polodriver.com first drives: new 2009 volkswagen polo range
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PoloDriver.com drives selected models from the new 2009 Volkswagen Polo range as it arrives in the UKTRANSCRIPT
Issue 001 New Polo first drive
‹ New Polo range first drives
‹ Improved, high-quality interior
Silver serviceImpressive new Polo sets the supermini standard
‹ Three trims, four engines
02 | New Polo first drive
october 2009 | PolodrIver.com
Deeply impressive.’ Those are the first two words I jotted
down in my notepad this morning at the press launch of
the new Polo range. A guest of the Volkswagen UK Press
Office, I attended a ‘Regional Driving Event’ where Volkswagen
arranges for invitied journalists to drive the latest models from the
German company at selected country club-type locations around the
UK. I was at the Leicestershire day, which this time around, was an
opportunity to drive the latest incarnations of the Golf GTI and GTD,
but more importantly, the new Polo.
Allison, Angus, Kate, Louise, Nicki and Paul had put on a good
spread of new Polos to try, from the 1.2 Moda through to the 1.4 SEL
DSG, currently top of the new Polo tree. Arranged in different colours for
the varying models, the rows of parked newcomers looked striking, and
after a welcome cup of tea and a catch-up, it was down to business.
The new fifth-generation Polo is the latest in a 34-year long line,
and it appears to uphold the traditional Volkswagen small car virtues
of class, quality and refinement. It’s true, the Polo has never been
an ‘enthusiasts’ car from a driver’s point of view, but it has never
pretended to be. And with over 10 million examples sold since its
introduction, does it really need to be?
Unveiled at the Geneva motor show
The new Polo was unveiled at the Geneva motor show way back
in March, launched on the continent in June, and will finally hit
these shores on 16 October. Three-doors arrive in January, and eco
BlueMotion versions follow in spring 2010. It’s seemingly been a
long time coming then and although the first road tests were largely
encouraging, is the new Polo really devoid of any character and just
a mini-me Golf?
First things first. It’s true, there is a similar look to a Mk 6 Golf, but
the Polo does have a character of its own. Volkswagen has chosen
the subtle but confident route when it comes to styling, and the new
model has a graceful and mature air. No, it’s not as avantgarde as a
Ford Fiesta (its main rival and class benchmark), but it is handsome
and attractive. The Ford may look dated in a few years’ time due to
its fussy and overstyled lines, but the Polo will age gracefully, exuding
a classy look.
Viewed from the front, the new car wears the latest version of the
updated Volkswagen corporate face, which debuted on the Scirocco.
A slim grille opens up to large, darkened headlamps, while the large
lower bumper grille stretches the width of the car and is trimmed in
Story | rich Gooding Photography | rich Gooding and Volkswagen UK Press Office
The new Polowears the latest VW
corporate face,which debuted on
the Scirocco.
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New Polo first drive | 03
PolodrIver.com | october 2009
chrome on Moda models and above. The rear features large almost
square tail lights and an integrated rear spoiler. One particularly pleasing
line is the sharp crease that runs from the top of the headlamp through
the body side, ending up at the tail light. A strong and folded shoulder
line, it gives the car real presence, and together with the large wheel
arches, instils a subtle dynamism to the look.
Volkswagen, like many other car manufacturers, has been very selective
about which wheels the new Polo wear in the press photographs. In most
of the released pictures, cars are fitted with 17-inch ‘Boavista’ alloys but
we’re pleased to report that even on the standard 15-inch ‘Cadiz’ and
‘Castille’ wheels which form part of the Moda and SE trim packages
respectively, the new model looks good.
Restrained but elegant
Step inside, and it’s a similar restrained but elegant story. Again, the
Mk 6 Golf similarities cannot be denied, but once more, the Polo has a
character all its own. For the first time, the dashboard centre console
and controls are slightly angled towards the driver, and while some initial
drive reports suggested that the quality wasn’t quite as Volkswagen
would have you believe the further you move down towards the floor,
there’s little to complain about. The plastics in the cabin are a cut above
the competition, and the chrome-trimmed surrounds on the air vents
that appear on Moda models and above lends the interior even more of
an upmarket air. The standard RCD 210 radio and CD/MP3 player fitted
to most models has a high-gloss black finish and a full-width display,
further enchancing the impression that the new Polo is a premium
supermini. It’s all very ergonomic, too.
