Armada of new assistance and convenience systems
Front Assist as standard. In producing the new Polo, Volkswagen has put one of the world's most advanced compact cars on wheels. This is also reflected in the armada of new assistance and convenience systems. Even the base version of the new Polo is launching with the Front Assist area monitoring system including City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring as standard. Important: none of the Polo assistance systems relieve the driver of the responsibility for driving the car. Another standard feature included in the Polo Trendline as standard is a speed limiter, which can limit the car's driving speed to a desired speed, e.g. to avoid going too fast in the city. In addition, a tyre pressure monitoring system is always on board.
Optional expansion stages. One option that is being offered again in the Polo is adaptive cruise control (ACC); can now be activated up to a speed of 210 km/h). In conjunction with a dual clutch gearbox (DSG), ACC also offers a Stop & Go function (for first time with a manual parking brake). New features for the Polo include the lane change system Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert, semi-automated Park Assist system for exiting parking spaces, the proactive occupant protection system and a manoeuvre braking function. The latter automatically protects against minor but often expensive parking dents. The optional Keyless Access locking and engine starting system, which is also new, can be used to unlock and start up the Polo.
Assistance systems
Blind Spot Monitor. This system can play a role in preventing serious accidents. The Blind Spot Monitor utilises an LED symbol in the outer area of the door mirrors to alert the driver's attention to vehicles located in the blind spot on the side of the Polo and vehicles approaching from the rear. As soon as that is the case, the symbol lights up, and if the driver activates the turn indicator in the direction of the detected vehicle the symbol flashes as an additional warning. This lowers the risk of hazardous lane-changing situations. The system, which is automatically activated from a speed of 30 km/h, uses radar sensors to monitor an area of approximately 20 metres around the vehicle. When the Blind Spot Monitor is ordered, it automatically comes with Rear Traffic Alert, which revolutionises reversing out of parking spaces.
Rear Traffic Alert. Rear Traffic Alert further improves safety. It is offered in combination with the Blind Spot Monitor. Rear Traffic Alert takes much of the risk out of reversing from driveways and parking spaces that are at right angles to the road. The innovation here: The system not only ‘recognises' stationary or moving vehicles directly behind the Polo, but also vehicles approaching from the side which are barely visible to the driver. The radar-based sensor module even detects objects at distances of up to 40 metres and recognises objects moving at speeds of 4 km/h or above. If a collision is imminent, the system outputs an acoustic warning. If the driver or third party do not take action to correct the situation, or if there is a risk of immediate collision, the Rear Traffic Alert system automatically initiates a brake intervention.
Driver Alert System. This system, which is standard from the Polo Comfortline, detects waning concentration of the driver and warns him or her over a period of five seconds with an acoustic signal and a visual text in the instrument cluster that recommends taking a break. If the driver does not take a break within the next 15 minutes, the warning is repeated once.
Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. Just around one-fourth of all accidents that result in personal injury involve multiple collisions. The Polo's Automatic Post-Collision Braking System can help to avoid secondary collisions or at least reduce their severity. After an initial collision, the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System automatically initiates a braking action – within system limits – even before the driver can react. This can reduce the severity of the accident and ideally prevent secondary collisions.
Proactive occupant protection system. If the proactive occupant protection system detects a potential accident situation – such as when hard braking is initiated by an activated brake assistant – the front seatbelts are automatically pre-tensioned to ensure the best possible protection by the airbag and belt systems. If a highly critical and unstable driving situation is detected – such as severe oversteer or understeer with ESC intervention – the side windows are closed (except for a small gap) and so is the sunroof. That is because when the windows and roof are nearly closed, the head and side airbags are braced optimally and thereby achieve their best possible effectiveness. As this system is offered in the Polo in conjunction with the standard Front Assist area monitoring system, the proactive occupant protection system also detects situations where the distance to the vehicle ahead is critical, and it helps to shorten the vehicle's stopping distance. In hazardous situations the driver is given a visual and an audible warning and is also warned with a preventative braking jolt.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC). The system uses a radar sensor integrated in the front section and is offered in conjunction with a dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The driver can specify a target speed within a range of 0 to 210 km/h. ACC automatically adapts the speed to that of the vehicle driving ahead up to the maximum speed setting while maintaining a preselected distance. Coupling the system to the DSG enables the Polo with ACC to be automatically braked to a standstill behind a stopping vehicle. After stopping, automatic ACC operation can be resumed if the driver re-enables it.
Front Assist area monitoring system. Front Assist uses a radar sensor integrated into the front end of the car to continually monitor the distance to vehicles ahead. The system supports the driver in critical situations by preconditioning the brake system, alerting the driver to the need to react by visual and acoustic warnings and, in a second stage, by a brief warning jolt in the brake pedal. If the driver fails to brake hard enough, the system automatically generates sufficient braking force to avoid a collision. If the driver does not react at all, Front Assist automatically brakes the car to give the driver more reaction time. In addition, the system supports the driver by informing the driver if the distance to the vehicle ahead is too short. The latest version of Front Assist being offered in the Polo not only detects other vehicles, but also pedestrians who are moving cross-wise to the driving lane. As soon as a pedestrian is at risk, the system warns the driver and in a final stage brakes the Polo within system limits. One component of the Front Assist System is the City Emergency Braking system.
City Emergency Braking. City Emergency Braking is a system extension of Front Assist. It monitors the space in front of the Polo by radar sensor. The system operates at speeds below 30 km/h. If the driver does not react in a situation with an impending collision with a vehicle ahead that is moving or stationary, then the brake system is preconditioned as in Front Assist. If necessary, the City Emergency Braking System then initiates hard braking within system limits to reduce the severity of the impact. In addition, the driver is assisted with maximum braking force if the pedal force by the driver is insufficient.
Convenience systems
Driving Profile Selection. In driving profile selection the driver can choose from a total of four programs: Eco, Sport, Normal and Individual. In the Eco driving mode, engine control, the air conditioning unit and other auxiliary systems are regulated in a manner that ensures optimal fuel efficiency. In vehicles fitted with DSG, a coasting function can also be used with the Eco mode: if the driver releases the accelerator pedal – for example, on downhill stretches – the DSG disengages and the engine idles. This enables optimal utilisation of the Polo's kinetic energy. In Sport mode, on the other hand, damping of the adjustable dampers is increased (with Sport Select running gear), while engine response and shift points of the DSG are configured to be more dynamic.
Park Assist. This assistance system automatically guides the Polo into parallel or perpendicular parking spaces, and it can also reverse out of parallel parking spaces. It is activated by pressing a button on the centre console. Using the indicators, the driver selects the side on which the car is to be parked. If Park Assist detects via the ultrasonic sensors a parking space that is large enough (40 cm of manoeuvring room, front and rear suffices), assisted parking can begin: the driver engages reverse gear and only needs to accelerate and brake (an automatic braking function assists in the event of insufficient space). The car takes care of the steering.
Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator. The Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator uses the wheel speed sensors of the ABS: in the event of tyre pressure loss, the rolling radius of the wheel concerned decreases and the wheel turns faster at the same vehicle speed. The system detects insufficient air pressure and warns the driver. However, the Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator does not relieve the driver of the obligation to regularly check the tyre pressures.