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There's been a trend in recent years to avoid putting the Manufacturer's name on cars. We're supposed to distinguish different cars by their (often very similar) model name and by the Manufacturer's Logo. The trouble is, lots of the logos look alike - checkout Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai for instance. Only a few incorporate their name in their logo these days. VW is one, and it's hard now to mistake a VW for something else as they all carry HUGE VW badges, front and rear. The Polo is no exception, and when viewed head on, it also carries a distinct styling similarity to its more refined cousins in the Audi clan, with more than just a hint of Audi's very distinctive, in your face, trapezoid grille styling.
There are four models in the current Polo range. The base model, starting at $16,990 is the Polo Club 3 door. It uses a de-tuned version of the 1.4 litre petrol engine found in the 5 door Polo Match , the next model in the range, with a starting price of $19,990. Our test car, the Polo TDI 5 door with a 1.9 litre turbocharged diesel engine, slots in next at $22,990. Top of the heap is the Polo GTI 3 door which sports a 1.8 litre turbocharged petrol engine and is priced at $26,990.
All models feature dual airbags up front but the two 1.4 litre petrol models come without ABS brakes. This essential (in our view) safety feature, together with EBD is available in these models as a $1,200 option, packaged with Side Airbags for front occupants and both front and rear Curtain Airbags. The Airbag component of this package is available as a $700 option in the TDI (which already gets ABS and EBD as standard). The GTI comes with the lot.
The TDI (along with the Match) has a high level of creature comforts. The cabin also has the distinct understated look of Audi about it right down to the electric window and mirror controls. Semi-automatic Climatic air conditioning is standard - you can dial your preferred temperature but the fan, air-con and directional controls remain manual.
There's nothing very colourful about the interior, in fact it's decidedly grey in daylight, but at night it comes to life with red illuminated controls and distinctive blue backlit instruments. The seats are covered in grey cloth with thin multi-coloured stripes. Lateral support on the seat backs is reasonable provided your shoulders aren't too far apart, but on the seat base is minimal.
The Polo's AM/FM radio is only single CD capable, but its four speakers are more than adequate. There are other neat features like central locking which can be programmed to lock the doors automatically after you drive off. The central locking can also be programmed in two stages - drivers door first press and then passenger doors on the second press - meaning you are less susceptible to being hi-jacked when you return alone to your parked car. Cruise Control is also standard. The illuminated 'Audi-like' vanity mirrors (both sides) are a class act for a car at this level. Their cover slides back and in doing so switches on the illumination. These features sum up the general feel of the Polo's interior. For our very brief wishlist for some improvements (plus a whole lot more) read on.
As far as Creature Comforts go there is very little to put on our wish list - just a few items - none of which though (we hasten to add), would prevent us from buying a Polo:
• The Polo has a footrest for the driver's left foot but we found the clutch pedal too close to it - resulting on occasions in our not being able to fully depress the clutch, as our foot hit the rest. The clutch pedal was also slippery resulting in our foot slipping off it on more than one occasion.
• The external mirror controls which are located on the drivers door were difficult to use at first as they are side on and not facing the driver.
• The Polo also has beautifully painted door sills - the trouble is, they won't stay beautifully painted for long - a simple kick panel on the sills would be a really practical touch.
• While the steering wheel does adjust for both height and reach, a height adjuster on the driver's seat would be good.
The Polo is surprisingly spacious and will carry 4 adults comfortably. Foot room is excellent, even in the back. The rear seat has a 60/40 split and while the rear seats don't fold down perfectly flat, they do increase your load carrying capacity considerably. Storage abounds, and includes dual under-dash parcel trays. We don't like the storage tray on top of the dashboard. It's an open invitation for people to put their mobile phones etc. here, which can become dangerous weapons in a crash. We're delighted to note however that all models in the Polo range carry a full-sized spare wheel and a neat, solid (not polystyrene) tool box which stows inside the spare.
As mentioned earlier, only the TDI (our test car) and the GTI feature ABS brakes (with EBD) as standard. All models feature dual airbags up front. Side Airbags for front occupants and both front and rear Curtain Airbags are standard only in the GTI but are available as options in all other models. 3 point seatbelts are standard across the range including the centre rear seat. The latest Euroncap Crash Test was in 2002 and resulted in a 4 star (out of 5) rating for occupants but only 1 star for pedestrian protection.
While the untrained eye may not pick the Polo TDI as a diesel, the untrained ear soon will. The (to be expected) diesel rattle is not particularly obtrusive in the car but is quite loud outside. Diesels run much higher compression ratios than petrol engines because they don't have an electrical ignition system. The high compression heats the charge of air in each cylinder into which the diesel fuel is injected. The fuel is ignited purely by the heat of the compressed air. Apart from the ignition noise the high compression of the diesel engine also restricts its rev. range. Where a petrol engined Polo will rev to 6,000rpm+ the TDI starts to tire in the mid 4,000s. The TDI has a turbocharger to help it along and despite a barely perceptible lag while the turbo spools up, the car rockets off from a standing start. It reaches its red-line very quickly, so you need to be ready for the change to second gear before you've got to the other side of the intersection, but the joy continues in second! Another great feature of diesel engines is their inherently high torque. What this translates to is the ability of the TDI to potter along in higher gears at relatively low revs, while still having the capacity to accelerate when needed.
To drive the TDI in a spirited fashion requires lots of gear changes and frankly I reckon this great little engine would be beautifully suited to an automatic transmission or the Volkswagen/Audi DSG clutchless manual. Alas, these aren't available (the 1.4 litre (petrol) Polo Club has the option of a 4 speed auto) and would of course blow the pricing sky high if they were. The Polo TDI handles well and had no bad habits that we could find. Speed humps and corrugations were smoothed out well and the TDI (engine aside) was rattle free.
VW quote fuel economy figures of 5.0 litres/100 kilometres on a combined city/country basis. You should expect perhaps 6.0 - 7.0 if you spend more time around the city than on the open road. This translates into anywhere from 650 -900 kilometres per 45 litre tank. Let's compare the relative fuel cost of the 1.9 litre Diesel Polo TDI with the Polo 1.4litre Petrol Polo Match. While the fuel consumption figures quoted by manufacturers are going to vary from what you might experience on the road, provided they are obtained consistently, they are perfectly OK to use as a comparison.
The TDI uses 5.0 litres/100kms and the Match uses 6.8 litres/100kms. In other words, the Match uses 36% more fuel than the TDI. Diesel fuel, in Australia, is more expensive than unleaded petrol. The difference varies, but is normally in the range of 3-10¢ per litre. At current July 2006 levels, this means diesel is around 2-7% dearer than unleaded petrol. What does all this mean? It means it will take quite some time to claw back the premium you have to pay to buy the TDI. This premium is $2,500 when you option both models with the full safety pack of ABS and side airbags. You will save just on $2,000 in fuel costs with the TDI for every 100,000kms travelled so the break even point (ignoring financing costs and assuming prices around current levels) is about 125,000kms.
VW offer a 3 year / 100,000 km (whichever occurs first) warranty, which includes 24 hour roadside assistance Australia wide. They also offer a 3 year paintwork and a 12 year anti-corrosion perforation warranty.
VW says "Aus Liebe zum Automobil." Well, we love the Polo TDI too. While difficult to justify on purely economic grounds the car has many other features which give it a unique personality at this end of the market. The $700 airbag upgrade is a must in a car of this size however. Give the Polo TDI serious consideration.
Test conducted June 2006
Vehicle supplied by Volkswagen Group Australia
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