Volkswagen Polo Review

Volkswagen Polo Review
4 min read

WHAT IS IT?
It's the third best-selling car of 2021 in the UK, second only to its big brother, the VW Golf, but well behind its great rival, the Ford Fiesta. Still, the chase continues, which is why Volkswagen has just unveiled a mid-life facelift with a new look, new trim levels and "big car" technology. Ooh, luxury.

But this car is also very important to the Volkswagen Group. First introduced in the UK in 1975 and now in its sixth generation, more than 18 million have been produced worldwide, while roughly one in six VWs sold in the UK in 2020 was a Polo. This car - the current iteration has been with us since 2017 - matters.

Volkswagen Polo Review

WHAT'S NEW?
Well, it looks a bit more Golf now, to be honest. There are new headlight strips, daytime running lights and LED headlights as standard, plus optionally available adaptive matrix technology. At the rear, the Polo lettering has been moved to the center, below the VW badge, and there are reshaped taillights.

Looks pretty smart, don't you think? The Polo is available in three trim levels and, like the Golf (and other VWs), follows a simple Y-shaped structure. To start with the Polo Life (which is expected to account for around 75% of Polo sales), with a starting price of €17,885, before moving on to the twin structure of the comfort-oriented Style and sporty R-Line specs, both starting at €20,785 OTR. The high-performance Polo GTi, meanwhile, will cost you from €26,430.

The climate controls are also completely separate, at the bottom of the dashboard. Hooray! But... whereas in the Life trim it consists of easy-to-use buttons and knobs, in the top two trims it's replaced by - you guessed it - a touchpad. It's unintuitive, frustrating to use and worse than the "lower" systems. This panel (with automatic air conditioning) is optionally available for Life buyers, but is best avoided. 

WHAT ABOUT THE POWERTRAIN?
Four engine and gearbox configurations are available, all of them 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engines, with outputs ranging from 79 hp to 108 hp. 

The nat-asp engine is only available in the base Life trim, combined with a five-speed manual gearbox. The mid-range engine is the 93 hp turbocharged TSI, mated to a five-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox, which we have previously tested. We were also very impressed: the car is quiet, refined and relaxed to drive, and it's as comfortable in town as it is on the highway, though not as engaging as its nemesis, the Ford Fiesta. Go to the driving tab for the details.

The car has a 108-hp TSI, available exclusively with a seven-speed DSG transmission. Apart from the GTi, it's the fastest Polo in the range, taking 10.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h, about five seconds faster than the nat-asp engine.

Volkswagen Polo Review

If you're looking for the best value for money, the 93 hp engine combined with the five-speed manual gearbox is the most frugal and environmentally friendly, with 54.3 mpg and 118 g/km CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the warranty is three years or 60,000 miles. Go to the purchase tab for more information. 

WHAT WAS THE VERDICT?
"A well-rounded little supermini that more than delivers against the competition."
The sixth-generation Polo is arguably the best in its history, with a recent mid-year facelift adding more style and substance. Well built, extremely comfortable and very practical, the Polo has a lot going for it, making it an attractive option for many, as evidenced by its current position among the year's best sellers.

While arguably not as much fun to drive as some of its rivals - namely the Fiesta - it offers a safe combination of pleasing performance and refinement on the road, with a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine that is up to most family needs. In short, it's a sensible choice that you probably won't regret.

Volkswagen Polo Review

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