Volkswagen Polo - evolution in the right direction

Volkswagen Polo has grown. It is bigger, more comfortable and technically more perfect. It may also have C-segment equipment. Will it take its customers? We check in the test.

Volkswagen Polo has been on the market since 1975. Idea Volkswagen it was simple - to create the largest and lightest car possible. The norms assumed about 3,5 m in length and no more than 700 kg of its own weight. Although the idea was long abandoned, the Golf's younger brother continues to enjoy great popularity.

A city car is associated with a small car - designed primarily for short distances, in crowded cities, where a nimble "baby" can easily park. That was the case with the previous Polo, but now things are starting to change.

By today's standards, and with the ever-increasing dimensions of cars, the Polo is still a city car. But does its fate remain typically "urban"? Not necessary.

Let's put it to the test with a Polo with a 115 hp petrol engine.

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appearance new generation Volkswagen Polo this is not shocking, although the car definitely turned out to be a lot of trouble. This is also because he used to have a rather short mask, it was narrow and rather high. The proportions of the new generation are closer to compacts.

This is also reflected in the dimensions. The polo has grown by almost 7 cm in width. It has also become 8 cm longer, and the wheelbase is again 9 cm longer.

Comparison of the Polo VI generation with the older brother Golf IV allows us to draw some pretty interesting conclusions. While the new Polo is 10 cm shorter than the Golf, the 2560 mm wheelbase is already 5 cm longer. The car is also 1,5cm wider, so the front track is 3cm wider. Plus or minus height is the same. So the new Polo 12 years ago would have been considered a compact car - after all, the dimensions are very similar.

The Polo looks very modern too - it has LED headlights, a variety of paints to choose from, an R-line package, a panoramic glass roof and everything else that makes this car exactly what it is.

… And more convenient

The large dimensions of this model have increased the comfort of travelers. Comparing it to the fourth generation Golf, you might think that this is actually a compact. Front seat passengers have 4 cm more headroom and rear seat passengers have 1 cm more. The wider body and longer wheelbase provide a more comfortable and spacious interior.

Even the trunk is larger than the fourth Golf. The Golf had a capacity of 330 liters, while the new Polo will take 21 liters more on board - the boot volume is 351 liters. It's not as small a car as it might seem.

However, what draws attention to the new Polo is the lavishly equipped interior. The biggest change is the introduction of an active information display, which we can buy for PLN 1600. In the center of the console we see the screen of the Discover Media system - in the case of the Highline version, we will buy it for PLN 2600. This is the latest generation that supports smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Car-Net services. At the bottom of the console there can also be a shelf for wireless phone charging - for an additional fee of PLN 480.

The security systems, largely in line with today's small cars, are also well developed. As standard we have Hill Start Assist, Driver Fatigue Monitor (starting with Comfortline) and Front Assist with Pedestrian Detection and Autonomous Braking. In addition, we can buy active cruise control, operating up to 210 km / h, a blind spot system and a suspension with variable characteristics. However, I did not find a single lane monitor in the list of options - neither passive nor active. However, there should be differences.

Note, however, that although the Polo and T-Roc are theoretically brothers, in the Polo we cannot choose as many colors of the plastic trim panel - they vary slightly depending on the equipment version. By default, these are grayscale, but in the GTI we can already choose red, thereby enlivening the interior.

City or route?

Volkswagen Polo offers five petrol engines and two diesels. The 1.6 TDI diesel engine is available with 80 or 95 hp. The price list opens with a naturally aspirated 1.0 petrol with 65 hp. We can also get the same engine in a 75hp version, but 1.0 or 95hp 115 TSI engines are likely to be more interesting. There is, of course, a GTI with a 2-liter TSI with 200 hp.

We tested the 1.0 TSI in the 115 PS version. Maximum torque 200 Nm at 2000-3500 rpm. allows you to accelerate to 100 km / h in 9,3 seconds, with a maximum speed of 196 km / h.

Thanks to the use of a turbocharger, we do not feel that the engine is small. There is also no shortage of power. The Polo can move very nimbly, especially at city speeds. At highway speeds, it's no worse, but the engine must already be running at high revs to effectively accelerate above 100 km/h.

As usual, the DSG gearbox is very fast, except for engaging the drive when we want to move. It also likes to select higher gears too quickly, so we end up in a range where the turbo isn't working yet, and so acceleration is a bit delayed. But in S mode, it works flawlessly - and does not pull every gear change. A moment is enough to understand that although we are driving in sport mode, we are driving calmly.

The suspension is capable of transmitting more cornering speed, and yet the Polo is always neutral and confident. Even at higher speeds, an urban VW is prone to crosswinds.

DSG combined with the tested engine delivers low fuel consumption of 5,3 l/100 km in the city, 3,9 l/100 km outside and 4,4 l/100 km on average.

lunch?

The equipment is divided into four levels − Start, Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. There is also a special edition Bits and GTIs.

Start, as in the case of city cars, completely basic version with the lowest possible standard, but also with the lowest price - PLN 44. Such a car could work in a rental company or as a "workhorse", but for a private customer this is a rather average idea.

Thus, the basic version of Trendline with a 1.0 engine with 65 hp. costs PLN 49. Prices for the Comfortline version start at PLN 790 and for the Highline version from PLN 54, but here we are dealing with a 490 hp 60 TSI engine. Polo Beats, which are largely based on the Comfortline standard, cost a minimum of PLN 190. We will have to spend at least PLN 1.0 on the GTI.

We are testing the Highline version, in addition to demo equipment, so the base price is PLN 70, but this example can cost up to PLN 290. zloty

Better and more

The new Volkswagen Polo is not only a car for the city - although it feels good here too - but also a family car that is not afraid of longer routes. A number of security systems and multimedia take care of us and our well-being while driving, and psychological comfort also reduces fatigue, and we leave the car rested.

So when buying a new subcompact now it is worth considering whether it is better to choose a smaller car and better equip it. After all, most of the time we drive around the city. By the way, we get an interior that surpasses the Golf three generations ago - and yet, when we rode these Golfs, we lacked nothing.

Since then, cars have simply grown so much that a city car does not have to be cramped - and the Polo shows this perfectly.