Volkswagenhas released design sketches for a new compact sedan.The global market for 4-door vehicles with a boot might be shrinking, but there are places where people still prefer the sedan configuration.

As Volkswagenis truly a diversified global automotive business, it has a broad enough customer reach to create demand for a sedan. And these sketches show what the future holds for those VW brand fanswho want neither a compact 5-door hatchback, nor a small crossover.

The design impressions show what VW’s new Polo sedan is intended to look like. For a market like South Africa, this is big news, as the Polo sedan continues to be sold here as a continuation model, based on VW’s previous-generation small car platform.

VW’s new Polo sedan will be 4.48-metres long and measure 1.7 metres in width, which makes it slightly bigger than the current version (4.39m and 1.69m). The most impressive packaging gain with the new Polo sedanis its claimed boot space, which grows to a very substantial 550-litres.

Mechanically, the new Polo sedan will be powered by two versions of VW’s 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine, good for either 66- or 80 kW. There will also be a 1.4 TSI engine, producing 92 kW.

Transmission options are either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic for the 1.6-litre engines, whilethe 1.4 TSI will only be available in combination with a DSG auto.

Inside the new Polo sedan, VW’s digital cockpit replaces analogue instrumentation. There is also a large infotainment touchscreen, although it is mounted atop the dash, instead of being neatly integrated into the fascia.

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