That styling

I really do value the opinion of each and every person that I speak to when I’m evaluating a car, so when I approached various people at shopping centres in my area and asked them their thoughts on the latest Polo’s styling, I was rather surprised with the results. Many people said that they weren’t happy with the overall look, and the few that did approve of it did say that it would probably need bigger wheels to look its best.

In my opinion, the sixth-generation Polo looks very much like a shrunken version of the now locally-defunct Golf SV, which for me isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There’s nothing offensive about the styling, in fact, the ‘ tornado line’  that separates the top and bottom half of the vehicle creates an impression of width while the larger headlamps and taillights which extend towards the rear quarter panel also create the impression that the Polo is a far bigger car than its predecessor.

Interior

The latest Polo is really a masterclass in terms of ergonomics, modern design and quality within this segment. The layout of the interior is more angular, more highly stylised and indeed, more youthful in its appearance.

The previous generation model was awash with dark plastics, but this latest variant looks brighter inside, with lighter grey surfaces while my tester was equipped with the Composition Colour infotainment system with Bluetooth/USB compatibility which is very well integrated into the dashboard.

The general fit and finish is class-leading with soft-touch materials in all the right places and a general impression that you’re driving around in a high-quality product. I also found the larger 350-litre boot and larger rear passenger quarters a big improvement versus the older car.

There’s also a notable improvement in the refinement and ride quality, thanks to the fact that the Polo rides on the MQB platform, which also underpins the likes of the Tiguan and Golf, meaning that the Polo rides like a premium product.

Powertrain

I’m certain that I didn’t have the best powertrain combination within the range, however, that doesn’t mean that it’s not impressive. All models are powered by a 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor which is available in two states of tune, either 70kW/175Nm or 85kW/200Nm. I had the former, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, while the higher output gets a six-speed manual and both are available with the seven-speed DSG gearbox as an option.

There’s a bit of turbo lag in the lower echelons of the rev-range, but once the little turbo has spooled, the Polo really goes about its business very nicely indeed. While the manual gearbox a sweet-shifting unit, the DSG is simply too good to ignore and would definitely be an option worth ticking for daily driving scenarios.

As for fuel consumption, the press unit registered a combined consumption figure of 7.1-litres/100km throughout its weeklong stay, which is quite far from the 4.5-litres/100km claim.

Verdict

The latest Volkswagen Polo has, in my opinion, reclaimed its place at the very top of this segment while raising the bar for vehicles in its class in terms of it and finish, ride quality and overall refinement. The fact that there are several semi-autonomous driving systems available as options within the Polo range also means that until the new Fiesta arrives, that the Polo is leading the pack by some margin in the technology department.

Price

Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI Comfortline manual R264 700