The next generation of the CrossPolo is ready for new adventures. After the successful launch of the new Polo early in 2010, the new CrossPolo is the second model of the Polo series to be introduced locally, before the Polo GTI arrives in the first half of 2011. Yes, the CrossPolo has a cheeky design, unique choice of colours and features, as well as taller ride height (15 mm), but is it just a marketing gimmick?

Lets begin by judging the proverbial book by its cover. The CrossPolo has a more rugged-sporty character than that of the standard VW Polo. An individually styled front apron – anthracite in colour – with integrated front fog lights and large air inlet at the centre, give the car a unique look from the front, coupled with a lower edge finished in a satin silver, which gives the impression of underbody protection. The side profile of the new CrossPolo also shows off a tough look. Black wheelarch extensions and coordinated body sills set the styling. The rugged plastic guards are intended to protect the car from damage in off-road driving and in the urban jungle.

Adding sporty character are the 17-inch alloy wheels (“Budapest” style) with size 215/40 profile tyres. Adding to the CrossPolo’s promise of practicality and more rugged abilities are the silver anodized roof rails, which can support roof boxes and carrier systems up to a weight of 75 kgs. Final touches are at the rear where the lower bumper section is also in black plastic with a separate centre section painted in silver to mimic a diffuser.

Coloured in ‘Deep Black Pearl’ with the satin silver highlights, our test car gathered plenty of attention, not the kind of gawks that a supercar warrants, but rather glances of genuine interest and admiration for what would otherwise be ‘just another Polo’.

The interior of the CrossPolo is standard Polo fare, save for the two-tone fabrics on the sport seats, the rear bench and the door trim. Colour options include Hot Orange, Orange, Latte Macchiato and Grey, depending on the exterior colour – presumably the limited combinations are VW’s way of saving the world from any potential fashion faux pas’. Throughout the cockpit materials are high quality and have a great feel. The steering wheel has a fine perforated leather cover, along with the gear lever and handbrake, while the dashboard has been given an additional dimension with its soft touch.

Standard equipment includes, height-adjustable sport seats; an asymmetrically split rear bench and backrest; pedal caps in aluminium look and chrome on various switches and components. Also standard: electric adjustable and heated door mirrors; electrically operated windows all around; illuminated make-up mirrors in the sun visors; multi-function display and central locking with remote control.

Interior space is adequate. Front passengers predictably receive the warmest welcome, while rear passengers are comfortable once seated, after having a slight squeeze to get past the backrests of the front seats. As mentioned, the rear bench can be folded with a standard 60:40 split. When it is completely folded, the car’s cargo capacity increases from 280- to 952-litres. Four tie-down eyes make it easy to secure items in transit, while two hooks in the side trim panels keep bags from tipping over.

The CrossPolo comes with a choice of two 1.6-litre engines, either a turbocharged diesel unit, or the naturally aspirated petrol unit we tested. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder, 16-valve petrol engine reaches its peak power of 77 kW at 5 250 r/min and its maximum torque of 155 Nm at 3 500 r/min. On the road the car responds well once the revs climb past the 4 000 r/min mark and continues to pull positively to just before the 6 000 r/min red line. With peak torque being available in the middle of the rev-range, the car does feel a little lacklustre at times, but this is a virtue of smaller capacity engines rather than a trait specific to the Polo.

Coupled with a slick enough gearbox, light clutch action and accurate power steering, the CrossPolo is easy to drive around town. Out on our countries highways and byways the CrossPolo comfortably maintains a respectable average speed, with the added convenience of having a cruise control function. Overtaking or tackling the odd hill requires a nonchalant down-shift on the 5-speed manual box, where after the CrossPolo reacts with determination.

Volkswagen claim an average fuel consumption of 6.6 l/100km, which is entirely acceptable when you consider we managed a frugal 6.2 l/100km over a 170 km urban cycle. Driven quickly by the CrossPolo’s standards, the figure jumped to 9.8 l/100km. CO2 emissions are rated at 157 g/km.

Although riding just 15 mm taller than the standard Polo, the CrossPolo’s stance illudes to this being considerably more thanks to the large diameter 17-inch wheels. A logical concern is a higher centre of gravity, which could take the edge off the little hatchback’s handling. Thankfully we found this not to be, as whatever ‘edge’ may have been lost, is well and truly countered with the larger 215/40 profile rubber. The suspension is a comfortable mix of spring and damper rates, meaning the CrossPolo remains comfortable on the majority of bumpy secondary roads, while still offering a composed ride under high speed conditions. Steering is suitably assisted in relation to road speed and inputs result in accurate changes of direction.

Although our test unit was fitted with the optional ESP system, it seemed inconsequential considering the CrossPolo’s modest performance. The system does however include a hill-hold assist function that holds the car stationary long enough for you to take your foot off the brake pedal and transfer it to the accelerator without rolling backwards. More applicable though is the Emergency Brake-Force Distribution (EBD) function, which together with ABS, serves to keep the car in-line and stable under emergency braking situations, particularly if this occurs mid-corner.

Together with the obvious stand-out-from-the-crowd nature of the CrossPolo, its a car with origins of a similar nature. Volkswagen of South Africa’s manufacturing plant in Uitenhage is the sole producer of the new CrossPolo, for both right-hand and left-hand drive global markets. Approximately 12 000 CrossPolos will be produced at the Uitenhage plant in 2010, which makes each one a proudly South African product.

