2011 Volkswagen Polo sedan unveiled in Russia

Volkswagen finally unveiled its new sub-compact Polo sedan in Moscow today, billing it as the first ever VW developed specifically for the Russian market. While Russia may be the first market for the trunked Polo, it isn’t likely to have an exclusive on it for long. The Polo sedan is expected to make its way to North America within the next 12 months as part of VW’s drive to expand its sales here to 800,000 units a year by 2018.

Like Americans, Russians consumers have generally had a preference for notchbacks over hatchbacks despite the sacrifices in utility. In an effort to keep the Polo sedan affordable in Russia, Volkswagen is equipping it with a 103-horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline inline four-cylinder engine with a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.