When is VW bringing into the US,it’s turbo diesel POLO model
OR
How can I[as a private owner] import it from Germany?
At 70[seventy]miles per gallon on it’s turbocharged 1.4L diesel engine,that is way more than any: gasoline,hybrid,electric or diesel currently in the US. I don’t care that it doesn’t have the HP of a Corvette,and it’s gotta be better than the 1.1 L Opel Kadette that I drove in the early 1970s. Driving a standard transmission is no problem either-quite the opposite. I can’t get a straight answer from VW USA or the feds regards importing it.
HELP !!
You can’t bring it in without making it cost as much as a Porsche.
Importing the Polo TDI has been rumored for years. You can discuss this issue with the TDI forum.
Agree with @jtsanders. Wait until it appears in the VW showrooms and then take it from there. You may have a long wait.
@missileman As the EPA fuel standards tighten, you will see these small cars come in to improve the fleet average MPG. They won’t be cheap since making something meet the US standards requires quite a bit of modification, so VW may sell at cost. My guess is 4-5 years from now you will see them here.
With all due respect to VW and diesel lovers, a diesel Polo doesn’t appeal to many of us here.
It’s a pretty basic and small car.
Diesel fuel isn’t available at every filling station.
Many people have a LONG memory and associate diesel with big rigs or the loud and smelly VWs and Benzes of the 70s and 80s.
Diesel fuel costs even more than premium unleaded (at least where I live)
You pay more upfront for the diesel technology compared to a similar model with the gas engine
Many people don’t drive enough miles to break even
Personally, it’s too small for me and I know I wouldn’t even come close to breaking even.
But . . . different strokes for different folks
That 70 MPG is with imperial gallons. In U.S. gallons that’s about 56 MPG. and if those are the EU Urban/Extra Urban numbers you can safely take off another 10% to get a realistic fuel economy estimate. Which would be around 50 MPG overall, still very good, but there are more substantial cars available that will come close to that.
@Docnick. Thanks for the info. I would have thought the wait would be longer but your guess is as good as any.
“My guess is 4-5 years from now you will see them here.”
And Tata’s too? At some point, I wonder if it makes sense to bring micro-cars in and make them meet US safety requirements. Yes, Daimler Benz did it for the Smart car, but how many other manufacturers have that kind of money to throw around?
I’ve always thought it odd that motorcycles can be sold in the USA, when they obviously don’t meet US automobile safety standards. Even with a safe driver on the handlebars, motorcycles are much more dangerous to drive than automobiles. But they are perfect legal to sell, to own, and to drive. However small urban-style automobiles, which are certainly much safer than motorcyles, are required to meet the same US auto safety standards as would be required for a Lincoln Town car or a Hummer. Maybe some modifications to US safety standards for automobiles are in order?
If I was in a crash, I would rather be in that Town Car, not the Polo.
“Maybe some modifications to US safety standards for automobiles are in order?”
Tell your elected officials. They write the laws.