Volkswagen Polo Review

Pros:

Cons:

By Alborz Fallah | May 07th, 2010

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Price: $14,760 to $24,840

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	4.5
Comfort and Interior	4
Quality & Design	5
Value & Features	4
Safety	5
Green	4

2010 Volkswagen Polo Review

With industry leading performance, practicality, fuel economy and standard safety features, the all-new 2010 Volkswagen Polo is by far the best European light-car on the market.

It was 1975 when Volkswagen introduced the original Polo which only came to Australia in 1996. 11 million buyers have taken a Polo home worldwide with more than 18,000 Australians among them.

Thirty five years on and the fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo is now on sale in Australia and what a beauty it really is. Starting from just $16,690 for the 1.4-litre petrol manual, the new Polo is slowly but surely closing the gap between itself and the Volkswagen Golf. Not so much in terms of size but more so in terms of safety, technology and equipement level.

To celebrate the local launch of the 2010 Volkswagen Polo, the German company brought a group of journalists to Brisbane to experience the model which was recently awarded the 2010 World Car of the Year award.

The most obvious change to the new Polo is the exterior as it no longer looks like a ‘girly’ car. It shares a rather similar design to the Golf and Scirocco and presents a far cleaner front end with Volkswagen calling the front design the “eagle-look”. With a series of lines running through the bonnet and side profile, the new Polo gains a far more muscular stance (although it’s in no way aggressively styled, just sporty).

As for the rear, it’s a very clean look (arguably bland compared to the front) presenting a gorgeous L-shaped light design that is sure to stand out at night.

Before the sporty and range-topping GTI arrives towards the end of this year, the new Polo is currently available in two separate equipement grades: the entry level Polo Trendline and the more equipped Polo Comfortline. The Trendline models come from Spain while the Comfortline grades are sourced from a Volkswagen factory in South Africa.

From the outside they are easily distinguishable by the number of doors with all Trendline variants available with only 3 doors whilst Comfortlines are 5 doors only. Additionally Comfortline variants gain a chrome grille, 15-inch alloy wheels and dual headlights over the Trendline.

Sit inside the new Polo and you’ll quickly realise that instant resemblance to the rest of the Volkswagen lineup, a fact that Volkswagen is proud of. For Volkswagen’s cheapest car (and it’s third best selling model in Australia), any interior resemblance to the Golf and Passat is a very good thing.

There is a certain ambience to the Polo’s cabin which is simply not there with Japanese or Korean cars of the same size (and relatively similar price). Be it the lack of hard plastics, the excellent finish to the centre console and stereo surrounds or the comfortable seats, sporty three-spoke steering wheel, white instrument backlighting or even the practicality of the car’s storage areas (including a book and sunglasses holder inside the glove box). Whatever it is, it feels much more classy inside than its closest European competition (Ford Fiesta) or Japanese rivals (Mazda2, Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris).

So now we have a European badged light car that looks elegant and classy both inside and out. Surely there is a catch? Perhaps its underpowered? Nope. Perhaps it’s badly equipped? Nope. Perhaps it’s not safe? Nope. Perhaps its low price is a disguise for all the options you’ll need to tick? Surprisingly no, even the base model Polo Trendline 3 Door 5 speed manual is relatively well equipped given it starts for under $17k.

The first Polo tested today was powered by the new 1.2-litre TSI engine with 77kW and 175Nm of torque. If you’re thinking that sounds relatively lackluster on paper, you’ll be amazed by how fast it actually feels, especially when combined with the optional 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG). 0-100km/h is 9.7 seconds for both manual and DSG (although for most people, the DSG will be quicker).

It’s mostly due to the way in which the Polo delivers its power that it feels deceptively quick. With a very smooth and linear power and torque delivery throughout the rev range there is more than enough grunt for a quick overtake and no need to flatten the throttle to get up hills, even with numerous adults onboard.

Swapping to a base model 1.4-litre petrol powered Polo with 14-inch steel wheels was a good way to test out the chasis. Surely if it can ride well on such tiny wheels it goes to show the car’s overall handling capabilities.The test car was driven around Mt Cotton’s twisty backroads through hard corners and up massive hills. Despite the engine being sourced from the previous generation Polo, albeit with an extra 4kW of power (63kW at 5,000rpm) and 132Nm of torque (at 3,800 rpm), even with steel wheels it still managed to impress with its smooth ride and confident handling characteristics.

Unfortunately time restrictions didn’t allow for a quick drive of the 1.6-litre diesel variant (66kW, 230Nm of torque) but despite its very impressive fuel economy figures of just 4.6L of diesel per 100km (4.7L for 5 speed manual), the 1.2-litre TSI is actually a very viable option as it uses just 5.5L of petrol per 100km and is faster to 100km/h (by 0.7 seconds), not to mention it costs $2,500 less.

The new Polo is bigger than its predecessor in all regards, it measures 4,064mm in length (148 mm longer), 1,682 mm wide (32 mm wider), and sits exactly 1.5 m tall (33 mm taller). That means more headroom, rear legroom and overall sense of spaciousness. Open the boot and you get 280L of luggage area (261L for 3 door variants) which extends to 952L when the rear seats are folded completely flat (a process which takes all of 10 seconds).

