Volkswagen Polo review

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In most areas, the VW Polo trumps other superminis, but its clinical excellence makes it slightly joyless

It doesn’t seem that long ago that almost every car manufacturer sold a compact hatchback in the supermini segment, yet today, the Volkswagen Polo seems to be one of the few remaining players in a shrinking market.

Small cars are still popular, but more so these days when they’re loftier compact SUVs. VW itself has embraced the development with two such Polo-based models — the more practical T-Cross and the sleeker Taigo.

Volkswagen claims the Polo’s redesigned front end is more emotionally engaging than its predecessor, but we’re not so sure.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Since the demise of the previously ubiquitous Ford Fiesta and several other names that were once commonplace on UK streets, VW has not had it all its own way.

Yes, when this sixth-generation Polo made its appearance at the end of 2017, we thought it so good that it immediately became the class leader. Competition improves the breed, though, so while it’s hardly an also-ran, there’s stiff competition from the Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and Vauxhall Corsa, among a flurry of others.

Not that this incarnation appeared to be as new as it really was — at first glance, you may have mistaken it for the Mk5 Volkswagen Polo it replaced, such was the evolutionary nature of its styling.

That momentary confusion is one of the hallmarks of an extraordinarily successful model, because the manufacturers of such vehicles know that they alter a successful recipe at their extreme peril.

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Thus the Mk6 Polo springs few surprises. Its proportions are instantly recognisable and so, too, are its facial features. However, it is in fact something of a quiet revolution. That revolution comes in the form of a redesigned interior.

Thanks to the car’s updated underpinnings, the cabin is more spacious and, as the vanguard of the Polo’s charge into the digital era, it’s also more technologically able than ever before. Or, at least, it was in 2017 — but how good is it in the late autumn of its production run?

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Volkswagen Polo review distance shot

When is a supermini not a supermini? When it’s near enough the size of a Mk5 VW Golf and most other C-segment hatchbacks from 20 years ago, perhaps. Courtesy of its modular MQB-A0 platform, Volkswagen has stretched the five-door-only Mk6 Polo by 81mm, widened it by 63mm and lowered it just a touch.

The result is a car with a greater visual presence than that of its predecessor, and a few aesthetic licks have been effected to further toughen up the VW’s styling. Most conspicuous are poker-faced LED headlights that merge into a clean-cut radiator grille made shallow by a strip of body-coloured plastic.

The Polo isn’t particularly exciting, but it does the job of being a practical, easy-to-drive and comfortable runabout without breaking a sweat.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Its mid-life makeover was so subtle that you need a PhD in Polonomics to spot the changes. If it ain’t broke, of course…

Most interesting of the Polo’s styling devices is the double swage line that bisects the upper and lower flanks aft of the front wheels.

Such things are adventurous for Volkswagen although still not enough to give the car the kind of personality that emanates from, say, a Peugeot 208. Even the Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia in-house alternatives still manage to look crisper and less fussy.

Using an MQB-derived platform brings benefits other than the ability to easily build a bigger car. The new Polo is now more rigid (18,000Nm per degree versus 14,000Nm), which theoretically allows for greater body control at the same time as yielding a more supple ride.

To this end, on higher-spec Polos VW has introduced Sport Select running gear, which comprises adaptive dampers complete with auxiliary springs and a 15mm drop in ride height.

Other benefits mean technology that was previously only associated with larger models has made its way into the supermini segment, although while adaptive cruise control and other driver aids were novel in cars of this size in 2017, they’re relatively typical nowadays. Of course, this rather piles on the pounds, meaning the engines have to work harder.

VW has seen fit to pare back the engine and transmission range to three versions of the 1.0-litre triple.

The entry point is the 79bhp non-turbo, followed by a forced-induction 94bhp version, both of which can only be had with a five-speed manual gearbox. Then, there is a 114bhp edition of the same TSI unit to top the volume-selling model range, and it's paired with a seven-speed DSG automatic. We’ve covered the rapid Polo GTI in its own dedicated review.

INTERIOR

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Volkswagen Polo review interior

The styling of the Polo’s cabin is sufficiently reserved to rob it of much in the way of wow factor, but it is unquestionably a very solidly built, easy-to-use, well-equipped and pleasant small car in which to spend time.

As you’d expect from a VW Group product, everything feels solidly integrated, assiduously finished and fitted, and thoroughly well screwed together, with no wobbles, creaks or flexes when you touch it.

The Polo’s instrument pack is a lesson to other manufacturers in how to deliver simple, brilliantly clear and readable dials.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

In typical supermini fashion, VW uses hard plastics on the door cards and in the lower reaches of the cabin but they’re grained ones and certainly don’t do the interior’s quality aura any harm, while a squidgier type for the dash top improves tactile quality further.

Earlier versions of the Mk6 Polo had decorative interior inserts that could be matched to the exterior paintwork, but a greyscale array that varies in terms of sheen and pattern depending on trim level is now the norm, which is slightly more dull and can likely be explained by cost-cutting.

