Car review: Volkswagen’s new Polo comes at a big price

The city car benchmark has new looks and fresh tech, but it does ask customers to pay an eye-watering amount for the privilege.

Like the sport it is named after, Volkswagen’s Polo is not a budget option. The baby VW has always been a costly choice compared with budget brands, delivering hi-tech engines and premium materials for those prepared to pay extra.

Volkswagen has doubled down on that stance, ratcheting up the price of the car dramatically over the past five years.

The cheapest Polo now costs $25,250 plus on-road costs (about $29,000 drive-away) with a manual transmission, or $28,250 as an auto (about $33,000 drive-away). Back in 2017, the entry-level Polo was $16,990 drive-away.

Volkswagen has updated its compact Polo range.

Michal Szaniecki, brand director of passenger vehicles for Volkswagen, says Polo customers “have typically selected heavily optioned variants” and that the new model pushes the car “further from the sticker-driven rat race into its most premium form to date”.

The brand claims there is no “base model” in a range that starts with the Polo Life.

It comes with alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera cleverly tucked behind the rear emblem. Tech toys include a customisable digital dash, wireless phone charging, USB-C power outlets and an 8-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring.

The Polo’s cabin is loaded with technology.

Safety gear includes a new centre-mounted airbag wedged between the driver and passenger, auto emergency braking and lane keeping assistance, though adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring are part of a $1700 tech pack.

Polo Style models priced $3000 upstream have those safety features as standard while adding a bigger digital dash, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, Matrix LED headlights, front fog lights and better seats.

Crisp steering and a well-sorted ride are central to the Polo driving experience.

Our test example had a $1900 package delivering wireless smartphone mirroring, an impressive 6-speaker Beats stereo and smart keys. You can also add a sunroof ($1500) and metallic paint ($600) to push the drive-away price beyond $40,000.

Those are big dollars for a little car, even if it is the nicest little car you can buy.

The cabin has a wide array of adjustment for both the seat and steering wheel that lets small and tall pilots find a comfortable posture. The seats are well bolstered, controls are well weighted and its refinement is a step beyond mainstream rivals.

The Polo is one of the most polished compact car options.

The Polo is also sweet to drive. A turbocharged 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine serves up 85kW and 200Nm in automatic models, accompanied by an endearingly grumpy growl when you push it – not the uncouth racket you might hear from non-turbo rivals.

The seven-speed dual-clutch auto is a winner and steering engineered for autobahns lends rare precision at modest speeds.

The Polo has a slightly firm ride that returns superior control when cornering and the sort of agility many people look for in an inner-city runabout.

Built in South Africa, the Polo matches the quality of bigger VW machines – and shouldn’t suffer from production delays that have cruelled the latest Golf.

VERDICT

The Volkswagen Polo is a great car – impressively polished, loaded with kit and fun to

drive – but it’s hard to reconcile how costly the little hatch has become.

VOLKSWAGEN POLO 85 TSI

PRICE About $33,000 drive-away

ENGINE 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo, 85kW and 200Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICE 5 years/unlimited km, $2200 for 5 years

SAFETY 7 airbags, auto emergency braking, lane-keep assist

THIRST 5.4L/100km

BOOT 351 litres

SPARE Full size

Polo customers pick between 1.0-litre and 2.0-litre turbo engines.

Want more sport from the Polo?

Consider the new Polo GTI.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbo engine linked to a snappy six-speed dual-clutch auto, the 147kW/320Nm version reaches 100km/h in 6.8 seconds.

It presents well, with 18-inch alloys, red highlights inside and out and tartan cloth trim alongside a lovely flat-bottomed steering wheel with shift paddles.

The GTI is an accomplished little car, feeling brisk away from traffic lights and effortless when overtaking.

The Polo GTI is more accessible than manual-only rivals.

This hatch feels warm rather than hot but it’s much more liveable than the manual-only Ford Fiesta ST or Hyundai i20N thanks to its automatic gearbox.

It is safe and predictable rather than thrilling through corners. Think of it as polished but not particularly engaging. Priced from $38,750 plus on-road costs before you add a sunroof or upgraded stereo (both $1500), the GTI is a pricey machine and enterprising dealers are already asking up to $55,000 to hand over the keys.

Originally published as Car review: Volkswagen’s new Polo comes at a big price