So, marketing gimmick? Yes and no. Yes, it’s a Polo in ‘fancy dress’. This is no bad thing, as the CrossPolo’s design is both eye-catching and sophisticated in a way that will no doubt appeal to the young and/or image conscious. No, because the CrossPolo has its own merits. Climbing inside a car with a tasteful interior colour scheme that brightens your day, has genuine exterior design appeal and one that offers a touch more practicality and an adventurous spirit, has its place in a world made up largely of conformists.

What we like….

• A tastefully executed alternative to the numerous Polo’s on our roads.
• A premium feel to the interior materials and build quality.

What we would like…

• Considering the price, cruise control and side curtain airbags as standard.

After the launch of the new Polo early in 2010, the new CrossPolo becomes the second model of the Polo series to be introduced locally. With its cheeky design, unique choice of colours and features and a higher ride height (15 millimetre gain), the CrossPolo is something different.

The rugged-sporty character of the CrossPolo is reflected in many of its details. Beginning at the front, the CrossPolo distinguishes itself from standard Polo with individually styled front apron, with integrated front fog lights, black honeycomb insert and finished off with a section in light silver adding the visual appearance of underbody protection.

The side profile illudes to tougher qualities, with black wheelarch extensions and coordinated body sills intended to guard against damage in the car parks of the urban jungle. The CrossPolo rides on 17-inch alloy wheels (“Budapest” style) with size 215/40 tyres.

Another characteristic of the CrossPolo is the silver anodized roof rails. They are a traditional feature on this model, and can be used to mount roof boxes and carrier systems with a weight of up to 75 kilograms. Also colour coordinated with the roof rails are the door mirrors that are painted in silver.

At the rear, the CrossPolo’s lower bumper is also finished in a black plastic. At its centre, a separate section painted in silver is styled to look like a diffuser.

The CrossPolo is available in five exterior colours, two of which are exclusive to the CrossPolo, namely Magma Orange and Terra Beige Metallic.

Inside the CrossPolo features two-tone, fabric covered, sport seats up front and bench seat in the rear. Up to four different colour trims are available, depending on the exterior colour. The “CrossPolo” signature is embroidered into the backrests of the front seats. The driver grips a 3-spoke leather covered steering wheel, with stitching that is coloured matched to the interior trim and that is also applied to the leather-trimmed parking brake handle.

Standard equipment includes height-adjustable front seats, centre armrest in front (with storage compartment), pedal caps in aluminium look and chrome on various switches and components. The latter include the door handles, surrounds for the window lift switches and air vents. Also standard: electric adjustable and heated door mirrors, electrically operated windows all around, multi-function display and remote-control central locking.

The new CrossPolo has a cargo capacity of 280-litres, or 952-litres with the rear seats folded down in a 60/40 split. Four tie-down eyes and two hooks in the side trim panels of the boot keep bags from tipping over and help to secure loose items.

Under the hood, the 1,6-litre 16-valve petrol engine reaches its peak power at 5 250 rpm and its maximum torque of 155 Newton-meter is available at 3 500 rpm. Average fuel consumption is 6.6 l/100km and its CO2 value is 157 g/km.

The 1.6 common rail direct-injection turbodiesel (TDI) engine with Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) has 250 Newton-meters of torque, which is available between 1 500 to 2 500 rpm. Its average combined fuel consumption is 4.3 l/100km and has CO2 value of 113 g/km.

Both engines are available with a 5-speed manual transmission.

The Volkswagen of South Africa manufacturing plant in Uitenhage is the sole producer of the new CrossPolo for right hand and left hand drive global markets. Approximately 12 000 CrossPolos will be produced at the Uitenhage plant in 2010.

The new Volkswagen CrossPolo comes standard with a 3 year/120 000km and a 12 year Anti Corrosion warranties. A 5 year/60 000km Volkswagen Automotion Maintenance Plan (R9 141) as well as a 5 year/ 60 000 km Service Plan (R6 856) are available as options.

Only a couple of days ago Volkswagen took the covers off its new Polo GTI and now, just a couple of weeks away from the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the covers have come off the new CrossPolo.

The vehicle is essentially the five-door Polo with a raised ride height and a rugged all-terrain look. In Europe, buyers will be able to chose from a total of three petrol and three common rail TDI turbo-diesel engines, three of which can be equipped with an optional seven-speed DSG dual clutch transmission. In South African however, the CrossPolo is expected to be offered with one engine only, that being the capable 1,6-litre TDI engine with 77 kW and 250 N.m of torque.

Key design elements include the unique bumpers, finished in an anthracite color and fitted with fog-lights and larger intakes. Moving to the sides, the CrossPolo also gets black wheelarch extensions, new side sills, and 17 inch alloy wheels.

The rugged theme continues inside the cabin, with two-tone fabrics including an anthracite color, a black webbed structure for some of the trim, perforated leather on the steering wheel, and a metal finish for the pedals.

Both the Polo GTI and CrossPolo will make their world debut in Geneva on March 2, expanding the Polo lineup to four models of: standard Polo, BlueMotion, GTI and CrossPolo. The BlueMotion Polo may not be headed for South Africa, but Polo GTI and CrossPolo should arrive later this year.

Adapted from MotorAuthority