Volkswagen Polo 2009 Review

Three’s good company, when it’s a triple-door Polo with a little four-cylinder engine that can be both frugal and gutsy. The 1.2-litre twin-charged — turbocharger plus supercharger — unit we tested is just one of eight engines that will be offered in Europe in the new three-door Polo.

The car will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of next year in a neat little package, with sharp lines dictated by Volkswagen Group chief designer Walter de Silva resulting a sporty look that’s squarely aimed at the younger demographic.

There’s a clean face with prominent horizontal styling, and the body — the same size as the five-door at 3.9m long, 1.6m wide and 1.4m high — bearing short overhangs and a lower look with longer door lines, has a streamlined presence set off by black pillars and upward sweep of the side window treatment.

While final decisions for Australia are still being made, Volkswagen will offer the car in Europe with seven engines. The four petrol versions are a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre developing 44kW, a twincharged 51kW 1.2-litre, a 63kW 1.4-litre and the DSG-mated direct-injection turbo 77kW 1.2-litre we tested.

On the diesel side, there is a turbocharged 1.6-litre developing three different outputs: 55kW, 66kW (which also get the DSG option) and 77kW, which will be followed next year by a super-efficient BlueMotion 1.2-litre turbodiesel.

There are three spec levels: Trendline, Comfortline and top-level Highline with features like ESP, daytime running lights, tinted windows and height-adjustable driver’s seat fitted as standard from entry level.

Comfortline adds extras like height adjustment for the front passenger, storage drawers under the front seats, dual cargo floor and chrome and aluminium-look accent trim. Highline gets extra chrome trim, three-spoke leather steering wheel, front centre armrest, multi-function display and tyre pressure indicator, height-adjustable sport seats and leather-trimmed handbrake and gear knob.

Driving

The little Polo is a snappy drive, responding quickly to the pedal and the seven-speed DSG. It has plenty of acceleration up to about 120km/h in the auto drive mode, but beyond that mark it starts to snooze a little and benefits from being slapped over into sport mode to wake it back up. In this mode it grips the gear firmly, and was holding in S6 for us at over 140km/h.

It handles well and it’s equally happy nipping around the city or jousting out on the highway, and on Germany’s unlimited-speed autobahn system sat easily at 160km/h with bursts up to 180km/h.

During those runs the fuel readout would jump, which is logical considering the speeds. At 160km/h and 3500rpm it showed 9.4l/100km, rising to 11.2l at 180km/h. However it dropped quickly as soon as you backed off, and we finished the day with an average of 7.7l. That might sound high, but it’s a respectable result considering the driving was a combination of congested city streets and ultra high speed bahnstorming, neither of which make for fuel saving.

We had the Highline spec — optioned up with extras like satnav — which made the cabin pleasant with soft plastics and chrome accents. But while we were comfortable in the front, the snug rear seat legroom could be a trial if you were in there for long trips.

However you’d have no trouble climbing in and out of the back, with the long doors and the generous front-seat travel making for very easy access. The styling looks great, although the rear pillar treatment trims visibility a bit and also encourages some wind rush at higher speeds. Overall, it’s a fun car with this engine, and will probably also be a practical one with any of the drivetrains.

Volkswagen Polo three-door
Price: TBA
Engine: (tested) 77kW 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: (optional) seven-speed DSG
Economy: (as tested) 7.7l/100km combined