Volkswagen has given the Polo a mid-level facelift and the new hatchback comes with plenty of improvements from its predecessors. For a facelift, we were surprised to learn that most of the changes are found inside the vehicle, not the outside.
The biggest change of them all is with the engines. The Polo is offered with two new motors and they are the 1L petrol and the 1.4L TDI. This is a direct replacement for the 1.2L and the 1.6L engine respectively.
Of course, we don’t actually recommend getting the petrol model. The performance is simply horrendous. With no turbochargers, the Polo only develops 71lb-fts of torque that is only capable of clocking 15.5 seconds in a 0-62mph sprint.
As such, it is best to pay £525 more for the 74bhp version. While 14.3 seconds for a 0-62mph sprint might not be a big improvement, the second level Polo feels more fluid and decent. The new Polo is simply built for reliability and fuel economy. To make up for the lack of power, the Polo returns 58.9mpg, thus making it a favourite car for city dwellers.
Unlike the Honda Jazz, the VW Polo does offer some thrill with its performance since it is offered with a traditional 5-speed manual transmission. However, Volkswagen failed to address an issue where there is no room to rest the left foot beside the clutch pedal when on cruising mode. Something this basic has been overlooked by the German carmaker for countless times now.
Nevertheless, the VW Polo is a decent car to own. It is not the best but the fact that it cost only £13,590 makes it a cheap escape for a great drive.