The user-friendliness of the air conditioning controls has also been worsened by this. The physical buttons of the previous car have been replaced by a large, touch sensitive pad that does without any sort of haptic feedback. It's quite difficult to use at first, but the controls themselves are recessed which makes them slightly easier to hit when you're on the move.

Space-wise, the Polo remains impressive by B-segment hatch standards, with plenty of headroom in the front and, although loftier passengers may find room for their heads and knees too tight to be truly comfortable in the back, those of up to average height will find they fit in the back with little complaint — compared with the Renault Clio’s rear bench, the VW feels airy.

For those ferrying youngsters about regularly, as is the norm for most cars — not just of this size — Isofix child seat anchorages are located in the outer rear seat positions.

Boot space is 355 litres with the back seats in place and the adjustable floor in its lowest position. Underneath the adjustable floor, you get enough space for a full-sized spare wheel.

Fold the seats down and this will free up a total of 1125 litres, making it one of the roomiest superminis.

Multimedia touchscreens of various sizes are found on almost every Polo, complemented by useful bolt-ons such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and voice recognition.

We had no qualms about the system’s functionality, either — displays are clear and responsive, with dedicated shortcut buttons to speed-up navigating through the menus. Plaudits to VW also for maintaining physical controls for volume.

The standard-fit digital instrument cluster is pretty clear to read and the screen makes good use of its real estate, with proper configurability between each of the menu screens. One complaint we do have, however, is that you can't have the speedometer and rev counter on the same screen, which compromises usability.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Volkswagen Polo review side driving

Of the core range’s selection of engines — the 2.0-litre TSI fitted to the Polo GTI flagship is reviewed separately — today’s narrow line-up is but a shadow of its former self. Punchier petrols and the diesels were deleted from the price lists years ago, leaving a trio of unleaded-sipping 1.0-litre choices.

Entry-point for the current Polo range is the 79bhp naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit that requires a fair bit of cog-swapping from the five-speed manual if you want to make anything like decent progress.

Long gearing presents a problem on steep climbs, where you slowly lose momentum even at full throttle in third gear.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

This will enable you to make the most of its 69lb ft developed at a fairly revvy 3700-3900rpm; the quoted 0-62mph benchmark is a leisurely 15.6sec.

Accounting for the bulk of Polo sales is the turbocharged, 94bhp edition of the same engine, with a lustier 129lb ft available from 1600-3500rpm. With the same five-speed manual ’box, the 0-62mph time is slashed to 10.8sec.

It can sound a little grumbly low down, but it revs smoothly and would be perfectly adequate were it not for the manual’s tall gearing, which means this engine also needs quite a few revs to make good progress. Happily, thrashing it seems to make little difference to the fuel economy, and it has just enough low-down grunt to allow it to keep up with regular traffic on a flat road.

What's more, in the upper reaches of the rev range the engine thrums with a satisfying growl that makes you want to keep pushing it.

If you’re not into shifting between gears yourself then the DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission is the alternative. Seven speeds are the standard here, and while it’s a generally smooth gearbox, it has a common trait shared with others that make use of it: it busily jumps between ratios when it doesn't feel necessary yet is slow on the uptake when you want it to drop a ratio or two. You’ll need to set aside 11.5sec for the 0-62mph here.

Across the range, stopping power is more than adequate - the brakes are a masterclass in progressiveness, which means you can really lean on them to slow you down from motorway speed.

Topping today’s range of non-GTI Polos is the 114bhp version of the turbocharged 1.0-litre, with torque upped to 148lb ft, which in turn trims the 0-62mph time to 9.8sec. As we mentioned before, that seven-speed DSG auto is the only transmission fitted, and it’s only paired with the sportier looking R-Line and Black Edition trims.

RIDE & HANDLING

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Volkswagen Polo review rear cornering

The Polo’s calm and supple ride makes it comfortable in a way that small cars often aren’t.

At high speeds, it keeps its cabin settled but is still decently controlled over larger, longer-wave bumps.

Responsive, predictable steering makes it easy to get to the apices even when you’re carrying plenty of speed.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

At town speeds, it’s nicely forgiving over speed bumps, soothing away all but the sharpest edges – they can sometimes be felt but seldom harshly.

This is the kind of small car that eases you effectively through the urban trudge with minimal stress, yet it is reassuring on motorways where it mixes ably with bigger vehicles at higher speeds and doesn't feel out of its depth.

Medium-light, medium-fast steering makes the Polo agile enough at town speeds, with a grip level and responsiveness that is more than capable of making a dynamic virtue of its compact size.

Thanks to VW’s preference for ever-linear, predictable handling, it’s also very easy to drive.

It’s not one of the most entertaining superminis, but it has better body control than some and a very consistent balance of grip that resists understeer well at first and allows it to build only gradually as the car corners, and only in a proportion great enough to add a blanket of stability.

There’s little joy about the Polo’s handling, true, but it’s tuned to filter out many of the influences that might otherwise enrich the supermini experience for keener drivers. So although weight builds usefully into the steering as the car corners and rolls, as you ask more of its front tyres there’s little contact patch feel to tell you how much grip is left.

