Volkswagen POLO (2001 - TO DATE)
MODELS COVERED: (3/5dr hatchback, 1.2 55bhp, 1.2 65bhp, 1.4 16v 75bhp, 1.
4FSi 85bhp, 1.4 16v 100bhp petrol, 1.9 SDi 64bhp,1.4 TDI 75bhp, 1.
9TDi 100bhp diesel [E, S, SE, Sport, GT, DUNE])
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
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For years the Polo represented the first stepping stone into
Volkswagen ownership, like a Golf only less so. That was until the baby Lupo arrived and suddenly the Polos remit was a little more clearly defined. In 2001 the Polo adopted an all-new chassis, a completely different look and a bigger, tougher body shell sending the Polo resolutely upmarket. Now occupying a slot once held by the Golf, the Polo soon became a hit with UK buyers and a number of good quality used examples are now doing te rounds.
Dont expect them to be cheap though. Quality costs.
As evidence that the platform-sharing antics of the Volkswagen Group have truly turned the way we look at motoring on its head, take the latest Volkswagen Polo. You know its going to be good because it shares the same underpinnings as a
Skoda Fabia. You know its going to be spacious as the spec sheets show its bigger than a Mk1 Golf. Is it still a Supermini? You be the judge.
After all, a Supermini is all about nippiness in the city traffic, a certain cheeky appeal, cramped rear seats and a marked reluctance to tackle any journey longer than an hour or so. This was a list of criteria Volkswagen obviously junked quite early in the Polo design process. Yes, you do get the cutesy Lupo-style face, but the rest of the car is extremely functional. The tail lights are punctuated by round lenses, but aside from that its very Germanic.
The three-door models waistline arcs upwards slightly more aggressively than the five-door version, which also features a third side window. From the rear, many will miss the fact that this is an all-new car, whilst from the front, the Polo best resembles a Lupo thats been given a few gallons of growth hormone rather than regular unleaded. Whereas once a Polo was the stripped-out, somewhat bouncy and decidedly compact social passport for thousands of middle class student girls the length and breadth of the country, it has evolved in to something quite different. The students decamped to the
Peugeot 306 as the Polo got plusher and more refined, each successive generation adding a few pounds, both fiscal and physical.
The latest car accelerates that trend, being a full six inches longer than its predecessor, with a far more spacious interior and a boot that can take much more than a couple of bottles of cheap plonk and a road cone. An integral aspect of the Polos appeal is the drive to downsize. That may sound odd given that the cars girth has noticeably swelled, but it now caters very well to drivers no longer interested in running something Mondeo-sized without making them feel as if theyve suddenly become a member of the underclass. Swap from a Passat to a Polo and you certainly wont feel as if your station in life has taken a dive; youll just feel as though youve taken an informed decision to drive a smaller car, no more, no less.
The finish is certainly as slick as anything in the £20,000 bracket. Invisible laser welding makes the roof, rear wing and sills look all of a piece and also contributes to Volkswagens claim that the Polo has better structural rigidity than any car in its class, although as a rather outsized Supermini, one hesitates to identify exactly which class that is. The key themes behind the Polo are the worthy (but slightly dull) avenues of safety and environmental friendliness. Both have been ratcheted up a notch or two, all Polos now being fitted with anti lock brakes with electronic braking assistance, twin front and side airbags, ISOFIX child
seat mountings and a passenger airbag that can be deactivated when a child seat is fitted.
The interior is probably more impressive than the low-key changes to the exterior. With 270 litres of boot space, the Polo, especially in five-door form, can now realistically function as family transport, with rear legroom particularly generous. Park yourself behind the steering wheel and youll witness a level of fit and finish unseen on Supermini class cars. The steering wheel design is slightly unusual, resembling an early
Porsche 911 design, but the rest of the cabin has that elegant, understated simplicity of all Volkswagen Group products.
It takes enormous corporate confidence to build something this tasteful and without resort to gimmickry to pull the punters in, but Volkswagen have pulled it off with aplomb. All models get power steering, an adjustable height drivers seat plus a tiltable and telescopic steering column, pretty much guaranteeing comfort behind the wheel.
The Polo has long been one of the priciest superminis around and the latest model, coupled with strong customer demand for decent used examples means that prices are top of the shop and the cars rarely hang about in dealers. One contributory factor for a low turnover of stock is the fact that many customers regard Polo ownership as a long-term proposition. Indeed, the best chances of getting hold of a car may well be through the ex-demo route. Prices start at £4,900 for a 51-plated 55bhp 1.
2-litre E three-door with five-door versions adding £300 to that price. Spend from £5,300 and youll land a similar vintage 65bhp three-door E-spec car. £5,400 is the entry level for the air-conditioned S trim but many will be tempted to stretch to the 75bhp 1.4-litre S that starts at £5,700.
The 64bhp SDi model represents the most affordable way to go the diesel route and prices start at £5,500 for an E-spec 51-plated five-door car. Far more satisfying is the 75bhp TDI that starts at £6,200. Insurance for the Polo is very affordable, given its decent safety and security rating and the lack of a fire breathing performance model. In fact, the range tops out at a modest Group 7 for the 100bhp 1.
4-litre 16v Sport.
A nearly new Volkswagen is not a good place to start if youre interesting in hearing what went wrong stories. The Polo is no exception, with no major faults having been reported. The new engines appear to be trouble free, and the older power units have a good pedigree. As with any car that sees its fair share of city driving, check for parking bumps and scrapes Otherwise its hard to find fault with the Polo.
Look for a main-dealer serviced car and you really cant go far wrong.
(approx based on a 1.4 TDi PD) Volkswagen spares have developed a reputation for costliness but you might be surprised at how reasonably priced they now are. A new alternator will set you back almost £245, while an ECU engine management unit is around £550. Other parts are far more reasonable still.
An exhaust system is around ££95, rising to £500 if you need a catalytic converter as well. Front brake pads are just over £40 a pair, while a clutch is a little over £150. A new radiator will be around £90 and a new fuel pump is approximately £100.
Polo customers get a 75bhp 1.4-litre 16v engine carried over from the old range and a 100bhp version of this unit. The 1.2-litre engines are well worth a look, but the 1.
4-litre FSI engine is the pick of the petrol bunch. Diesel buyers can choose between a non-turbo 1.9-litre and two TDI engines, the 1.4-litre 75bhp three-cylinder unit most will be familiar with and a punchy 100bhp 1.
9-litre four, which is probably the best choice for long range work. The SDI engine should be given a wide berth, such is the obvious superiority of the three-cylinder 1.4 TDI and the four-cylinder 1.9TDI units.
With far more midrange power to call upon, they are part of the current breed of diesel superminis that youd drive just for the fun of it rather than as a necessity. The 1.4-litre car can make 60mph in 13.6 seconds on the way to 106mph, whilst the 1.
9-litre TDI only available in Sport trim - zips through the increment in a mere 10.7 seconds and doesnt run out of will until 117mph. The 130bhp GT has a 128mph top speed and should reach 60mph in 9.2s.
At least the SDI models terminal velocity of 99mph could be viewed as a potential licence saver. The Polos handling is a revelation with far crisper turn-in and improved road holding and the electro-hydraulic power steering is a generation on from its predecessors somewhat baggy helm.
If you track down a well-looked after Polo, you wont be sorry about making a reasonable investment. With the sole exception of the slightly lacklustre SDi diesel car every model in the range certainly has something to be said for it. Watch out for cars owned by novice drivers or those rare cars purchased as company hacks but otherwise buy with confidence.
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