The new-looking Volkswagen Polo has finally and it runs on a smaller 1.0L petrol engine that replaces the old 1.2L. Up one level, the Polo is equipped with a 1.4L instead of the usual 1.6L. On papers, this might look disappointing as a smaller engine capacity is a downgrade, not an upgrade.
Then again, the Polo shares a different story when being driven on the road. We tested the 1L 3-Cylinder FWD engine which generates 74bhp and 71ft-lbs of torque and were surprised by some of its offering.
No, the 14.3 seconds clocked when accelerating from 0-62mph is nothing worth to be excited about. It is actually with the Polo’s efficiency. The mini hatchback returns a staggering 58.9mpg, thus making it as one of the greenest vehicles in the world that don’t rely on a hybrid powertrain or diesel mills.
Aside from the new design language which makes the Polo looks like a hobbit-version of the Passat, the vehicle has a totally new and improved interior. There is now a larger gen-2 touchscreen that comes with MirrorLink which can be paired with an Android device. Also, we noticed some mechanical instruments that seem to be taken from the Golf.
Regardless, the Polo is a decent car for new license holder living in the city. There isn’t much that the vehicle can offer other than an unrivalled fuel economy.
