“Volkswagen’s Polo
  provides the best
  of both worlds and
  60mpg economy all
  in one smart package”

WHOEVER COINED the phrase 'small is beautiful' really did know what they were talking about. Volkswagen's Polo is small, beautiful, and comes with a variety of powerplants that range from 3-cylinder units of 1.2 and 1.4-litres to 4-cylinder 1.9 turbodiesels. True to our 'small is beautiful' theme, we tested the surprisingly lively 3-cylinder 1.4 TDI 3-door Polo in Sport trim, which kicks out a healthy 75bhp and 144lb ft of torque at 2,200rpm.

At a time when every other car seems to be sprouting a V8, V10 or V12, the idea of a mere three cylinders displacing just 1,422 cubic centimetres appears, at first glance, somewhat imprudent. Not so.
Far from worrying about not going fast enough, you need to worry about going too fast because this little lady will zip along at 90mph
at every opportunity!

The Polo has long been regarded as the classy choice when it comes to buying a supermini. Approach a Polo and you will be pleasantly surprised. For a start, if you were under the misapprehension that the 'mini' in supermini was nothing more than sales-speak for 'tight fit',
then you are wrong.

There's definite 'presence' from the four-headlamp 'face', while from behind the steeply-raked rear end is also distinctive. Colour-coded bumpers and door mirrors, along with white side repeaters and clear lamp lenses heighten the air of quality at the front, as do smart tail lamp units and a high-level third brake light neatly-integrated into
a very subtle roof spoiler. And optional 16-inch 'Barcelona' alloy wheels in a striking double-spoke design and wearing meaty 205/45 Bridgestone tyres complete the look.

Swing open a door and climb inside and what is immediately noticeable is how substantial it all feels for a car that has always been thought
of as VW's 'baby'. Definitely more small family car than supermini, the Polo is easily capable of accommodating four adults. In comfort.

It rides well on just about all surfaces, flattening out bumps and humps with ease and can be flung around far more than its no-nonsense chassis and light speed sensitive electro-hydraulic power-steering would lead you to believe.

Thank Heavens not every manufacturer thinks that inside every one
of their customers is a Gumball rally racer trying to claw his — or her — way out. Most of us just want a car that we can get in and drive safely, whenever and wherever we please without any unpleasant surprises. The Polo, I'm pleased to report, has that capability.

Don't get me wrong. We're not talking anodyne, here. Just safe and predictable handling. If you want to play then the Polo Sport, with its uprated suspension, is more than willing. The stubby gearlever is precise, with fairly short throws through the gate, while the 1.4-litre lump is unexpectedly zippy if worked a little, and will whisk you to 62mph in 13.6 seconds. Top speed — where the law permits! — is 106mph. The Polo's brakes work well, pulling you up smartly.

But where it all comes together is in the amazingly good fuel consumption. Overall we saw 57mpg, just a little shy of the official combined figure of 61.4mpg, but then we were driving harder than the average bear. On motorways this rose to 64mpg, but again we were 'keeping up with traffic' and can see no reason why lighter-footed drivers shouldn't match Volkswagen's 68.9mpg on extra-urban runs. You don't need a calculator to work out that combined with the Polo's 10-gallon capacity fuel tank you aren't exactly going to be spending much time on garage forecourts.

Riding around in a range-topping Sport trim Polo is enjoyable, thanks to its refinement and — despite its size — the three cylinder turbodiesel
is surprisingly smooth and quiet with good mid-range flexibility: a benefit of Volkswagen's Pumpe Düse system which operates at higher pressures than other passenger car diesel units. PD provides exceptional power and refinement with class-leading fuel efficiency
and very low emissions.

The dash is logically arranged with cowled instruments that are easy- to read and benefit from blue night-time illumination. Fixtures and fittings are all of good quality with soft-touch surfaces and there are nicely damped switches and controls — all typical VW trademarks. We've said it before and we make no excuses for repeating ourselves: Because it's a Volkswagen.

There are handy rubber-lined draws under both front seats plus another 14 cubby holes of various shapes and sizes to provide a home for all your oddments. The driver gets a four-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel with two-way steering adjustment, light pedals with a comfortable left-foot rest. Both front occupants enjoy plenty of room and height adjustable contoured sport seats upholstered in lively 'Scala' cloth. On our test car the anthracite and blue seats blended perfectly with the pearl effect Jazz Blue paintwork. Visibility out through the standard tinted glass is good wherever you sit.

'Climatic' semi-automatic air-conditioning, electric windows, remote central locking and electric heated door mirrors are all standard kit, as is a split/folding rear seat with a deep centre armrest with built-in cubby. A dash-mounted 6-CD autochanger to supplement the decent 8-speaker radio/cassette unit is standard, too. The multifunction computer provides the expected information — distance travelled, driving time, range, average speed, average fuel consumption (this one's a pleasure to read!), time and outside temperature.

Our test car was fitted with the optional Winter pack which provides powerful headlight washers, heated windscreen washer jets and five-stage heated front seats. This winter extra is essential for snug winter driving as if your body is warm, your reaction times are significantly better and you won't need so much heat in the cabin, which can make you sleepy. Maggie finds them particularly beneficial as she has a bad back — the warmth definitely eases it by helping the circulation. The glass sunroof was a pleasure to use, proving to be free from buffeting and having a 'dial-a-position' switch that made it safe to use on the move.

Rear passengers aren't hard done by either, with good foot and leg-room and 'easy entry' sliding front seats making exit and entry hassle-free. They also return to their original position afterwards. Adding to their sense of comfort is the large gap between their headrests and the rear screen.

No matter how tough something really is, there is a tendency to believe that big is always stronger than small. As the NCAP crash testing has proved, that's not necessarily the case. So it's reassuring that the Polo comes with two front airbags and two within the side
of the front seats as well as ABS with Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution. £405 extra buys you more peace of mind in the form of VW's Electronic Stabilisation Programme incorporating brake assist to provide additional hydraulic 'muscle' during emergency braking.

It's equally comforting to know that there's an inner safety cell, and that in the event of a serious impact the engine and gears are decoupled from the bodywork to avoid major penetration of the interior. Furthermore, to protect the driver's feet and legs the pedals are designed to fold forward in the event of a frontal impact.

Younger passengers will benefit from the pre-installed Isofix system (for 2 rear child seats) with fixing points direct to the chassis — when you add an Isofix seat it clicks into place in seconds without the need to thread any seat belts (apparently, 75 per cent of parents have trouble correctly threading a seat belt through a child car seat).

If you are planning to be carrying small children there are two worth-while extras you should know about: an integrated child seat (for 3-6 year-olds) in the rear bench and the ability to quickly deactivate the front passenger airbag using the ignition key when fitting a rear facing child seat. Luggage capacity with the rear seat upright is reasonable, at 270 litres. With the back seat folded this leaps to 1030 litres.

If you're looking for the best of both worlds then the 1.4 TDI Sport is the model for you, providing 'big car' quality, comfort and equipment with small car manoeuvrability, practicality and average fuel economy of more than 61mpg all wrapped up in a smart-looking package.

In fact, the 1.4 TDI PD is one of the best all-round choices in the Polo range. And if you feel a spot of indulgence coming on, there's always the options list which includes everything from leather upholstery, rain sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror to cruise control, satellite navigation and an electric glass sunroof. All things considered, you might say, a Polo with a 'whole'.

Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI PD Sport 3-dr | £11,682 Maximum speed: 106mph | 0-62mph: 13.6 seconds Overall test MPG: 57mpg | Power: 75bhp | Torque: 144lb ft Visit Volkswagen's website