Sharing the new VW corporate face with the Golf 6 and Scirocco is a more mature Polo.
The sharp angles, muscular shoulderline and sculpted rear are straight from the pen of Walter de Silva, the man who conceived the stunning Audi A5. Gone is the bowl-of-jelly shape of yore – this Polo is better defined and has grown up.
It’s not just a pretty face with no personality. It’s longer, wider, lower and lighter than its predecessor and it rides much better too. Build solidity and ride quality remind us of the premium Golf 6. And that says a lot.
The interior has plenty of pleasing-to-the-touch materials, although there’s still the occasional splash of cheap, hard plastic.
Trim-wise it’s a case of black or black, with a slight variation of the material weave to choose from.
The abundance of shades of black is overwhelming at times but it’s in keeping with the car’s serious character and new sophistication.
Pricing is competitive because it’s locally built. The base model is R3 000 more expensive than the outgoing one. At R209 900 the flagship diesel is cheaper than its predecessor.
That could be because the 1,4-litre and 1,6-litre petrol engines are carried over from the previous range – only the 1,6-litre diesel is new.
Because of its ever-youthful character the fantastic Ford Fiesta is funkier than the Polo as a benchmark rival. But is it better? A bruising battle lies ahead.
The Polo range
- 1,4 Trendline R144 900
- 1,4 Comfortline R161 900
- 1,6 Trendline R166 900
- 1,6 Comfortline R183 800
- 1,6 Comfortline Tiptronic R197 900
- 1,6 TDI Comfortline R209 900
Verdict
It was voted the European Car of the Year for 2010. Enough said.