- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.0T, 3 cyl.
- Engine Power
85kW, 200Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 4.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2018 Volkswagen Polo Launch Edition long-term review, report five: Cabin comfort and practicality
The 2018 Volkswagen Polo Launch Edition has quickly become a core part of the CarAdvice Melbourne family. We've taken it on a road trip, tested it during the daily grind, and we've critiqued its infotainment system.
Now, we're taking a closer look at one of the biggest improvements made to the Polo in this, its new generation – interior comfort and practicality.
Whereas the previous car was hardly the smallest in its class, the new-generation hatchback has seen significant gains in just about every dimension thanks to the adoption of Volkswagen's ubiquitous MQB architecture, which has seen the little VW grow to about the same size as a Mk5 Golf.
The luggage area measures an impressive 351L with the second row of seats in place, expanding to 1125L with the rear pews folded. Not only is that right up there with the class leaders, the Polo matches, if not betters, some vehicles from the class above. Speaking of the boot, the area itself is wide and square, making it relatively easy to cram a whole lot of stuff in there. I personally have carried my tennis team and our gear to countless games with no issues whatsoever.
In terms of passenger space, the Polo continues to impress, and again provides equivalent accommodation to models technically from the class above.
At six-foot-one (ish), this reviewer can easily fit behind his own driving position with plenty of head- and legroom. Map pockets behind both front seats mean there's a place to store smaller items, and the bottle holders in each door offer a cubby for your drink bottles.
Unfortunately, there are no rear air vents, and the rear door armrests don't feature the same padded textile trim, but this isn't something that any competitor offers anyway.
If you need that kind of stuff, you can just spend a bit extra on a Golf, right?
In saying that, the Polo offers superior space compared to most of its competitors, and it's not meant to be a family hauler anyway, so it can be forgiven for scrimping on some comfort features in the second row.
2018 Volkswagen Polo Launch Edition
- Odometer reading: 7328km
- Travel since previous update: 785km
- Fuel consumption since previous update: 6.0L/100km (indicated)
- Fuel cost since previous update: $44.94
MORE: Long-term report one – Introduction
MORE: Long-term report two – Infotainment
MORE: Long-term report three – Urban driving
MORE: Long-term report four – Road trip
MORE: Polo news, reviews, comparisons and videos
MORE: Everything Volkswagen