A Volkswagen He has a difficult task and that is to replace his super champion in sales, Gol. Some time ago he had announced that the model that would occupy that place would be a variant of the Polo, called track pole. The German brand has just unveiled what it will be like the cheapest model you will have in your range.
Presented in Brazil, the Polo Track is manufactured in the company’s plant in Taubaté, São Paulo, and is one of 15 models that the brand promises for the region by 2025. It represents a real evolution compared to the Gol, especially as it refers to safety, as this new variant will be equipped with stability control.
That element of security, known as ITA or Escfor its acronym in English, it is the one that accelerated the cessation of production of the Gol, since its inclusion is mandatory in Argentina and will soon be in Brazil for all km 0 vehicles sold in both countries.
This system is responsible for applying brake pressure individually to each wheel correct the vehicle in case of loss of trajectory. It also ultimately limits the power delivery from the engine to the wheels.
bigger and more modern
The new Polo Track is considered by Volkswagen as “a true evolution in terms of the development of entry-level products for the German brand”, according to the official press release.
In short, what the German brand did was belittle the Polo that was known until now offer a more accessible variant. In this way there will be two different alternatives based on the same model, even with slight design differences, given that the Polo range has been retouched this year in Brazil.
The Polo Track is built on the MQB platform, therefore it takes advantage of its advantages in terms of modern construction and dimensions: compared to the Gol, the internal space offered by its substitute it is much broader. The wheelbase of 2.56 meters and its width of 1.75 meters place it in a leading position among the more economical models. Furthermore, the trunk has a capacity of 300 litres.
In Brazil it will be equipped with a 1.0 MPI flex engine, which delivers a maximum power of 84 HP and 98 Nm of torque, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. But it is not confirmed that this engine will arrive on the Argentine market.
Inside you can also see the differences. since the Polo Track is equipped with a screen on the smaller center console and, for example, manual adjustment of the side mirrors. That’s the beauty of it it will keep all four airbags (two front and two side fronts) already offered by the rest of the range.
This model will be one of the launches that the German brand has planned for next year.
Farewell to the goal
As of January 2022, the historic Volkswagen Gol has been disabled to continue selling in Argentina, after a 30 years presence in the market and with many of them as the best-selling model. The reason was the entry into force of the electronic stability control obligation for all 0 km sold in the country.
Volkswagen Gol debuted on May 15, 1980, as a development of the Brazilian branch of the German brand. It has been present in the neighboring country for 41 years, including 27 years as a best-seller in the largest market of South America. His reign lasted until 2014.
In the neighboring country they are manufactured more than 8.5 million unitsmaking it the most popular model ever in the region.
It arrived in Argentina in 1991 and was quickly adopted as a market favorite. Even if its take-off came with the second generation, presented here in 1994. It was even a model of national production, from 1996 to 2003, when it totaled 287,056 units.
The model of the German brand has always remained among the most popular vehicles in the local market with renovations that have updated it to have an automatic transmission version, as currently offered.
This has allowed it to always be among the top ten sales and even become the best-selling car of the last decade in Argentina, with more than 400 thousand units accumulated in that time.
But upgrades have a limit when the platform the vehicle is built on is old, especially when it comes to safety systems. And this is what ended its presence in our market.
Source: Clarin
Ben Stock is a journalist working for News Rebeat, where he covers the automobile section. With a passion for cars and the industry, Ben brings insightful and in-depth reporting to his readers.