Spending the last leg of the journey from Mt Cotton to Brisbane airport in the backseat of a Comfortline 5 door variant highlighted the new Polo’s roomy rear seats (for its size). Although it technically has five seats, it can realistically only carry four adults for medium to long journeys. Nonetheless it can carry four average size adults for long journeys without any issues. Sitting in the rear for the near one hour journey was no different than being in the back of a Golf.

The new Volkswagen Polo is about the same size as the third generation Volkswagen Golf, so despite being classified as a light car it’s by no means a tiny car on the inside. It’s a perfect classy first car for young couples or the ideal second car for a growing family. In fact, so good is the new Polo that it may likely steal some sales away from the Golf.

Safety is top notch in the new Polo . Having received a 5-star safety rating from the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) as well its European equivalent means you don’t ever have to worry about the safety of yourself or your occupants. A big pat on the back to Volkswagen here for including all the safety features standard across the entire range. That includes six airbags (two front, two side and two curtain), Electronic stabilization program (ESP) incl. anti-lock brakingsystem (ABS) with braking assistant, anti-slip regulation (ASR), electronic limited-slip differential (EDS), engine braking control (MSR) and a more.

The new Polo is available in seven different colours of which four are unicolour paints (white, red, blue and yellow) available as a no cost option. Silver, grey and black metallic paints are a $500 option.

CarAdvice will soon road test the new Volkswagen Polo and bring you a comprehensive review of the different variants.

Reader reviews of the VOLKSWAGEN POLO

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The competition

Ricky

Resize your photos they are ENORMOUS – 16 megapixels is insane. I agree that the rear looks bland. Shame about the carry-over 1.4L on the base model, and also 14″ wheels.

http://caradvice Steven

In a bad mood today?! The big photos are great – saves you from having to click on them like other sites. As for your other comments – you are talking about the BASE model, which is all about keeping cost to a minimum

Ricky

Big photos are great – I think not?? We’re talking 16 MP here (5000×3000). Your average monitor can display no more than 2 MP – so the photos are 8 times larger than the largest monitor.

Gavjon

Build a bridge Ricky and get a decent computer……….. And it is a base model. Look at Price point mate……It smashes the competition.

Bob

also.. what if I want to Zoom in on the pics to look at detail. Which I often do.

Big pics are fine by me… because i’m not a cheap ass when it comes to buying my computers.

jojo

Nice car…but the current Ad running on TV is Pathetic.

http://www.lukehimself.net Luke

Big photos is great, you can zoom in to see the real details.

carl

This definitely will steal some sales from Mazda2 and Yaris, with 7 speed DSG vs rival with only 4speed auto and no tiptronic plus low fuel consumption and the new classy look, I will definitely consider this.

http://www.fleetcare.com.au Bowan

No wonder it got car of the year internationally. I’m sold, can’t wait for the GTi, finally a small car blokes can drive without getting crap.

Shak

Simply stunningcar for its price and size. the only thing i dont like about all VW produtcs is their so called convenience turn signal feature. I know you get used to it, but the first time i test drove the new golf i almost crahed because my signal wasnt on in a roundabout. Otherwise brilliant cars.

Gene

It is funny that I feel the exact opposite. I got used the the feature in about 5 secs and hope that my other car has the same. Goes to show that personal preference can vary a great deal.

Tim

I’m with Gene. The feature was first introduced in the ’04 Opel Vectra….oh how I remember Wheels magazine hating that feature. Then I bought a top spec V6 CDXi…and loved it!! It works brilliantly and hope other cars implement it.

Stoney!

I agree I hate it, so I turned it off using the menu found under convenience features in the LCD screen in the centre of your instrument cluster, so I don’t see the problem.

Stoney!

Gene

The air of quality in the Polo is very apparent even from the picture.

This will absolutely fly out of the showroom. Even fully optioned (circa $30k?) it’s around the same price as, say, a Holden Cruze which even though one size bigger is functional very similar to the Polo (4 adults in comfort, fifth adult stuffed).

The only blemish is very ordinary looking cloth seats but the Alcantara/Leatherette option fixes it.

Deco

I can guarantee you that the Polo has no where near as much interior room as a Cruze or even a Golf for that matter.

Just because it can fit 4 adults, doesn’t mean it is as comfortable as cars in the class above.

