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The Polo is just what you expect from Volkswagen: uncontroversial styling, pleasant enough to drive and great build quality. While other superminis are strutting around with their ‘look at me’ styling, the VW has remained calm, conservative and simple. But it’s quite possibly my most tragic experience in a car to date; let me explain why.
On the outside the Polo resembles its older sibling, the outgoing Golf; most noticeably in the headlights, side profile and the front grill. In general, VW styling has always succeeded without the need for outlandish styling to attract admirers, the Polo being no exception.
Whereas this formula works for the rest of the VW range, the same can’t be said for the Polo, because who wants a conservatively styled supermini? Small cars are all about cheeky individualistic styling and cute characteristics - just look at the highly popular Mini, Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta. The Polo on the other hand is no eye scorcher and is really starting to look behind the times.
Unfortunately, the same applies to the inside. It’s an incredibly boring place to spend time in and shows little imagination. It’s dark, drab and easily forgettable, and too many cheap plastics appear in the interior; something unusual for VW. Even so, the build quality is typical VW which feels solid and well put together.
The Polo soon picks itself up after a good beating when we hit the road. As a driving experience it’s not half bad. The driving position is especially good as it’s both comfortable and gives great visibility. The ride should also be commended as it’s both supple enough for comfort but not too soft that it suffers in the corners. Even so, the steering is numb and doesn’t give much confidence when on twisty B-roads.
The Polo comes in a variety of diesel and petrol engines, from the base 1.2 litre to the range topping 1.8 turbo used for the GTI edition. The test model featured the 1.2 litre petrol variant which doesn’t like to be revved and struggles when pushed anywhere above 3,000rpm. Economy is decent though, boasting an average of 48mpg, though this severely cripples the 0-60 dash which is a very long and frustrating 15 seconds.
The current Polo is really starting to show its age, especially with rivals such as the Fiesta and Alfa Mito. Even with an average driving experience, the interior’s quality of materials and exterior styling severely cripples the attractiveness of the car.
All is not lost though for the Polo. This week I’ve been at the Geneva Motor Show which VW used to unveil the new Polo. It looks and feels a far more capable supermini than the current Polo and could even be a real contender as a premium small car.
I’ll be driving the new Polo when it arrives in the UK so watch this space if you are interested.
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