| With global warming threatening to warm up our | | | | save you plenty of cash that's for sure. |
| shores to the extent that we'll live in a Mediterranean | | | | The savings don't end there either. The fuel |
| climate, I went out and bought some baking oil to help | | | | consumption is so low you'll think the gauge is broken |
| top up my suntan. The idea of sitting out on Christmas | | | | as it seems to stay wedged on 'full'. In fact the exact |
| day sipping on my Pina Colada by the swimming pool | | | | return is 74.3mpg from the 1.4 litre diesel engine and |
| isn't exactly my idea of hell. In fact I thought I'd speed | | | | although you won't receive whiplash from the |
| up the process so I jumped into the latest Volkswagen | | | | acceleration (a 0-60 time of 12.8 seconds) it's nippy |
| Polo and revved off to the shops rather than walk the | | | | enough to get around town and refined enough on |
| 100 yards, washed my clothes on the hottest wash | | | | tear up the motorway miles. |
| possible, threw out all my recyclables as normal rubbish | | | | Airbags, CD player and electric windows are standard |
| and then washed the Volkswagen Polo with a high | | | | across the Bluemotion range, although for a bit of |
| powered hose and left the water running for a good | | | | extra cash the aptly named Bluemotion 2 offers |
| five minutes after I needed to. | | | | central locking, rain-sensing automatic windscreen |
| It was a good day and one that followed to the next | | | | wipers and air-conditioning. The extra weight of these |
| until in one week my carbon footprint had grown to | | | | extras does increase CO2 emissions to 104g/km |
| the size of a big, not-so-friendly giant. This frivolity | | | | which means the road tax collectors will come |
| seemed infallible; surely everyone will thank me for | | | | knocking on your door. |
| warming up our cold winter? Then it happened - my | | | | Quite frankly though all the above means diddly squat |
| road to Damascus moment. I was packing my ten | | | | if the driving experience is reminiscent of that bit in |
| items into ten separate plastic carrier bags in a | | | | Casino Royale where Bond has his nether regions |
| supermarket when the cashier asked if I needed so | | | | smacked about with a piece of knotted rope. You |
| many. Sensing her mis-understanding, I explained that I | | | | needn't worry as the rest of the Bluemotion is near |
| was helping people just like her and if anything, I should | | | | enough like any other Volkswagen Polo. The 14 inch |
| be revered rather than lambasted. "Haven't you | | | | alloy wheels are wrapped in larger profile rubber to |
| thought that if the polar cap melts we won't have a | | | | reduce resistance against the tarmac and inevitably |
| country to worry about?" came the response. There | | | | this means handling is slightly woollier than on a |
| and then the energy-saving light bulb in my head | | | | standard Polo. Despite this, the overall driving |
| switched on, I bought a reusable carrier bag and | | | | experience remains a good one - especially motorway |
| changed my life. | | | | driving where wind and road noise are kept to a |
| I can now often be found separating my cardboards | | | | minimum. |
| from my plastics ready for recycling and be seen | | | | The styling retains the German elegance of the current |
| cheerfully walking to the shops. I am rehabilitated into | | | | Volkswagen range, with the Bluemotion gaining a |
| sustainable and 'green' thinking and won't be caught | | | | subtle rear spoiler and smaller mirrors to help |
| falling off the wagon like Pete Doherty. "Bet you still | | | | aerodynamics and in turn increase efficiency. The alloy |
| drive though" you're probably saying, to which I'd | | | | wheels mentioned earlier set the car apart from it's |
| happily say "yes" and point in the direction of the one | | | | siblings without being too brash. My personal favourite |
| aspect to remain unchanged - the Volkswagen Polo. | | | | has to be the rear light clusters that give the back end |
| You see, it's not just any VW Polo, it's a Bluemotion 1 | | | | of the Polo the look of Optimus Prime from |
| and that means it's greener than a bag of frozen peas. | | | | Transformers. |
| In fact, the car is so low on carbon dioxide emissions | | | | So there you have it. If you want to help save the |
| (just 99g/km of the stuff) that it is exempt from being | | | | planet, consider buying a Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion |
| charged road tax as it falls into the VED Band A. Not | | | | - just don't expect it to turn into a robot to help out. |
| really sure the ins and outs of this classification but it'll | | | | |