature of the Polo BlueMotion is the Start&Stop system, which switches the engine off during long stops. It does not work badly, but it lacks smoothness, since at times it disrupts the driving.

Handling

Although this Polo is not aimed at sporty sensations, we liked the car’s response on tricky stretches of road, where its chassis and suspension cope admirably, always maintaining composure and stability. Overall it is an agile car, within what its engine allows, and with a well-judged suspension setup (rather firm, but correct).

On-board comfort is adequate and is only marred by the engine’s soundproofing: noise gets into the cabin very easily, especially when we have just set off and the car is cold, with the three-cylinder under the bonnet being quite audible. The braking system we liked, but it has a feel that takes some getting used to; otherwise it stops the Polo forcefully and responds very well.

Consumption

But the star feature of the Polo BlueMotion is its consumption, because we achieved figures we have not seen in any similar car by price or performance. Right from leaving Madrid we noticed it is hard to get above 5 litres on the motorway, a figure confirmed after 1,200 km covered on the motorway, where average consumption was just 4.3 litres per 100 km (our best figure in any test vehicle to have passed through our hands).

But the best result came on the open road, where, driving calmly, we managed an average consumption of 3.8 litres per 100 km. To check the figure we varied our routes over several roads with different gradients, traffic and so on, and we always hovered around 4 litres on the open road, without much difficulty.

And in the city the average consumption was around 6.5 litres per 100 km, again we wanted to be as precise as possible to see how the Polo behaves in different situations, and in all our city tests we did not manage to exceed 7 litres per 100 km; moreover, all the tests were carried out in Vigo (that is, with hills along the way).

In the second part of the test we will look at the design, optimised especially for this BlueMotion version, and we will also discuss the interior, the quality of the materials and the space.

Photos | Test Team