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IT may not have been the outcome the car industry or 48.1 per cent of voters wanted, but over the next couple of years the UK will be extricating itself from the European Union.

Once the initial hysteria over the result of the referendum dies down and the markets settle, it’s clear that much work lies ahead to protect what is a thriving UK car market and UK car industry.

As Mike Hawes, boss of car industry trade body the SMMT, says: “Government must now maintain economic stability and secure a deal with the EU which safeguards UK automotive interests. This includes securing tariff-free access to European and other global markets, ensuring we can recruit talent from the EU and the rest of the world.”

So what does that mean for car buyers? In the short term, nothing – if you’re planning a purchase, the deals on offer today will be very similar to the deals on offer in the coming months. “The cost of borrowing remains steady and that’s a key driver in the car market today,” says Hawes.

In the longer term, the UK will remain the second biggest car market in Europe and one of the biggest in the world. Foreign car makers can’t and won’t turn their backs on such a lucrative market and will also be pushing for free trade deals to ensure tariffs don’t make their products more expensive and less competitive in the (still growing) UK market.

As for those car makers who’ve invested heavily in UK manufacturing, free trade deals across Europe are essential to them, too. Whether we’ll see any new plants pop up depends on those trade deals and, as usual, government incentives. What we can say for sure is the people working in the UK car business are among the world’s best, building and creating some of the greatest cars. And that won’t change.

VOLKSWAGEN is aiming to trump rivals on interior quality, infotainment and connectivity with its next-generation Polo, revealed in our exclusive images and set to arrive by the end of 2017.

The new Polo is likely to go on sale in the second half of next year, around six months after a heavily revised Ford Fiesta arrives in the UK. As with the Ford, VW engineers have been focusing on improving rear cabin space and the quality of interior materials.

But while Ford’s offering can move upmarket to allow room for the valueorientated Ka+ (Issue 1,425), the Polo still has to serve budget-conscious customers and cater for the ever-increasing demands of buyers who want upmarket, premium features in a small supermini.

To help reduce costs yet boost sophistication, the new Polo will be the first car to switch to the smallest version of the VW Group’s MQB platform, called A0. While the larger chassis parts already underpin a wide variety of models on a selection of different wheelbases – everything from the Audi TT to the Golf SV – engineers across VW’S brands have been told to keep the A0 MQB set-up simpler.

That means a single wheelbase for the Polo, Audi A1, SEAT Ibiza and Skoda Fabia, as well as any subsequent SUV versions of those cars. Auto Express understands that the Polo’s current wheelbase of 2,470mm will stretch by as much as 90mm for the next generation – up to around 2,560mm. Shorter overhangs at the front and rear of the car should ensure that the overall length stays at around the four-metre mark, but the longer wheelbase will bring much-improved cabin space, particularly for rear passengers.

The next Polo’s engine line-up will focus on small turbocharged units, although the range will start with a revised version of VW’S 1.0-litre naturally aspirated threecylinder petrol unit, producing around 75bhp. Two turbocharged versions of the same motor will also be offered, with around 100bhp and 115bhp.

Further up, there will be a switch from the existing 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines to 1.5-litre motors. Expect the petrol to be offered in two states of tune – with around 140bhp and 160bhp – along with 90bhp, 110bhp and 130bhp diesels.

The new supermini is unlikely to get the next Golf’s rumoured mild hybrid powertrain, however, because the system requires a step up to more sophisticated 48-volt electrics that are still considered too expensive to fit on a small car.

Six-speed manual gearboxes should be standard across the range, although a fivespeed could be offered on eco-focused Bluemotion models to improve efficiency and cut CO2 emissions

Exclusive images show look of higher-tech, higher-quality supermini To be built on new MQB A0 platform to maximise space; due in 2017