MyGTI (was Maz6)

I can verify this for certain.
We own a Golf GTI VI:-) and we test drove a polo comfortline last weekend. Our second car is currently a Hyundai Getz..and we did a comparison of rear leg room after hubby had driven the polo, then he sat in the back of it directly behind the drivers seat which still had his settings.
Not only does it not compare to the Golf for leg room, it
doesnt even compare to the Getz. His knees were hitting the front drivers seat, and I dont class him tall at 5’10″
We put this down to the extra boot space in the polo compared to the Getz,(the payoff being rear leg room), so something for us to consider if someone is sitting in rear seat when hubby is driving.
The other observation was in the manual gear shift polo he couldnt slide his foot from the clutch to the foot rest (with runners on,the gap was too small), none of this was a problem for me being 5′ 4″ and having smaller feet.
He would be okay with dress shoes, but mainly wears runners…solution = DSG to fix that one.
Re: rear leg room..our only solution = I would need to
drive if we have 2 x people in the back.

drew

omg u cant compare a fetz to a plo we have both the getz is biggest heap around falling to bits polo is classy fast and great to look at drive a getz everyone will think u are broke hence the choise lol

Mythfrances

The exterior looks so-so. The interior looks above average. The transmission is better than most of its rivals. Just need some work on the exterior…then i will consider.

Deco

I agree, not a fan of the rear.

But this seems to be happening in alot of cars, it’s hard to make rears look exciting when you’ve got Jag XJ’s going around xD.

Alex

In fact rear looks slightly similar to BMW 1 series which totally sold it for me xD In fact i would dare to say that its the best looking small car in years — it looks really aggressive unlike all those girly looking cars. I do like exterior A LOT.

Simon

I disagree with the pricing sentiments. Sure it’s a goo car with decent spec levels. But to pay their asking price is too much given they are manufactured in Spain and South Africa. This allows VW to manufacture it cheaper yet they pocket the difference rather than pass on the savings. Yes they are here to make money but they would also make a lot of money by selling it in volume at a lower price.

Gene

When the Fords, Mazdas and the Hondas in this price range are made in Thailand, and the Holdens and Koreans are well, made in Korea, I don’t think you can put down Spain or South Africa at all.

Gilly

The build quality from Thailand is excellent and the Koreans are getting there, but the Spanish and S.A have a history of shoddy built cars!
Navara, Seat from Spain. Golfs, C-class from S.A eeek!!

This Polo looks the goods in and out, I hope the reliability has progressed from previous models.

http://caradvice Steven

Don’t know where you are getting your so-called history from but BMW and Mercedes as well as several other brands have been manufacturing in SA for decades without quality issues. Seat is a brand that has not been sold here for years and by all accounts has come a long way in terms of quality under VW ownership. I would certainly have one over an Australian built car, re. reliability and quality.

Yonny

Well, that’s not quite true. Both BMW and Merc acknowledged that their South African built cars were not up to their usual standard.

The Focus is built in SA – and while build quality has improved it is far from being anywhere near as good as Jap built cars.

I don’t know why they can’t build cars in South Africa to the same standard they do in, say, Thailand, but it’s a fact nontheless.
Hung Low

Have you been in a coma for the last decade Steven?
Do your research, S.A built cars are crap! VW Jettas and Golfs coming from S.A are very problematic, Mercedes moved a lot of its C-class production back to Germany due to quality issues from the S.A plant.
Nissan’s most unreliable and badly built models are built in Spain ( D40 Navara and Pathfinder) whilst all other models from Japan and Thailand are very well built.
http://caradvice Steven

Hung Low (to match your IQ?)- do your own geeky need-to-get-a-life research. The Jetta is made in Mexico for a start. I’ve been driving a Golf V (which I’m pretty sure was built in SA) for five years and its NEVER had problem – only time its been in the shop is for its servicing. Although I understand that there have been problems with this model, but those problems have related to the car’s engineering and have been experienced with cars from ALL VW manufacturing plants, not just SA.

TK

Build quality in SA and Spain excellent.Factories in SA has recently been awarded same level of satisfaction as top European factories.
Still, build quality of a VW products will beat any locally(or korean/thai)produced products hands down.
MyGTI (was Maz6)

Golf mk6 = Germany, not S.A

http://Caradvice Alanby

Mind you, Spain and South Africa does not neccessary mean instant quality finish either… your comments kinda bias don’t you think??!! Allot of European cars are now built in China so what are we going to do then?? Just a thought

http://caradvice Steven

Don’t know where Yonny gets her “facts” from… what a load of rubbish BMW, Merc or any manufacturer would ever admit that their SA product are inferior. Obviously stems from her own prejudice against SA. And there is certainly no evidence that automotive products coming out of somewhere such as Thailand, of all places, are of a higher standard

Yonny

Dear Stephanie, happy mother’s day.
http://caradvice Steven

Cheers Girlfriend. Although I just pray that if a kid I was having had your obvious intellectual shortfalls, that they would show up in a scan in time to have it aborted

Able

I didn’t like it until I looked at the specs. That really is good value for money especially with any of the packages optioned. I’d seriously look and compare this to a Fiesta, which was my class fave until now and now I reckon they’re both very good.

Polo Comfortline 1.6TDI with the Comfort, Sport and Sound packs for me please. And not in that ghastly red or yellow either…oooh but 1.2TSIs have 6-speed manuals…hmmmm

Deco

Fiesta V Polo, Unnamed car mags are you listening?

vid_ghost

i like everything about this car but were it is made! lol
riceboy

liking this very much! can’t wait till they bring out the GTI…

Simon

Does this mean you are becoming a Sauerkrautboy?
Andronicus

When does the GTI come out?

