VW Polo ACT review

Thursday, February 02, 2012

VW Polo with Active Cylinder Technology
Shuts down cylinders to save fuel
On sale late 2012

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This is the Volkswagen Polo Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) model, which uses the VW Group’s cylinder shut-off technology to help improve fuel consumption and cut CO2 emissions under light engine loads.

We drove a prototype model, but a production version is due on sale later this year.

What’s it like to drive? The VW Polo ACT is impressively rounded. That’s because – apart from having a 138bhp version of VW’s 1.4 TSI petrol engine – it’s a standard Polo for much of the time. It drives, stops and steers every bit as well as the standard car – which is very well.

What's really clever about the Polo ACT, though, is that it's totally unnoticeable when two of its cylinders are shut down. The change from four- to two-cylinder operation – during periods of cruising, for example – and back again is completely imperceptible. If it wasn’t for the dashboard displaying a ‘two-cylinder mode’ message, you wouldn’t know anything out of the ordinary was occurring.

What’s it like inside? There’s nothing to distinguish the Polo ACT from any other model in the range, which means there’s the same excellent driving position, straightforward dashboard layout and high-quality materials you’ll find in any Polo.

Should I buy one? The Polo ACT is due to go on sale late in 2012. VW sources suggest that it’ll be a stand-alone model in the range. The 138bhp power output places it between the 1.2 TSI and GTI models, so a price of around £17,000 seems likely.

What Car? says…

Andy Pringle