First pictures of 9n facelift!

Nelson_Wilbury · Post by **Nelson_Wilbury** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:40 pm

Taken from Channel4.com...

Volkswagen Polo facelift
Revised Polo models are to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show next spring. They'll have a more aggressive front end, with a sharper grille similar to that of the Golf R32, and redesigned headlights - despite the disguising in these pictures hinting that a circular twin-lamped arrangement will continue, this could well be a red herring; the Polo will probably end up with single-unit lights very much like those of the Golf, which will also feature on the upcoming new Passat to be launched in the autumn.

The new Polo range will include two GTI models: a petrol version with the 2.0-litre FSI direct-injection engine (150bhp) and a diesel, with the 2.0 TDI PD unit (140bhp). Jacked-up, body-kitted Polo Fun (Dune) models will also continue.

toXXin · Post by **toXXin** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:49 pm

Styling from Longbridge?

Polo-03 · Post by **Polo-03** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:17 pm

Oh my god!!! That is one ugly Polo!

Looks like sum barry boy has been at the front and back lights! Also does the chrome on the grille look as thought its just stuck on? Its all squint!

SiDaBa · Post by **SiDaBa** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:40 pm

I hope that's a really well disguised nose and will look completely different when it comes out.

Si_GTi · Post by **Si_GTi** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 12:15 am

Polo-03 wrote:Looks like sum barry boy has been at the front and back lights!

The front lights have got covers on them to make it look like a regular 9n - if you look closely, you can see that tape has been put over a single light unit, you know like those cheap RGM light masks you can get. The roof-mounted ones are for the scandinavian weather

Rear lights are taped up a little but look nice IMO.

Will be interesting to see the "warm" and "hot" models in March at Geneva...

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 3:31 pm

front grill me likes!

the back looks "lowered"

dxg · Post by **dxg** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:22 pm

Can't believe I missed that story! Must be getting slow in my old age...

I'm *so* glad they haven't gone with the direct copy of the mkv golf's rear clusters we've seen on photoshops so far and have kept the changes just to the lense covers.

Overall, a much more sutble change than I was expecting. Must be a good thing for the values of our existing cars.

Although, remember, this is supposed to be getting the full-height chrome grille treatment, so the front is very well disguised.

Deek.

jj86 · Post by **jj86** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:38 pm

found these as well
dont think they've been "photoshopped"
(well, apart from the new golf-style rear clusters)

http://www.motor-talk.de/t425653/f254/s/thread.html

Nice to see the facelift version will have the 3 piece front grill that we never got

what dy'all think of the headlights??
I reckon they look kinda like those on the new zr:
http://www.carpages.co.uk/mg_rover/mg_r ... _12_04.jpg

any thoughts?

SiDaBa · Post by **SiDaBa** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 7:48 pm

jj86 they were the photoshop pictures dxg mentioned.

If the front is like the photoshops it wont be so bad but i think i'll always prefer the 9n. However i kinda liked the golf rear lights on the polo, however wouldn't have given the polo a personality of its own having golf taillights.

kliis · Post by **kliis** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 9:54 pm

Haven't you noticed that the side blinkers are not integrated with the side mirrors? (like in the new Golfs) In all the previous pictures they were integrated.
For me it looks like a standard 9N with a disguised new fornt bumper. Maybe the rear lights are also standard 9N lights

Neimad · Post by **Neimad** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 9:57 pm

If you look closely at the fourth image down (closeup of the nose), you can make out what looks to me like the shape of a single piece headlight, a-la Mk5 Golf... good effort hiding this with the double headlight-like holes though. Tail lights look very smoked -- look kind of cool though, if you try to imagine them without the tape all over them.

No wing mirrors with in-built indicators (yet) I see... wonder if that will change before next year's launch? I've got mixed feelings about them anyway, to be honest. What's everyone else's opinion on them?

Overall, it's looking rather like a very minor outward makeover, but it's not looking that bad for it at present. Excuse the obscenities about to be uttered, but I used to own a Mk2 Fiat Punto, which I think they ruined when they did the facelift. Still though, as they saying goes -- "to each, their own."

Nelson_Wilbury · Post by **Nelson_Wilbury** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:18 pm

No laughing, but my dodgy Paintshop-pro effort, which I've only used once before...

Yes, the lights are totally out of proportion, but its only to get a general idea of whats probably under there

Also, has anyone noticed the different looking wing mirrors?

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:28 pm

Wow, good find Neil. Hadn't seen these yet.

I'm guessing it'll look a lot like the Mk5 Golf, but it's really hard to tell.

I want those lights on the roof btw.

Neimad · Post by **Neimad** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:45 pm

Nelson_Wilbury wrote:No laughing, but my dodgy Paintshop-pro effort, which I've only used once before...

Nice one -- I was going to try something like that, but then I thought better of it

Nelson_Wilbury wrote:Also, has anyone noticed the different looking wing mirrors?

You know, I stared at them for ages, wondering if they were different, but convinced myself they were the same, just at a funny angle... d'oh.

Comparing these two images, it looks to me like they've just curved off the inside top corner, and possibly made them a tad slimer -- what do you think?

dxg · Post by **dxg** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 12:06 am

Well, for what it's worth, I think this p-shop must be pretty much on the money (ignoring what's going on under the rubbing strip):

I think you can see most of what it's suggesting in the photos, plus the addition of a swage line down the top edge of the wings (although you can see it very faintly in the pshop):

I'm also wondering if the rubbing strip itself is fake - it seems to be curving upwards at the ends and is definately "kinked" either side of the registration plate, as if the shrouding continuing from over the headlamps is being pushed outwards by something behind it. Also, note the spacer to just the side of the left hand side lamp -- that shroud's got to be sitting at least a centimeter proud of the headlamp glass. Overall, this cues suggest to me that the whole of the front bumper is just that - a "shroud" over the top of something else.

Deek