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Volkswagen puts a price on the VW Polo BlueGT

The Volkswagen Polo Blue GT – a warmed over Polo – will cost from £17,400 for the 1.4-litre 138bhp 6 spd manual. The Polo Blue GT gets the 1.4 TFSI engine with 138bhp so the little Polo can row along well enough, but it also get cylinder deactivation for when you’re not blatting from traffic light to traffic light to endow the Blue GT with official average economy of 60.1mpg (or 62.7mpg if you opt for the DSG ‘box). When you’re not worried about being parsimonious with your fuel the Polo GT skips along to 62mph in 7.9 seconds and handles well enough thanks to the Polo’s already decent setup and a 15mm lower suspension.

July 25: Plugging in while surfing

Went surfing, 33 miles away. 33 plus 33 is 66. Should have been within the range limits of the car but I used up nine kWhs on the first leg of mostly freeway driving, which suggests I wouldn't make it home.

Who's Where: Alfonso Albaisa is Infiniti's new executive design director

Alfonso Albaisa has been appointed executive design director at Infiniti as part of the Infiniti brand's restructuring. Reporting to Shiro Nakamura, he is based at the company's Design Center in Atsugi, Japan. Albaisa joins Nissan's luxury marque after a year as design director for Nissan's Global Passenger Vehicles and Electric Vehicles.