Although the chassis promotes assured stability, even at high speeds, it’s also closed to any attempt to engage the rear axle in the cornering conversation by deliberately unloading it on a trailing throttle.

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Volkswagen Polo could survive with petrol power until 2030
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‘Amicable solution’ to Euro 7 would secure future of Volkswagen Polo
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Volkswagen Polo faces axe as Euro 7 rules drive price up
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SMMT calls for government support after weak August sales

In effect it does what Polos have been intended to do for generations – soothes, reassures, isolates, obliges and protects – and does it better than any predecessor or any other small car in the class.

One small caveat to this is the amount of tyre roar present at motorway speed. It isn't so pronounced as to stop you from having a conversation, but you have to talk louder than you would have thought necessary.

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Volkswagen Polo review front cornering

B-segment hatch it may be, but Volkswagen’s ‘near premium’ positioning means the Polo isn’t mainstream in its pricing: the least expensive 79bhp Life model hovers around the £21k mark. Far better to spend a grand more on the 94bhp TSI version in that trim, which is exactly what most Polo buyers do.

Elevated kit levels see the 94bhp Match spec start mid-£22k, while the same engine in the sporty looking R-Line and plush Style trim adds a further £1700 to each. Only available with the 114bhp engine and DSG automatic, the Black Edition is the priciest non-GTI Polo at close to £27,500.

The Polo should maintain familiar strength here, retaining 4% more value than the Fiesta over three years/36,000 miles.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Small engines usually mean small fuel bills. That's generally true in the VW’s case, but the need to work that entry-level 79bhp motor harder means it’s not the eco champion, at 52.7mpg and with CO2 emissions of 122g/km. This engine is only available with Life specification.

Best of the manual-gearboxed 94bhp TSIs is Match specification, at 54.5mpg and 118g/km, but the other versions are barely different. Choose this engine with the seven-speed DSG automatic and the numbers worsen slightly, with 52.7mpg and 122g/km quoted for Life and Match specifications.

That DSG transmission with the 114bhp engine returns official claims of 52.5mpg and 123g/km of CO2 in R-Line trim.

Other than that, all of these Polos are going to be much of a muchness when it comes to insurance costs, while even the largest wheels – 17in on the Black Editon trim level, while all other Polos sit on sport 16s, leaving the entry-grade Life on 15-inchers – aren’t too broad of tread, so replacement tyres shouldn’t be too expensive.

VERDICT

Volkswagen Polo review front cornering

The Polo has never been an easy car about which to enthuse, and it remains resolutely that way in its sixth incarnation. Even so, its sheer completeness, distinguishing practicality and abundant rational appeal are all impossible to deny.

This is a more grown-up, spacious, well-mannered Polo than VW has made before, with a breadth of ability that most supermini makers wouldn’t even aim for, never mind achieve.

Competent in almost every direction, the Volkswagen Polo’s dependability seems to be at the expense of any charm.
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

It comes at a price premium but justifies that in so many ways: with its technological sophistication; with its reassuring on-road handling manners; with its rounded blend of performance, drivability, economy and refinement; and with its perceived quality.

Yet it’s missing much in the way of character, and if that’s your thing, then as objectively good as the Polo is, subjectively it’s going to leave you cold. Sure, the best-to-drive alternative is now gone – Ford Fiesta we salute you – but the Renault Clio, Peugeot 208 and even the Polo’s close cousin, the SEAT Ibiza all have more charm if not the VW’s sheer competence.

Keith WR Jones

Keith WR Jones
Title: Contributor

Following a diverse career that included PR-ing Q branch-aping covert surveillance kit and secondary school teaching, Keith followed his automotive passions by launching an award-winning blog in 2011, switching to full-time car journalism with Bauer Media two years later, writing for Parkers as well as CAR Magazine’s print and online guises.

Rapidly rising through the ranks to become the first managing editor of Bauer’s New Car Automotive Hub, he eventually sought a fresh challenge by moving into the automotive data industry, but the lure of a return to journalism eventually proved too strong to resist and he ventured into the world of freelancing in early 2024.

In addition to his contributions to Autocar, Keith’s also written for BuyaCar, Carwow, Classic Car Weekly, the Daily Mail, Diesel&EcoCar, HeyCar, Honest John, MSN Cars, Practical Classics and The Telegraph.

He’s also the go-to guy for many automotive PRs when it comes to researching their brand’s historic model ranges, using his ever-expanding personal archive of car sales ephemera and magazines to determine technical specifications, pricing data and detailed timelines.

Keith graduated first from the University of Lincoln with a BA in Management Studies in 1998, then in 2002 from Sheffield Hallam University with a PGCE in Secondary Education.

Jonathan Bryce

Jonathan Bryce
Title: Social Media Executive

Jonathan is Autocar's social media executive. He has held this position since December 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism. 

His role at work involves running all of Autocar's social media channels, including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn and WhatsApp. 

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

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