Volkswagen Polo

One of the most popular and biggest selling superminis of the last few years, the Volkswagen Polo has never been better. The latest-generation Polo is smart-looking, practical and comfortable, and is available in eight trim levels, ranging from Match through to GTI+.

Exterior

The Volkswagen Polo is an attractive family car; certainly one that would grace any driveway. It features a five-door body too, which ensures that access is always simple, particularly for very young or elderly back-seat travellers. The vehicle is fitted with tinted glass, which prevents harsh sunlight from adversely affecting occupants. Moreover, all models are installed with range-adjustable headlights and LED daytime running lights as a minimum. The latter emit an eye-catching light signature that ensures the Polo is always easy for other road users to spot.

Interior

The driver will enjoy settling in behind the wheel of the Polo. For one thing, it’s easy to get comfortable, thanks to a height-adjustable position and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. All-round visibility is favourable too, with a good window-to-pillar ratio. The Polo’s cabin is more spacious than was available with previous generations. There’s lots of head and legroom in both compartments, making it particularly ideal for a family of five to ride comfortably. A number of useful cubby spaces feature throughout, including a compartment located underneath each front seat. A minimum-capacity 351-litre boot space is bigger than that found in the Ford Focus, for example.​

Performance

A 1.0-litre 80ps petrol engine is fitted as standard, managing up to 51.4mpg and CO2 emissions from 125g/km. The most fuel-efficient option is a 1.0-litre TSI edition, which returns as much as 54.3mpg, and produces emissions as low as 118g/km. The most potent Polo iteration is powered by a 2.0-litre 207ps TSI petrol engine (GTI and GTI+ trims), which delivers 0-62mph in roughly 6.5 seconds – and 41.5mpg (combined) and 155g/km of CO2.

Technology

An eight-inch touchscreen is included as standard, allowing intuitive operation of a number of in-car features, such as a six-speaker stereo, which includes DAB radio and a CD player. AUX, USB and SD ports feature too, providing plenty of plug and play options, while Bluetooth connectivity enables audio streaming and hands-free telephone communication. Higher specification models, meanwhile, are equipped with the innovative Digital Cockpit Pro system for a real contemporary experience.

Safety

A five-star Euro NCAP rating is an extremely reliable gauge of the Polo’s crash-test competency. The car features a wide range of driver aids, such as Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Hill-hold Assist and Automatic Post-collision Braking System. The latter, for instance, automatically applies the car’s brakes in order to reduce and even prevent the risk of vehicular impact. Passengers of all ages are further protected by the inclusion of numerous airbags, seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX child-seat fixtures and child-proof rear door locks.