Key advanced safety technology returns to Volkswagen Polo Style hatch

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are due to return to the Volkswagen Polo Style city car in Australia later this year after they were made unavailable this time last year.

Volkswagen Australia has announced the systems – branded Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert – are planned to return to the Polo Style for Model Year 2024 (MY23) examples due in showrooms before the end of 2023.

The features – in addition to the Proactive Occupant Protection System – were removed from September 2022 arrivals for a period claimed at the time to be "about six months" due to the semiconductor shortage.

Prices are expected to increase by at least $550, the amount by which the list price was cut when the technology was deleted a year ago.

After a series of increases over the course of this year, the latest price for the MY23 Polo Style is $31,490 plus on-road costs, $790 more than the same car a year ago, without the safety technology.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alert systems have been progressively re-introduced across the Volkswagen line-up since it was made unavailable on many high-specification models a year ago.

"The additions to Polo Style mean that key Polo, Golf, T-Roc, Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace model grades now include features such as Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert," a Volkswagen Australia spokesperson said in a media statement.