VW's tax-free Polo to arrive in October
 

Volkswagen has opened the order books for its Polo BlueMotion , with UK deliveries scheduled for October. Prices start from ??11,995 for the BlueMotion 1 (with twin front and side airbags , a CD player and electric windows) while the BlueMotion 2 (air con, rain-sensing wipers, remote central locking and leather steering wheel) is ??12,845. Three- and five-door versions of both are available, and a choice of black, grey, silver or white paint.

As the BlueMotion 1 emits just 99g/km of carbon dioxide , it qualifies for band A taxation, with no annual excise duty payable. It joins a very select crew in band A, chiefly the Honda Insight, diesel-engined Smart Fortwo and electric vehicles such as the GoinGreen G-Wiz . The BlueMotion 2, however, emits 104g/km, and is thus in band B - which costs ??40 a year - along with the Toyota Prius and petrol-engined Smart Fortwos.

The aerodynamically enhanced Polo BlueMotion is fitted with a three-cylinder 1.4-litre diesel engine with particulate filter and exhaust gas recirculation, plus a five-speed manual gearbox specially modified for optimum fuel economy. The BlueMotion 1 returns 74.3mpg and the BlueMotion 2 70.6mpg - yet both are capable of 109mph and 0-62mph in 12.8 seconds.

Source: [url=http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=16337]Channel 4 News[/url]