Volkswagen Polo
Debut: 2009 |
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Since 1975, Volkswagen has sold 10.6 million copies of Polo in 4 generations. Traditionally this is Wolfsburg’s smallest car, sitting under Golf and targeting at singles or young couples who are buying their first cars. The 5th generation Polo launched this March takes more or less the same role. It competes with Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 207, Renault Clio, Opel Corsa and FIAT Grande Punto etc. in the crowded European supermini segment. How can it distinguish itself from others? The answer is by means of “Golfness”. The new Polo looks really like a baby Golf, thanks to a familiar boxy shape and a nose resembling its bigger brother. Volkswagen deliberately shaped it like Golf in order to be benefited from the latter's strong image. In particular, it wants people to see Polo as a classless, high-quality vehicle like its brother. It may be a conservative design, but it has a lot of subtle details to appreciate and high-quality fit and finish to match, so it is a sharp contrast to the expressive designs of its competitors. Like Golf VI as well, the cabin of Polo is not very interesting to look at, but its build quality is doubtless. The dashboard (except on the entry-level model) is made of soft-touch plastics and solidly screwed in place. Switch gears have the tactility and robustness you would expect in a Volkswagen product. The only implication of its cost savings are the hard door panels, yet that is understandable for its price. Also in Volkswagen’s fashion, the controls are ergonomically sited and intuitive to use, the driving position is easily adjustable and the seats are supportive. What it lost in style is fully compensated in function.
However, the cabin is not apparently larger than before – Volkswagen said rear passengers get only 8 mm extra knee room, while front passengers get 22 mm more shoulder room. That said, it is still capable of packing four six-footers for city trips. Outside, the new Polo is not much bigger than the old car – just 54 mm longer, 32 mm wider and 13 mm lower. Volkswagen carefully controlled its size and weight. By using more high-strength steel, improving the structural design of chassis members and using additional welding and gluing, it managed to reduce body weight by 7.5 percent. Even equipped with standard ESP and 6 air bags as part of the effort to achieve 5-star Euro NCAP rating, the whole car still managed to be lighter than the last generation. For instance, the 5-door Polo with 1.2-liter 12V engine has its kerb weight reduced from 1055 to 992 kg. This mean it can adopt smaller and more fuel efficient engines. At launch, the Polo offers 4 petrol and 3 diesel engines. The first 3 petrol engines are carried over from the last generation - 1.2-liter 3-cylinder 6-valve (60hp) and 12-valve (70hp) and 1.4-liter 4-cylinder 16V (85hp). We used to recommend the high power version of the 3-pot engine as it was reasonably smooth and free-revving - its first order vibration is fully canceled by a balancer shaft. Now with less weight to haul it continues to get our recommendation. However, the star of the range should be the new 1.2 TSI, powered by an advanced 4-cylinder engine with direct injection and a small turbocharger. Volkswagen said it is to replace conventional 1.6-liter engine, which sounds reasonable for its 105hp output, but its peak torque of 129 lb-ft, available from 1500-3500 rpm, is easily a match with a 1.8-liter. This mean it rarely needs to rev beyond mid-range. You get superb refinement and 51 mpg fuel economy from it.
The 3 diesel engines are all 1.6-liter with common-rail injection (goodbye to Pump injection), just in different states of tune - 75hp, 90hp or 105hp. All return 72 mpg and 102 g/km of CO2 emission. Next year will arrive a super frugal BlueMotion with 1.2 TDI three-pot diesel turbo engine, automatic start-stop, low drag treatment, low rolling resistance tire and regenerative braking to achieve 85 mpg and only 87 g/km. We'll look at that then. Apart from good engines, the new Polo has good transmissions too. Standard to the 1.2TSI is a slick-shifting 6-speed manual. Optional is a 7-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox. The only area it fails to match some rivals is handling. The new Polo might be benefited by 30mm wider tracks, revised front suspensions geometry and a stiffer chassis, but its driving characteristic is still biased towards high-speed stability than cornering agility. Its turn-in is not as sharp as the best of the class, in particular Ford Fiesta. It has more safe understeer built into the chassis. In typical Volkswagen way, it offers plenty of grip and tight body control, a slightly firm yet supple ride unless on optional 17-inch wheels. It is a competent car by any objective measurements, just not very entertaining to drive. Keen drivers could be better served in Fiesta, Mazda 2 or 207. However, if you do a lot of motorway job everyday, the Polo may satisfy you with its superior stability and superb high-speed refinement. After all, this is a German car. |
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| The above report was last updated on 2 Jul 2009. All Rights Reserved. |
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 Polo |
 Polo GTI |
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