This is the new Volkswagen Polo saloon, which has been unveiled today at the Moscow motor show.
The Polo saloon will be built at VW's factory in Kaluga, Russia, and the firm says the car "has been developed specifically for the Russian market, bearing in mind its specific climate and street conditions". Small saloons are often popular in Russia, because they allow access to the boot without cold air entering the cabin in the winter months.
See the pics of the new VW Polo saloon
Just one engine is available in the Polo saloon: a 1.6-litre petrol unit producing 104bhp. It gets a five-speed manual transmission as standard, but VW is also offering the car with a six-speed automatic gearbox.
VW claims that the saloon has been engineered for Russian roads and fuel; it says it has tested the car extensively across the region, set up its suspension for poor-quality road surfaces, chosen heavy-duty paint to resist salt corrosion and tuned its engine to cope with varying petrol qualities.
Read the full Moscow motor show report
Prices for the Polo saloon are expected to start at around 10,000 euro (£8300) in Russia; there are no plans for UK imports, however.
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Re: VW Polo saloon revealed
Surely the Belmont and Orion are now also classics, hatchbacks just have no class!
Re: VW Polo saloon revealed
Many years ago I bought a mark 2 Polo saloon, which was known as the 'Classic'. Going for this rather than the hatchback meant I could get a newer model and a better trim level.
The saloon also had a slightly larger engine. For its time it was a smart looking car, and rarer than the ubiqitous hatch.
Re: VW Polo saloon revealed
Small saloons are usually better value than hatches. Look at old shape Skoda Fabia saloon and compare used prices.
Regarding improving rust proofing, I was surprised to hear cars still rust underneath.
This would be particularly relevant in the North of England and Scotland where rock salt is used extensively in winter compared to the south coast.