Available to order from April ahead of summer deliveries, the new cars are marked out by subtle changes to exterior and interior styling, with most of the upgrades taking place under the skin.

New petrol engines comprise two three-cylinder engines, from the up! city car, with 59 or 74bhp, which also form the basis of the first petrol-powered Polo BlueMotion. This uses an turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine with 89bhp, returning 68.9mpg with CO2 emissions of 94g/km and with an expected price drop compared to its diesel predecessor.

Four-cylinder petrols comprise 89 and 108bhp 1.2-litre TSI units and the 1.4 TSI with cylinder deactivation, the latter now offering 148bhp rather than 138bhp. The Polo GTI will be relaunched with a power hike to 192bhp before the end of the year.

The diesel range has also been refreshed. Two new three-cylinder 1.4 TDI engines with 74 and 89bhp will replace the outgoing 1.2 and 1.6 TDIs, and in the UK there will be no diesel BlueMotion in the new car. In markets where the BlueMotion TDI is available, it will offer the range-lowest CO2 emissions of 82g/km with 88.3mpg fuel economy.

Additional technology includes a new electromechanical steering system and Automatic Post Collision Brake, which applies the brakes after a collision to stop the car rolling away. Automatic braking and cruise control are optional, as is a sport suspension with two settings, and the Polo now features the same modular infotainment system as the latest Golf.