The star of the VW stand was the Polo BlueGT, a frugal yet sporty interpretation of the popular small hatchback. There was also a Golf GTi Cabriolet and a few special edition versions of the up! citycar.
Parkers Pick – Polo BlueGT
- What is it? A sporty interpretation of the ultra-frugal Polo BlueMotion.
- Vital stats and facts: If you opt for the BlueGT with the seven-speed DSG transmission you’ll get an average of 62.8mpg from its 138bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine and it’ll emit just 105g/km of CO2. Top speed is 130mph and it’ll get from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds. It runs on whopping 17-inch alloys and suspension has been lowered by 15mm. For more information about the Volkswagen Polo BlueGT, click here for sister title Car Magazine’s feature.
- Why would you buy it? It’s green, it’s cheap and it’ll drive well too.
- Why wouldn’t you? It might be the slowest car ever to wear a GT badge.
- Prices and launch date: It goes on sale in Europe in July but UK availability is not yet confirmed.
What else is on the stand?
The other star of the stand is the Golf GTi Cabriolet. It’ll hit 62mph in 7.3 seconds with a top speed of 147mph, but the roof will fold away in 9.5 seconds too, at speeds of up to 18mph. There’s the usual GTi refinements you’d expect on a Golf and a set of 17-inch alloys.
Also on show is a selection of different up! models. This includes the winter up!, which gets a raised ride height and underbody protection as well as specific paint job and snowboards on the roof, then there’s the x up! for night time expeditions with searchlights built in to a roof box.
The Swiss up! reflects the colours of the Swiss flag with red paint, white mirror housings and white dashboard. Finally there’s the cargo up! which does away with the rear seats for a larger road area, essentially making it a van version.
Finally, there was a concept called the Cross Coupe. Powered by a pair of electric motors and a turbodiesel engine, it is capable of a claimed 157mpg on the combined cycle yet can also produce a whopping 302bhp if desired. CO2 emissions are quoted as 46g/km, so this car is going to be seriously cheap to run if it ever makes it into production.
For more news from the Geneva Motor Show 2012, click here.
