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Road Test: Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI SE

By / 9 years ago / Road Tests / No Comments

Sector: Supermini Price: £14,360 Fuel: 60.1mpg CO2: 107g/km

It’s not uncommon for manufacturers to claim that their superminis feel as grown up as the larger models in their range. But few can claim to be a benchmark in that area like the Volkswagen Polo, particularly following its mid-life updates last summer.

This fifth generation car has always had strong family ties to the ubiquitous Golf, not only in terms of design but in material quality, fit and finish and refinement too. That it’s now adopted the steering wheel, the indicator and wiper stalks and the infotainment system from its stablemate has tied the two models even closer together. From the thunk of the doors to that solid but comfortable ride quality, the two cars feel near identical in all but size.

Specification for the biggest-selling SE version, as tested here, could also have been borrowed from a larger car. In addition to that 6.5-inch touchscreen with clever proximity sensors which only display the menus when your fingers are nearby, it gets air conditioning and leather-trimmed controls among its standard features. Volkswagen has also equipped it with a system which applies the brakes after an accident, to avoid rolling into the path of other vehicles.

Scan through the options list, and it’s possible to add extras such as all-LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and automatic lights and wipers, straight out of the class above. They’re all reminders that this is a genuinely grown up small car behind its chrome accents and soft-touch dashboard. Perhaps more importantly, though, the navigation upgrade only adds £700 to the SE trim.

Volkswagen has never gone for gimmicky design on the Polo, so the exterior refresh is predictably understated. It’s a subtle tweak of the bumpers and lights in line with the most recent additions to the range. Typically non-frivolous, that should mean that this Polo will age as gracefully as its predecessors.

The update has also shaken up the entire engine range, which is now Euro 6 compliant and includes units from the up! city car. This 89bhp 1.2-litre TSI engine is new, though. It replaces the 84bhp 1.4-litre engine, and means Volkswagen can rival the lively low-rev performance of small turbocharged petrols used by its key rivals.

Diesel superminis are likely to have a shrinking presence over the next few years, so a good mid-range petrol engine is important. The 1.2 TSI is a remarkably smooth and quiet engine to drive, with no vibration and almost no noise into the cabin. There’s a strong surge of torque for town driving, and it’s an efficient and refined engine to use at higher speeds despite the lack of a fifth gear.

The downside is, Ford and Vauxhall’s equivalent engines are lower in CO2, while Polo’s 1.4-litre TDI engine is only £435 more and – at 88g/km and 83.1mpg – is still very competitive on running costs. Especially for drivers who want to take advantage of this car’s excellent motorway manners.

So the Polo is as sensible a choice as ever, but it really depends on what you want. The Fiesta and Corsa are more enjoyable to drive, and Volkswagen has similar options within its own product line-up to suit keener budgets and posher tastes. But there’s an unpretentious quality to the Polo which should guarantee it long-lasting appeal and high residual values with it.

Verdict:

Impeccably put together and ageless with it, the Polo is the same fuss-free proposition it always has been, albeit with the strongest ever DNA ties to the Golf. But it’s worth closely addressing whole-life costs against the diesel before deciding which engine fits your needs.  

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Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.