VW considering Polo for the U.S.; Passat successor to be built in U.S. under new name

Since gas topped $4 a gallon in the U.S., consumers have been flocking to small cars in record numbers. The dramatic shift caught many automakers off guard, with most scrambling to ramp up their small car efforts in the U.S. Volkswagen was one such automaker that was caught without a true small car, but the German automaker is reportedly considering bringing a version of its Polo to the U.S. The Polo would go head-to-head with vehicles like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit, and would offer U.S. buyers another high-mileage alternative. The Yaris and Fit both average about 31-32 mpg in combined driving, a figure the Polo would meet or exceed. “We are considering bringing these cars here,” Stefan Jacoby, CEO of VW, told Bloomberg. “It’s too early to give a timeline for when.” It remains unclear where the U.S.-spec Polos would be... [read full story]