When Volkswagen unveiled the Virtus in
Latin America in late 2017, it was believed the Polo Mk6-based sedan would
eventually reach other markets around the world, including Russia. As it turns
out, the German automaker thought the MQB A0 platform would be too expensive
for this country and other former Soviet republics. Instead of bringing the
Virtus over, VW has decided to rebadge the PQ25-based 2020 Skoda Rapid recently
facelifted in Russia and market it as the Polo Sedan. The name choice is rather
odd considering this is a five-door liftback.
Besides applying its new corporate logo,
Volkswagen has also given the Russian market Polo Sedan a Jetta-like face with
similar headlights (with LEDs as standard) and grille to the bigger model, as
well as a very generic rear end with a pair of bland LED taillights.
Seen from the side, it’s obvious that
we’re dealing with the 2020 Skoda Rapid as the window line and door cutouts are
identical. A look inside makes this equally obvious as the Polo Sedan adopts a
very similar dashboard as its Skoda-badged sibling. The infotainment systems
are available with 6.5- or 8.25-inch touchscreen displays and the 10.25-inch
Active Info Display digital instrument panel is optional.
Offered in four trim levels in Russia
(Origin, Respect, Status and Exclusive), the 2020 VW Polo Sedan will be
available with three gasoline engines: a 1.6-liter MPI naturally-aspirated
four-cylinder with 90 PS or 110 PS and a 1.4-liter TSI
turbo-four rated at 125 PS. The 1.6-liter engines come equipped as
standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, with the 110 PS unit also offering
the option of a six-speed auto. As for the TSI, it’s paired exclusively with a
seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Compared to the outgoing Polo sedan, the
new one is 93 mm longer at 4,483 mm and 13 mm higher at 1,484 mm. It also has a 49 mm longer wheelbase.
This translates into increased space for rear passengers and a massive
550-liter boot – 90 liters bigger than before. The
ground clearance has also increased by 7 mm to 170 mm. As
with the Skoda Rapid, the VW Polo sedan will be built at the Volkswagen Group
Rus plant in Kaluga, Russia and will go on sale this summer.
