For a hatchback, falling into the A0 segment, the new Polo has a life-sized personality which matches the huge Polo fan-base in South Africa – with 22,916 customers driving off in one in 2017 alone.
I found the new version quite masculine in general – especially the black special edition Polo beats derivative (with features including a 300-watt sound system). But, then again, that’s what the manufacturer aimed to achieve with its redesign: a sporty, powerful, fresh and masculine Polo.
So, for the sake of feeling just a tad more feminine, I hopped into a white silver metallic 1.0 TSI 70kW five-speed manual Comfort Line and felt right at home behind the steering wheel.
The upgraded version is now also based on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) like the Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Passat, and Arteon. This version is longer and lower in height than the previous model, but also much bigger on space. Not only is there more space for the back-seat drivers, but the boot volume has increased from 280 to 350 litres! A dream for those girls (or guys) who struggle to travel light.
Don’t be fooled by the 1.0-litre engine - it’s much more powerful than you might expect. I had sufficient power throughout my drive – even with the air con on most of the time. The smallest TSI for the new Polo has an output of 70kW (at 5,000 rpm). The turbocharged engine, which is standard for both the Trendline and Comfortline, is both agile and efficient. The three-cylinder engine with torque of up to 175Nm (2,000 rpm) accelerates the car to 100km/h in 10.8 seconds. With a top speed of 187km/h, it reaches the level of the first Golf GTI. These figures apply to both the five-speed manual gearbox version and the optional seven-speed DSG version for this engine.
The new Polo is a witty personality on 15-inch alloy wheels. The car manufacturer has truly done a dandy job at making the car look fast even before it’s even moving.
The headlights are now also available with LED technology. Together with the radiator grille, they form the new 'face' of the car that extends across the entire vehicle width.
The new generation of the active info display makes its debut in the upgraded Polo. A modern, glass-encased functional unit creates an elegant appearance combined with simple controls similar to a high-end smartphone. The active info display is much higher than before so that it's in the driver's direct line of sight.
The latest generation modular infotainment matrix creates the right conditions for connecting the car with today's Apple and Android smartphones via App Connect. Along with MirrorLinkÒ (Android), App Connect now also integrates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (Google) into the infotainment systems. Google has not released Android Auto for the South African market.
We ended off the day with a tour of the plant at Uitenhage. We were able to witness the upgraded plant (with exceptional robotics and other technology) where Volkswagen is manufacturing the new Polo for local and international markets on a single line alongside the new Polo Vivo. And, finally, we witnessed the culmination of the Marco Polo activation, where one lucky participant drove away in one of the new Polos. Congrats dude! You and your team member deserve it!
The new Polo 1.0 TSI 70kW Comfortline costs R264,700 and all models come standard with a three year/45,000km service plan, three year/120,000km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service interval is 15,000km.
The new Volkswagen Polo is clearly a car with confidence, and if you’re not careful, it might just give you a little too much confidence...
