Volkswagen outs Polo Beats pricing

BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 24th Apr 2018

VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has announced that the audiophile-focused Polo Beats light car will hit showrooms in August priced from $22,490 before on-road costs with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Commanding a $3000 premium over the existing 85TSI Comfortline grade upon which it is based, the Beats will also be available with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission for an extra $2500.

Customers will be compensated with a longer list of standard equipment, including a Beats badge on the B-pillars, dark-tinted rear-side and rear windows, front foglights, LED tail-lights, an LED registration plate light, a single bonnet stripe, Beats decals on the roof and bonnet, black side mirrors and 16-inch Torsby alloy wheels.

Inside, a 300W Beats sound system, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch Discover Media touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, wireless smartphone charging, matte Velvet Red trim, two-tone upholstery, front sport seats and Beats Audio-branded scuff plate will feature.

Advanced driver-assist safety technologies will extend to low-speed autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, driver fatigue detection, tyre pressure monitoring and a reversing camera.

An optional Driver Assistance package ($1400) will expand this suite to include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and park assist.

Paint colour options will be limited to no-cost Tornado Red, as well as White Silver metallic ($500) and Deep Black pearl ($500).

As with its base grade, the front-wheel-drive Beats will be motivated by a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 85kW of power at 5500rpm and 200Nm of torque from 2000 to 3500rpm.

The Beat’s claimed fuel consumption on the combined cycle test is expected to match that of the 85TSI Comfortline, at 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres for the DSG and 5.1L/100km for the manual.

According to VGA managing director Michael Bartsch, the Beats will reset the benchmark in its segment while managing to attract younger buyers.

“The new Polo 6 transcends the so-called ‘city’ or ‘light-car’ class, so the ante for the Polo Beats has been upped considerably,” he said.

“We hear a great deal about car-makers pursuing a ‘younger’ demographic. This usually amounts to a basic car in jellybean colours.

“We don’t have to make a noise about the Polo Beats, because its message to aspirational buyers is loud and clear.

“Developing 300 watts of sound and 200Nm from a single-litre engine, the Polo Beats strikes the balance between bass and pace. There is nothing comparable.”The Beats first appeared during the Polo’s fifth generation and was a sell-out success when it lobbed in 2017.

As its name suggest, the grade focuses on improved audio quality under the guidance of the Beats brand founded by music industry veterans Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine in 2006.

Sales of the Polo took a hit last year, with 6515 examples sold to the end of 2017, representing a 20.4 per cent decrease over the 8186 deliveries made in 2016.

This effort led to the Volkswagen placing sixth in the sub-$25,000 light-car segment last year, with it trailing the Hyundai Accent (17,578 units), Mazda2 (12,101), Toyota Yaris (11,226), Honda Jazz (7301) and Kia Rio (6852).

However, this downturn has been slowed in 2018 thanks to the launch of the sixth-generation model in March, with 1623 vehicles finding homes through the first three months of the year – a 8.3 per cent dip over the 1770 examples sold during the same period in 2017.