ABMPSV

Very nice car and good price. Honda Jazz GLi drive away is $23,515 1.2TSI $25,057. I choose th VW. More kW torque just can not compare Jazz 127 at 4800, TSI 175 at 1550.
Fuel economy is better in city Hazz 8.2, TSI 7.2. In my book it is a WINNER!! I will go today and check it out.

Devil’s Advocate

Not wrong if you didn’t need the extra interior space the Jazz offers. VW sure are kicking a few goals.

vid_ghost

same price for a mazda 3 dude

ABMPSV

Cheapest Mazda 3 drive away is $26,950 I just asked last week.

Raser

Errrrrrm a man Mazda 3 Neo IS $20,990 driveaway???

Now updated and 6 airbags and other extra kit inc.

Ricky

Rubbish. Honda Jazz is $17,490 drive away according to their website. Mazda3 is $22,990 drive-away.

ABMPSV

Not the automatic and only 2 airbags. Auto with 6 airbags is $23,487. Source: Honda Australia

drew

hi i just ordered the polo tsi comfortline with dsg test drove the new jazz i have 2006 jazz and drove the fiesta zetec and mazda 2 . drove the polo couldnt believe how much better this thing drove was blown away by the power of the little motor and great dsg box was a real fun ride . inside u cant compare either classy. u cant argue with the fuel consumption either beats them all. i ordered the comfort pack and sport pack all up on road was 26.500 from tweedheads vw. if u like the polo test drive it u will love it

Devil’s Advocate

The VAG sure know how to screw together a good quality interior. Nothing in this price point comes close to the interior fit and finish quality of the Polo.

Of course the steel rimmed version with such “tiny wheels” fitted with 70 profile tyres is going to provide a smoother ride than the versions equipped with 55 series rubber, provided the suspension tune is the same, as the larger side-wall assists with bump absorption. I worked out the difference in diameter between the steel and alloy fitted tyres was around 1cm. A better indication of the suspension tuning WRT ride is how well it rides on the larger rims with the lower profile rubber. Just as the reverse could be said WRT handling! Otherwise a nice teaser to what looks like a great little car. Can’t wait to see an more in depth review!
KM

VW have done it again…

Alex

Not really. Previous Polos were rather “faceless” in terms of exterior, girly at best, thats the first Polo that doesnt look too small or too cheap or too girly.
(interior quality was always good ofc)

Toyota Guru

Have VW gone slightly backwards with the 77 TSI engine? A coil pack with plug leads?!? Their other TSI engines run individual coils over each plug. Must be a bit of cost-cutting.

Anyways, VW will definitely set the benchmark for this size car.
Joe

A nice little car, but the word “Boring” comes to mind. The styling is very generic VW which is not neccessarily a bad thing but I can’t see it appealing to the younger under 25′s brigade. I’m sure the oldies will go for it.

The interior is also very bland when compared to the current crop of similar sized Renaults, Peugeots, Fiesta’s etc.

I think this new Polo is too similar to the current Golf and will definitely steal sales from it, especially as the size is not that much smaller.

Polofan

I don’t know there you get boring from. I had a look at the weekend and just love it! Not boring at all.

Joe

The more I look at it the more I think that the Fiesta Zetec 5 door manual looks a more convincing package than the Polo 77 Comfortline manual.

Similar price $20,990 for the Fiesta vs $20,350 for the Polo(with comfort pack). Fiesta with 88kw/152nm vs Polo with 77kw/175nm and both with all of the 5 star safety etc. 16 in alloys on Fiesta vs 15in on the Polo, voice controls in the Fiesta and funkier styling, Polo requires Premium fuel while Fiesta doesn’t and Fiesta is built in Germany whilst the Polo isn’t.

And bye the way the Polo 77 with Turbocharged engine(albeit only 1.2 litre), can it be driven by “P” platers? If not a big chunk of it’s potential market evaporates right there.

Damian

You can’t even begin to compare the Fiesta with the Polo.

The Polo 77 has a 6-speed manual, as opposed to 5-speed on the Fiesta. The Polo 77 uses the latest direct injection/turbo-charged technology to reduce displacement, hence fuel consumption, whilst at the same time, providing more power and driveability. The Fiesta is using a dinosaur 1.6L N/A. Until Ford introduces Ecoboost into the Fiesta range, they are heavily out-gunned by VW.

The only good thing about the Fiesta Zetec is that it looks very sporty – something that cannot be said for the Polo without the optional sports pack.

Joe

Heavily outgunned you say Damian. I doubt that very much. Fuel economy is virtually on par between the Fiesta 1.6 and the VW 1.2 but the VW needs premium, performance is also on par as well without the need for a turbocharger.

The only area where the VW out scores the Fiesta is in torque output and delivery and here the Fiesta is well behind. Luckily it has a great little 5 spd manual gearbox that makes swapping cogs a pleasure.

