Volkswagen Polo review: a modest mid-life refresh

What is it?

Buckle up: this is the mid-life update for the Volkswagen Polo, and we are reviewing the ‘new’ Volkswagen Polo. Thrilling stuff.

A refresh? It looks much the same...

That is fair enough: this is far from a dramatic transformation. Volkswagen says it has fitted revised front and rear bumpers, along with the now-standard facelift addition of optional LED headlamps. If you can immediately identify the changes, you probably have rather too much spare time.

Volkswagen Polo engines and driving

There must be more to it than that?

The headline change is the replacement of the old 1.2-litre petrol engine, previously the best-seller, with the 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit from the Up. It is offered with either 59bhp or 74bhp, while both versions produce 96 Nm of torque. Predictably, neither is especially quick: 0-62mph takes 15.5 seconds in one and 14.3 seconds in the other.

Blimey.

But 0-62mph acceleration is absolutely NOT the point of this car. The Polo is at its best during smooth urban commuting, a role to which the 1.0-litre engine is well suited. That applies to the 74bhp version, at least.

It will maintain motorway speeds, provided you are patient enough to reach them, and it is remarkably refined. Truly, it is as quiet as a BMW 3-Series. A lengthy motorway trip may take its time, but it will not be unpleasant.

In town, it has sufficient low-down pull and delivers a comfortable ride. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions also improve significantly over the old 1.2-litre: the Polo officially achieves 59.8mpg and 108g/km, while the less powerful model returns 60.1mpg and 106g/km.

You seem impressed.

Up to a point. The stronger 1.0-litre has just enough muscle, whereas the lower-powered engine works considerably harder. It is adequate in the Up, but the Polo weighs 100kg more. Inclines become difficult, and overtaking on country roads is out of the question.

We would choose the 74bhp Volkswagen Polo, particularly as it costs only £525 extra. It remains no rocket ship, but feels noticeably quicker than the entry-level version.

Volkswagen Polo touchscreen and MirrorLink

Have any other areas changed?

A new touchscreen is fitted as standard to every trim except the entry-level model, and it can now link with a wide range of Android phones. Apple is not cooperating with Volkswagen for now, so iPhone owners can move on to the next question.

For everybody else, £150 buys MirrorLink. This lets you plug your phone into the car via USB, after which the dashboard screen mirrors the phone display and gives access to your apps.

The phone still does the processing, although the car recognises when it is being driven, meaning only authorised apps can be viewed while moving. Sadly, you cannot watch YouTube footage of a leopard eating a crocodile while driving.

It is a reasonably effective system, but not one that would persuade us to choose a Polo by itself. It has the feel of early-adopter technology.

Volkswagen Polo GTI and verdict

Is there anything more I need to know?

We suspect the Polo GTI is what interests you more, and it too will receive a facelift at the end of the year, including a proper manual gearbox. Hurrah! Output also rises to 190bhp. Hurrah again! The downside is that we have not driven it yet.

Then I might hold off...

Do not write off this new Polo. It is not the most exciting choice, but when refinement and build quality matter most, it matches any supermini on sale.

6/10