No, this isn’t the high-performance Volkswagen Polo we’ve been promised, but it’s a step in the right direction. Volkswagen has launched R-Line customization packages for the European-market Polo hatchback. While there are no performance upgrades, the R-Line trim makes the Polo look sportier.
The R-Line Exterior upgrade kit costs €1010 for Polo Highline models and €1450 for Polo Comfortline models ($1383 and $1986, respectively). It includes 16- or 17-inch Mallory-style wheels, a gloss-black grille with R-Line logo, bespoke side skirts, a new rear bumper with a built-in diffuser, chrome exhaust tips, a roof spoiler, fog lights, and LED license plate lighting.
The R-Line Plus interior update costs €450 for Highline and €855 for Comfortline models ($623 and $1171, respectively). It includes sport seats like those from the Polo GTI, which can optionally be trimmed in Alcantara; a black headliner; a leather-wrapped steering wheel with an R-Line logo; aluminum pedals; and new door sill plates with the R-Line logo.
All the upgrades make the Polo look seriously cool, and it almost resembles a shrunken-down Golf R. Of course, we’re still looking forward to the Polo R. After the Polo WRC rally car is launched in 2013, Volkswagen is expected to launch a hot version of the Polo with about 200 hp. The most powerful factory Polo currently on offer is the Polo GTI, which extracts 178 hp from a turbocharged and supercharged 1.4-liter inline-four engine.
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