Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Volkswagen Polo Style 1.0 TSI 95
Pricing: Polo from £19,505, Style 1.0 TSI 95 from £22,580
Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door, five-seat hatchback
CO2 emissions: 119g/km
Combined economy: 54.3mpg
Top speed: 116mph
0-62mph: 10.8 seconds
Power: 95hp
Torque: 175Nm
Boot space: 351 litres
Styling
Most of the changes to the new Polo can be found outside, where VW has fitted new bumpers at the front and rear, as well as new LED headlights, new tail lights and new Polo lettering. For the first time ever on the Polo, VW is also offering a light strip that stretches across the front grille. Those full-width LEDs are a bit chintzy, but otherwise we think it looks great. It has the class that Polo customers expect without looking old-fashioned or overly fussy.
Interior
As with the Polo’s exterior, the interior is merely a modified version of the old car’s cabin. And the changes aren’t all positive. While the inclusion of a digital instrument cluster across the range is welcome, and the new steering wheel and gear lever are fine, the new heating and ventilation controls are a mess. Instead of sticking with knobs and buttons as you’d expect, there are now some glossy touch-sensitive panels, which are far less intuitive to use. It might look good from a distance, but the new panel is definitely a backward step.
As is the quality on board. Although the whole cabin has been built very well, the plastics are quite cheap in places. It’s a sign of the tight profit margins for cars such as this – margins that have already sealed the Fiesta’s fate – but that’s no excuse in a car that’s billed as more premium than many of its rivals.
Practicality
Under the skin, the Polo shares much with the Seat Ibiza, including a 351-litre boot that's more than spacious enough for most people's needs. In fact, it's almost as big as the boot in the much larger Golf hatchback, leaving little to choose between the two cars. But the Golf has more space in the back, making it slightly more practical for families, even though the Polo isn't too cramped itself. You can happily put four adults in there on a short- to medium-length journey.
Performance
These days, the Polo is offered solely with a choice of 1.0-litre petrol engines. The cheapest option is the 80hp version, but the most appealing is the 95hp engine tested here. While it may not be especially powerful, it has enough poke to be getting on with, and the 10.8-second 0-62mph time means it can at least keep up with traffic, even if it isn't exactly fast. Of course, you can have a more potent GTI model if you so wish, but that won't be as efficient as this 1.0-litre option, which returns more than 50mpg without too much effort. It's smooth, too, and the three-cylinder motor makes quite a pleasant thrum when you ask it to gird its loins. It's even paired with a light five-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Ride & Handling
The 1.0-litre engine might not be especially inspiring, but it is competent. And the Polo drives in much the same way. Light steering makes it easy enough to drive around town, as does the solid visibility, but the VW performs on the motorway, too. Once it’s up to speed, it impersonates the larger Golf pretty well, feeling stable and secure underneath you. The ride isn’t perfect – it seldom is in cars this size – but it’s supple enough and it’s pretty refined, too. The catch is a slight lack of engagement on country roads, where numb controls and less agility than the Ibiza leave it feeling a little sluggish alongside the Seat and the Fiesta, but then it’s supposed to feel more grown-up and sensible. And it achieves that brilliantly.
Value
Polo prices start at just over £19,500, which makes the little VW about £1,500 more expensive than the Skoda Fabia and around £200 more expensive than its biggest rival, the Ford Fiesta. But at least the Polo provides decent value, with plenty of kit as standard. Even basic Life models get alloy wheels, an eight-inch touchscreen and the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity tech. Manual air conditioning is standard, too, along with automatic windscreen wipers. This Style version, meanwhile, ups the ante with larger alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, and two-zone climate control.
Verdict
The Polo's updates may be minor, but it's still worthy of its place among the best in this competitive class. In terms of value, rivals such as the Seat Ibiza and Ford Fiesta may pip the Polo at the post, but there's no denying the VW's appealing combination of style, solidity and space. Perhaps it isn't the most exciting car in its class, but it's certainly among the most mature and most sensible.