As I mentioned earlier regarding the “P” plate-Turbocharger issue, my 18 year old son can’t legally drive a Polo 77 which makes the Fiesta Zetec even more attractive to both He and I.

Philthy

Peak power and torque are only half the story. VW tune their turbocharged cars to have a very flat torque curve, which means you’ll have almost all of the torque available across most of the rev range. Makes the car feel grunty regardless of where you are in the rev range.

cfc

Victoria allows low-powered turbocharged cars for P-platers. Not sure about other states though.

cfc

What state are you in Joe?
In Victoria they allow small turbocharged cars with a low power to weight ratio but I’m not sure if any of the other states are that intelligent yet.

drew

hi first fiesta 2010 is built in thailand now and test drive all of them i did and goit the polo with dsg and comfort pack and sport pack to me no comparison after test drive
drew

polo tsi 2010 world car of the year say no more they are the experts guys and wheels car of the year

Fasthonda

It’s not bad car.It does look like a mini Golf.
Rumour has it that VW are considering an R version with virtually the same power output as the GTI Golf.
Damian

The Polo 1.6 TDI with DSG, is cheaper than the Fiesta Econetic with a manual tranny. Ford needs to do some HEAVY discounting for the Fiesta Econetic to sell, because the new Polo makes the Fiesta Econetic look even more overpriced. The Polo is better equipped, has DSG (which will probably represent the majority of sales) and is cheaper.

Tom

The Fiesta Econetic is over 20% more fuel efficient, has a larger boot, and looks a hell of a lot less boring than a Polo. Horses for courses.

Alex

If by less boring you mean “more like a spacecraft”, then i do agree.
If by less boring you mean “more sporty, manly and aggressive” — hell no!

Raser

Whats bizzare is the Eco Fiesta is on waiting list, poor fools buy a std ULP Fiesta and the frugal ULP Fiesta will save you over $5000 right up front

http://Caradvice Alanby

Why is VW’s dashboard always so plain and boring. This body has been around for at least ten years and definitely will not get my money with minor front and rear facelift!!!!!

Philthy

Are you looking at the same pictures as everyone else? This is a completely new platform.

http://Caradvice Alanby

Mate, if you cannot see the similarity between the old Polo Typ 9N3 2005 -2009 to the latest model then I can’t help you. VW decided they would capitalise on the popularity of Golf by applying a similar front / grill and rear.. Obviously it has worked for some each to their own!!!

zahmad

You must be joking right? This is a brand new design….and that boring is classy compared to schnitzy…

DGS

Haven’t made my mind up on the over all looks either, but I will say with certainty that while the design is not leading edge or anything, it will not look dated in 10 years either. The old Pug 306 was designed in this maner and still is a good looking machine.

Nick K

This is a benchmark small car… it blows away all other competitors across all key criteria. The only thing that will stop this car cleaning up the opposition is price. Buy it with an optional 6 year warranty and if you still own it after this time, TSI engines and DSG gearboxes should be bulletproof and be reasonable to maintain outside of a VW dealer. Right now, VW is still not up to Toyota levels with reliability… too many reports of failed clutch packs after 60,000 Kms in DSGs and TSI engines blowing up. Still with a long warranty, the one to go for.

http://Caradvice Alanby

Benchmark, hardly and agree VW needs to improve its reliability. Several of my friends have bought Golf and older model Polo and wish they haven’t due the electrical/computer fault with some VW cant explain.. Then there are oil leaks and one had to replace the radiator which cost a fortune (for a car thats only done 40K) .
Reckless1

Where did you invent the clutch plate failures for DSG? Stop spreading lies mate. DSG clutch plates do not fail, never read of a single issue with them on the VW forums worldwide.

As for Toyota – well, you can buy one if you like stuck accellerators and a company that denies it for as long as possible…….

Hung Low

VW had issued a recall last year for DSG equipped Jettas and Eos! Problem – temperature sensor causes transmission to shift into neutral! Just what you need pulling out of a busy intersection!

Clutches theoretically should last longer in a DSG box!
I think the DSG boxes have proved a lot more reliable than VW engines of late though, with many premature engine failures reported.

Joe

“With industry leading performance, practicality, fuel economy and standard safety features, the all-new 2010 Volkswagen Polo is by far the best European light-car on the market”

Alborz, getting a little carried away are we? How about we wait for a real roadtest and maybe a comparison with some other competitors before we start with the “Grandiose” statements.

” Industry leading performance”,”Praciticality”,”Fuel Economy”,”Standard Safety Features” are you serious? At best this new Polo only matches other European and Japanese entrants in this class and it doesn’t leave them behind in any of these area’s.

For an all new model it is just playing catch-up isn’t it? I suppose the fact that it’s a VW is all that counts for some.

Philthy

The TSI outperforms its rivals in power, torque, acceleration and economy. (agree the 1.4 is nothing special) All polos have 6 airbags standard compared to the rival’s 2 and standard ESP, so yes, class leading.

Do some research dude.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah

It really is a great car, so it’s not far fetched to say it’s the best European light-car, because it is!

