VW Polo 1.2 SE 5-door | Expert Road Test Review

“By making the new Polo resemble
the highly-praised new Golf at a
time when motorists are switching
to smaller cars in big numbers,
Volkswagen is set to make a ‘mint’
from its new ‘supermini’...”

THE GOLF IS AN EXCEPTIONAL MEDIUM-SIZED HATCHBACK. It drives fantastically well and it is a classy and desirable product. But it is expensive, so the new Polo — larger, better looking, with better performance and of better quality than its predecessor — is just right to capture 'down-sizers' and 'down-pricers' in the recession-hit new car market.

Five-door Polo models go on sale from 16 October with three-door versions following in December 2009. Five-door prices show a 2-3% increase over the outgoing Polo but this is due to the low value of the Pound against the Euro. Polo prices range from Ł10,035 to Ł14,910 and expect three-door versions to be around Ł600 less for like-for-like specification.

In a full year the Polo should attract 37,000 UK buyers, making it VW's second best selling range behind the Golf which accounts for 65,000 sales. But I can see some Golf owners wishing to save on money — but not on image — taking a serious look at the new Polo.

It looks very much like a Golf but the Polo is about nine inches shorter and four inches narrower. The Polo also has a good sized boot, with 280 litres of space with the rear row of seats in use and 952 litres with the rear seats folded. And there is more storage space under the strong load floor and — a welcome rarity these days — even room for a proper spare wheel.

There are four levels of trim and equipment: S, Moda (designed for the younger buyers with flashy wheels and dark glass but no AirCon), the best selling SE and the SEL which will appeal to, and attract, down-sizing buyers from much more expensive cars.

The current engine line-up has three petrol and two diesel Euro V units with more to come, including a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder TDI diesel BlueMotion model which will return 85mpg with a CO2 figure of just 87g/km.

However, for now we have 1.2-litre three-cylinder (59 and 69bhp), 1.4-litre, four-cylinder 84bhp petrol and 1.6-litre four-cylinder TDI 74 and 84bhp powerplants. A heftily-priced (at Ł1,200) DSG automatic seven-speed gearbox is available for the 1.4-litre petrol engine. All other models have five-speed manual transmissions. The most popular engine by far will be the 1.2-litre, with the range starter 59bhp unit accounting for most sales.

The single best selling model in the UK is expected to be the SE 1.2-litre 59bhp which carries a price of Ł11,385 and a road tax bill of Ł120 but with an insurance group rating of just 2E. A 1.4-litre SE Golf 5-door (nearest equivalent) will cost Ł16,520 with a Ł125 road tax bill and insurance rated as 7E. Easy to see why this more compact 'Golf' in the form of the new Polo makes a lot of financial and visual sense.

“The 1.2-litre 69bhp unit
seemed to me the best
option — it’s responsive,
lively and most drivers
should have no trouble
averaging 50+mpg...”

The two main competitors for the new Polo will be the Vauxhall Corsa — which the Polo beats hands-down for driving refinement, room and quality — and the market-leading new Fiesta which the Polo also beats, especially for rear seat space, the quality of the interior and the future residual values. However, the Fiesta outscores the Polo in the driving thrills departments as while the Polo is reassuringly safe and secure it's not that exciting to drive.

I sampled various engines from the new Polo range and the 1.2-litre 69bhp unit seemed to me the best option. The three-cylinder unit is responsive and lively, and the combined cycle 51.4mpg figure should be achievable by most drivers.

However, it is the 59bhp version of the same engine that will be the best selling model but this less powerful unit does need to be pushed just that bit harder to achieve the same performance. The 10bhp deficit becomes obvious on hills and the 0-62 acceleration figure of 16.1 seconds is a full two seconds slower than the 69bhp unit, and it shows. The fuel economy is claimed to be the same but on the road I suspect it will return less than the more powerful unit as it will need to be worked harder. Also, during acceleration, the 59bhp engine is also noisier.

As for the new Polo's roadholding, stability and handling; the ride is comfortable and the suspension compliant and it handles our poorly-maintained road surfaces well enough.

The interior is relatively roomy and the new model feels much more grown-up that previous versions. It is still a smallish car but has the 'feel' of a much bigger one and with the build quality and layout to match. The adjustment for the driver's seat and the steering column gives a first rate driving position and the rear seat leg and headroom is impressive — much better than that in the Fiesta. The boot is about average in size for its class but of a sensible box shape that makes it easy to load, and the split-folding rear seats provide very useable added space.

Safety equipment is high and VW have very sensibly given the new Polo ESP stability and traction control as standard. Anti-lock brakes are standard too, of course, as is a full range of airbags so the outcome is a five-star safety rating and very low insurance groups.

Volkswagen says the SE specification will be the most popular and I would agree with that because it includes active head restraints, central door locking, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, electrically-operated and heated door mirrors, a good sound system, plenty of storage space, split-folding rear seats, 15-inch alloy wheels. And with good quality, 'soft feel' interior trim the cabin is generally a nice place to be.

As far as the 1.2-litre engines are concerned, the 59bhp reviewed here sounds stressed when pushed so go for the much better 69bhp unit model at £11,995. On the plus side there's a lot to like including similar 'family' styling to the new Golf, slightly larger size and more interior space than previous Polo models, a comfortable ride and much improved equipment and quality. More good reasons to buy include the fact that it's frugal with fuel and insurance costs are low. — David Miles

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