VW Polo BlueMotion: new arrival

Arrived: June 2008
List price (including options): £13,355
Average economy: 52.5mpg

The VW Polo BlueMotion has been -

Dragged kicking and screaming across the Irish Sea to Dublin. As soon as we returned from our epic Le Mans trip in the BMW long termer, all the dirty washing and damp camping gear was transferred to the Polo before heading back to Holyhead to catch a ferry to Ireland. I'll be driving the new addition to our fleet on Ireland's roads for the next couple of months, and I suspect it will fit in well on Dublin's crowded streets.

We're loving the -

Thrifty nature of the BlueMotion. Despite having to hurry to catch my ferry (seems to be a theme around here) and hauling baggage and camping gear, the Polo averaged over 50mpg on my first journey. That figure is thanks mainly to the longer gearing of this model over regular TDI Polos, but also in part due to slippery aerodynamics and narrow, low rolling resistance tyres.

If all that sounds like a recipe for a dull car, then think again, as the BlueMotion is actually better looking than any of the regular models in the Polo line-up thanks to its lower ride height, lightweight alloy wheels and the aerodynamic body kit that also manages to look sporting.

But not so impressed by -

Refinement. It may be a little unfair to compare the Polo to the significantly more expensive BMW Coupé I was driving, but immediately the Polo feels of lower quality and more raucous. Hopefully the effect of moving from one car to another will wear off quickly, as I intend to use the Polo a lot over the coming months and on paper at least, the fuel economy paybacks should more than make up for any other compromises.

We're looking forward to -

Seeing if the BlueMotion raft of changes can live up to the hype when being used in everyday life. Though I will travel further afield occasionally, it is likely that the Polo will be used mostly as a city car for a while, so it will be interesting to see how I cope with the high gearing in particular.

Shane O' Donoghue