Raser

I would put a new generation FIAT Grand Punto up against it, HAVE NO FEAR!

Vibe

Was this at the Sirromet winery by any chance? It looks a lot like it.
Raser

I think the koreans are going to s**t themselves, the Polo is outstanding value.

If you buy a i30 or i20 over this you have rocks in your head

DGS

If Hyundai can get a 7 speed DSG gearbox into the new 1.6 DI petrol or 1.6 diesel i30 and upcoming i35 that would shift the table well back towards Hyundai.

Reckless1

If Great wall made a better car than Polo and sold it for half the price , if, if, if

vti07

Is this Polo bigger than the old one? If it is, is it similar or bigger than say a Honda Jazz?

If it is comparable in size, then this may be my next car…

vti07

Increase in dimensions all round. Looks like I’ll be visiting my nearest VW dealer this weekend for a look.

filippo

I had the previous model Polo as a company car for 5 months in 2007. It was a 1.4l petrol manual and was dreadfully underpowered. I’m no rev-head, but this engine had almost no propulsion. It also handled very poorly (in a top-heavy way) when compared to my girlfriend’s Peugeot 206 and a colleague’s Fiesta. I guess from Albortz’s advert/review, these aspects have been improved.

I quite like the styling, although – as with the new Golf – it’s a little on the safe side. Like most cars it looks much better in 3-door than 5-door, so it’s a shame the 3-door is only available in basic spec with the rubber-band engine. I guess I’ll have to save my excitement for when the GTI version arrives. In terms of it being made in South Africa, I had no problems with the fit and finish of my old Polo, although my brother’s SA-built Golf from 2001 was a complete lemon.
vid_ghost

And thats why i would never buy a SA built car.. my friend 2006 Golf 2.0l has had nothing but issues … dont get me wrong its a great car but just has a great load of problems… buy mazda toyota if you want hassle free driving buy VW if you dont mind taking your car into the workshop for repairs every few months.

Stoney!

….. but prefer and outstanding car with fantastic drive ability, as per the 118tsi.

Stoney!

vid_ghost

Are you saying Mazda’s dont drive as good as VW’s? i like VW for its upmarket feel and would love to buy a GERMAN built golf in auto if only the starting price wasnt $32k

James Cortez

Agree, VW reliability has not been up top Mazda standard. Go and read Top Gear April 2010 edition page 225. TG survey result “115th out of 152″. It went on to say ” A Fiesta is more fun”. Take that from Clarkson, may and Hammond y’all Vee Dubs Fans

atomic

i really like this car it looks good from the front shame the back is a little bland! but over all its a great car from the sound of if! i would choose the mazda 2 over this though they look even better and go well
Neo Utopia

Good car, not quite as price compeditive as some others but the world has different currencies which dictate this. To win more sales from the pragmatic, reliability-focued buyer; Volkswagen will need bullet-proof reliability like that ofsome other similar cars.

But for many people who need a well-designed small car which just happens to be voted the World’s best then this would more than do.
Joe

Philthy, just a bit of research for you to digest, if you can? Fiesta CL 3 DR 1.6 5 SPD manual with Safety Pack & Metallic paint @ $17,090. This also includes 88kw, stability control & 5 star safety. Polo Trendlione 3 door manual 1.4 with metallic paint @ 17,190. This also includes stability control, 5 star safety & 63kw.
Fiesta released Feb 2009, Polo released May 2010. That Polo is really class leading isn’t it?

I also noticed Alborz, that the only comment that you made about the Polo driving experience, apart from the engine’s and transmission’s, was about “it’s smooth ride and handling characteristics”. Sounds like you are talking about a Corolla or a Hyundai I30 not the “by far the best European light car on the market.

Compare that statement to the absolutely glowing reports that the Fiesta has had from not only Car Advice but from every single road tester world wide and you just might see why I am not yet convinced about this new Polo, especially when the old one was as plain, boring and stodgy as it was.

Perhaps we should all wait for a comprehensive roadtest or comparo before we all decide how good the new Polo really is.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah

Good comment Joe,
I haven’t really had a chance to explore its driving dynamics all that much the drive program was short.

More on this when I road test the car soon.

http://www.nonstopcars.com Non Stop Cars

I would rather buy a Fiesta, Yaris, Mazda 2 over this plain /blend Polo for Ride and reliability.
I think so, everything in Europe higher costs Asia

f1worldchamp

Just like your friend Alanby, maybe you should check where the Fiesta is built before you make your posts.

Devil’s Advocate

Only for a short time f1worldchamp before the Fiesta is sourced from the Auto Alliance plant in Thailand if they already haven’t started doing so. I do know that Ford have started manufacturing the Fiesta there since earlier this year. I just don’t know for sure if some of the Australian market cars (non-diesel) are coming from there yet.

n00d1e

I like it but 14″ steelies… are you serious VW. I would insist on a set of those sweet 17′s.

