Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £7,725 to £15,800
2005 restyle has brought looks up to date, quality feel inside and out, space, safety equipment, ride and handling, interesting engines, aura of rational Volkswagen-ness.
Mediocre performance from some engines, expensive.
The Polo falls short on few measures, but some supermini rivals do the job better, and for less.
The evergreen Polo supermini range has been on sale for 30 years; this current version was launched in 2002. A makeover in 2005 lifted its rather tired face and brought the design closer to that of the latest Golf and Passat line-ups; an all-new model is expected in late 2008 or 2009.
The Polo is now larger than a Mk1 Golf, with a big boot and plenty of passenger space, and suits many people downsizing from a bigger car. It's packed with safety features, and its basic structure - shared with the Skoda Fabia and the Seat Ibiza - is rigid, which means that it's precise and agile to drive.
Engines currently on offer in the range include 60bhp and 70bhp 1.2, 80bhp 1.4, 105bhp 1.6 and 150bhp 1.8 (GTI) petrol units, and 1.4 TDI (70bhp, 75bhp and 80bhp) and 1.9 TDI (100bhp) diesels - plenty to choose from. Economy king is the 1.4 TDI Bluemotion - the low-spec version of this even qualifies for the Band A free road tax.
Trim levels are now E, S, SE, Sport and GTI, and there's also the Dune , an off-roader lookalike with raised suspension, roof rails and SUV-type styling cues, though it's still front-wheel drive.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Polo
wrote on 03 03 2008
wrote on 29 05 2006