Giddy Goanna

17′s are sweet to look at, but not to ride on.
14′s offer the best ride quality but are unsightly.
15 inch alloys in the Comfortline spec are a great compromise. (Acceptable ride and replacement costs, good looks and dynamics)

j

the 1.2 TSI sounds awesome for a tiny car! Same power, more torque, better economy than its natmo competition.

Shame they’re not doing a 3 door version. In a small car like that, 5 doors just looks proportionately wrong. Why must 3 door = pov pack?

Ian K.

and I am happy to inform you that all 1,2 TSI engines are made in the Czech Republic and shipped to VW and SEAT plants. So you finally get a small bit of Fabia cars down under. (even if packaged in VW-body
Giddy Goanna

Whilst i agree that 3 door cars are generally more aesthetically pleasing, (my current drive is Swift GTi)
I have tired of the heaviness and inconvenience in tight parking situations. The long reach backward for your seatbelt in a 3 door is noticable as well.
The Polo 5 door is very cleanly styled, not fussy like some tend to be.

Emar

Well i Love them
Ordered mine on Saturday, be there in 3 months.
TDI Comfortline with Sports pack and comfort pack SWEEETT!!!
Dean

Another title for VW as car of the year in europe. WEll done looks great and good value too.Competition is far behind.
JooberGTi

Can’t wait for the GTi, could mean upping from my current model GTi with 5 door as an option i heard… Its either that or the Audi A1…

Interior is miles ahead of the competition, although people can call it bland, the expectation I have on the quality of materials and being very solid makes up more than its design which I rather think is rather good.

From my experience my GTi interior makes some of teh japanese car makers in larger classes, interiors to shame, particular the Aurion Zr6 I owned previously!
Frank

The 1.2 TSI w/ DSG will be the pick of the bunch and ironically less expensive than the TDI. I drove the 1.6 TDI with DSG over the weekend and the car is absolutely rock solid. As full featured as any VW and it feels far larger inside than it appears. As pointed out in this review, the back seating space is very usable.
The TDI I drove with DSG has a bit of a turbo lag on start but once in motion, it moves very easily. Handling is spot on. The cabin is dead quiet. Road feel is very good. Visibility is excellent. Very good sound system. Fully adjusable seating including up and down and both front seats have large drawers for stowage – very cleverly designed.

We drove up a very steep hill and at stop the car held itself and did not roll back one mm. It is features like these that will put the Polo at the top of the ranks. My one fear is this car could catch fire and VW will stuff up production capacity, but I think they might realize they have a serious hit on their hands. Based on what I have heard VW is very pleased with the outcome of the Polo and I do believe they will back it all the way to the showroom.

When the GTI version comes out, if I were VW I would not fear losing sales of the Golf to the Polo, but this will absolutely kill the Mini Cooper S. That is the segment this car will have appeal to. Far better built than a Fiat 500 or Mini, in my opinion.

At what appears to be a shade under $32,000, the Polo GTI will run circles around the Mini. The car is so well finished and designed it is light years ahead of the Mini’s plastic dash and cheap-ish interior. The 1.4 133KW GTI turbo/supercharged engine will likely have a power to weight ratio better than the current Golf GTI and certainly better than the Mini. The Polo R will be an absolute mind blower.

The new Polo is for all intents and purposes the new Golf. This will be the car that brings non VW drivers to VW.
Neo Utopia

I would take the sports package on a White TDI manual-plenty of torque with good fuel efficiency. If only before the GTI arrives that is.

JooberGTi

I would suggest you wait for the GTi before you make your decision

ABMPSV

Lates info on GTi
# Engine: 1.4 litre TSI (twincharged)
# Power/torque: 132kW/250Nm*
# Transmission: 7-speed DSG
# Kerb weight: 1194kg*
# 0-100km/h: 6.9 seconds
# Top speed: 229km/h
# Fuel consumption: 5.9l/100km
# CO2 emissions: 139g/km
# Wheels: 7×17” Denver alloys, fitted with 215/40 tyres

ABMPSV

Just checked the Skoda Fabia RS price. Slovakia was 25,700 AUD and Czech Republic 27,917 AUD. Polo GTi should around $30,000.
Caroline

Why do reviewers not mention the on-going cost or the prices for extras which should be standard?

In WA, we have been quoted the following (Comfortline 1.2 TSi):

Bluetooth $700-800 (this should be standard)
Comfort Package $500
Sports Package $1500
Audio Package $700-800

Colours (Metallic/Pearl) $500

Servicing 1st year $250-300
2nd year $500-600
3rd year $250-300

Delivery – Sept 2010 – December 2010 they do not know

When you consider these factors alongwith the purchase of vehicle $22600-22700 – you really question whether it is worth getting excited about a car a year before features and pricing are confirmed.
ErrNo!

The baseline model engine is rubbish.

My lawnmower has more power and performance.

Should bring in the FOX from Brazil and sell it for low low teens
franz chong

The 1.2 litre version with the 77TSI Comfortline is the best value one of the lot.I went out recently to look at a series 3 Nissan Tiida as I currently am driving a series 1 and looking to trade her in just over a year from now but could not find too many differences except for the new audio system,dashboard,grille and lights plus Cruise Control,ABS and now four airbags.will be out to test both Polo and tiida closer to the time and finances permitting my head says german but the heart says japanese this positive review makes it all the more harder.
Lang Chye

Impressed by a test drive of the 1.2TSi. But the dealer asked us to wait till Oct for one with DSG & Comfort Package. The test car had already developed a rattle from the dash. VW doesn’t seem to have learnt from its previous Golf V experience?
Teddy

I test drove the 1.2 TSI last weekend (in Syd) and only a manual was available. The car I drove had a rattle in the dash – drivers side, and it only had a couple of hundred ks on the clock. VW needs to build cars better, as it would be hard to buy one overs a jap car. Other that that, the car went well, however is there and long term life with a small 1.2 litre engine, not to mention it’s turbo, paricularly if you like to retain your car for a lot of years.

I also drove the 1.6 TDI (DSG) and this car had near 1000ks on the clock, anbd was not impressed – it was not as good as the 1.2 TSI and would need to chip the engine as you really need more than 66kw (same output as original Polo some years ago) output in the DSG – maybe better in the manual.

Lang Chye

Wow, so early in the life of the new Polo and there are already 2 cases of rattle in the dash and many more of long waiting period. Definitely sounds like Golf V all over again. VW must either be a slow learner or must think that car buyers can be taken for granted. Thanks to websites like Car Advice, individual car buyers’ experiences (+ve or -ve) can readily be shared.

MyGTI (was Maz6)

Err….make that 3 more cases of drivers side dash rattle!
We have now driven 2 x manual 1.2L Polos from diferent
dealerships and 1 x DSG 1.2L Polo.

ALWAYS test drive with radio OFF.
On all 3 vehicles the rattle was very apparent every time
we stopped at traffic lights and at idle.

Mentioned this to both dealerships, but all we got was
a blank look back as if to say we havent heard this before. We also noticed a whirring noise coming from
under the bonnet, particularly when slowlt turning the
steering wheel.
Salesman lifted the bonnet while engine was running and it was then louder. His explanation was its to do with the electric steering on polos.
The second car was not as noticeable, but still there,
so VW rattles still need addressing.
Radio\’s on during test drives can cover a multitude of sins…

Teddy

I meant to mention that here is a wait for one of the Polo vehicles. I can not understand why VW plays these games, as the original Polo some years ago, you also had to wait to get you hands one.
http://www.hitittuning.com tuning

http://www.hitittuning.com
tuning

I meant to mention that here is a wait for one of the Polo vehicles. I can not understand why VW plays these games, as the original Polo some years ago, you also had to wait to get you hands one.
Pete

How about all you nay-sayers out there actually go out and drive the vehicle and then give your opinion instead of sitting back and comparing it to its older model variants.

I come from a background of selling BMW’s so I know good and bad cars. I have driven this car (the 66kw tdi Comfortline) a couple of times now and I can tell you that it won ‘International Car of the Year’ for good reason.

It is not the best car in the world by any means but it is a great, all round package. I have compared it to its competitors and I believe the Polo wins hands down. Yes it may be a little pricey but in my opinion it is well worth it.

And for those of you who value the opinion of the Top Gear team over the experts who judged the International Car of the Year awards, good luck to you in your future endeavors as I am sure you are going to need it!!!
TG

I see a lot of comments here knocking SA build quality. Can I just say that I driven 2 BMWs built in SA and I’ve never had issues , and I also know that many toyota’s built in SA are fine. I think the problem with VW and Merc are that they are inherently unreliable makes no matter where they are built. I’m willing to bet that a Toyota built in SA will be more reliable than a VW built in Germany.
http://www.findapart.com/ Audi car parts

The model is nice but I don’t agree with the pricing plans. It should be much more cheaper then the actual price. This car is designed for middle class people but the rates are not accordingly

Alex

It cost totally on par with its rivals — being Mazda2, Honda Jazz and Ford Fiesta. At least in our country it does.

Sean

How about POLO 2009 PACIFIC 1.9TDI? who can know that? same diesel engine with 2010 model or not/and 5speed manual gearbox? I have no idea.
Thanks:)
James

Whats the diffrence between this and a VW Golf, anyone know?
James

Looks exactly like the Golf GTI, By The Way!
Quentin Robbins

Bought a new Polo with DSG in June 2010 Took it back the next day with Gearbox problems Was assured that it would be fixed at the First Service
NOT SO! Problem with brakes?? Problem with Temperature Sensor??
DSG Mechatronics Unit fixed?? DSG finally replaced after 14 Months YES
14 Months VW Australia is in a State of Denial The SILENCE has been
ABSOLUTELY DEAFENING The dealer at Liverpool said I was not welcome at his yard as I upset too many of his staff If the Bloody Blue Polo had been fixed PROPERLY, I wouldn’t have had to complain, would I Sunshine?? Don’t
have any dealings with this Bunch of Cowboys….PLEEASE!!
http://www.uspapolo.com/contact/ uspa polo

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