But, the most important question, what’s the new Polo like to drive?
There were three models to try, with four different engines, so, starting
at the most basic version and working up the range, the 1.2 Moda was
first. Finished in black, the new headlamps and slightly hooded bonnet
give VW’s new small car a menacing look, and although not ideal for
photographs, the contrast of the chrome, lit headlamps and dark body
colour is striking. The second step up the Polo ladder, the Moda, is, as
its name suggests, aimed at the younger supermini buyer. Starting at
£11,385 until the cheaper three-door cars are ushered in, the 1.2 Moda
develops 59bhp (another 1.2-litre unit with 69bhp is available on the
Moda and higher-specification SE) from its carried over three-cylinder
engine. The same unit as its predeccessor, it still has its own character,
the thrummy sound escaping when revved hard. And although it needs
to be pushed to get the most out of it, it delivers adequate performance.
Motorways aren’t a stretch either; although no ball of fire, it thraps along
at a decent pace.
The overall impression though, is one of refinement. Even though the
engine can be vocal at times, it sounds a distance away, such is the
attention to detail that Volkswagen has paid to sound deadening and
making the new Polo the most refined car in its class. Has the German
giant focused too much on the refinement at the expense of handling
brio, though? The good news is no, but as we haven’t driven the latest
incarnation of Ford’s Fiesta, we’ll have to withold any comparisons to the
reported best steer in its class. What we can say though, is that the new
Polo is more dynamic than its outgoing predecessor, feeling both more
agile and sharp at a stroke when the going gets decidely twisty. With the
cabin cocooning the driver more than before, it reminded us of driving
the 1990-1994 second-generation Polos, due to the higher height of the
dasboard and a closer windscreen than its predecessor. A snick-snick
positive-feeling gearbox and strong brakes also make for an enjoyable
driving experience.
If the new Polo gives away the best-handling and most fun prizes to
the small Ford, it keeps the best riding trophies for itself. Refinement
A strong shoulder line gives the new Polo real presence, and together with the large wheel arches, instils a subtle dynamism.
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It’s all in the details: new Polo has sharp and strong body creases; SE 15” ‘Castille’ alloy wheels similar in style to ‘Cadiz’ rims fitted to Moda;1.4-litre engine develops 84bhp in SE and SEL trim, and can also be specified with VW’s DSG seven-speed auto gearbox
04 | New Polo first drive
october 2009 | PolodrIver.com
is the trump card played here, too, and to great effect. Long a Polo
tradition, road imperfections are barely felt at all and even though the
15-inch wheels and 195/15 R15 tyres are close to what would grace
a hot hatch ten years ago, here they cope well with bumps and ruts,
and although body roll is predictably on the agenda, it’s well-judged.
The electrically-assisted speed-sensitive steering is accurate enough for
most drivers, if not offering the last word in feedback. Safety systems
fitted as standard on the new Polo include ABS, Electronic Differential
Lock, ESP, Hydraulic Brake Assist and Traction Control.
Impressive standard kit
Standard kit on the Moda is impressive: front and rear electric windows,
RCD 310 radio/MP3 CD player with six speakers and AUX-IN socket
and glovebox-mounted Multi Device Interface (MDI) with USB and iPod
connection all feature to woo the not-quite-so-old Polo buyer. Additional
equipment the Moda features over the S includes body-coloured door
handles and mirrors, chrome-trimmed grille louvre, front foglights and
dark-tinted rear windows from the B pillar back. A 1.2 Moda variant with
air-conditioning (Moda A/C) is also available for £11,985.
Volkswagen UK expects the mid-range 1.2 SEs to be the best-seller in
this country, so the next model available we drove around the leafy lanes
of Leicestershire was the 69bhp version. Sandwiched between the Moda
and the top-flight SEL, the SE offers a good compromise between its
lower and higher-specification siblings, although at first glance, appears
to be very similarly specced to the Moda. Dark-tinted rear windows aside,
the only external differences appear to be the ‘Castille’ alloy wheels and
even they look very similar, but are fitted with slightly less sporty 185/60
R15 tyres. Price? The 1.2-litre 69bhp SE costs £11,995.
The higher-output 1198cc engine obviously isn’t that different to
its lower-powered relative, but the extra 10bhp makes it presence felt,
especially on motorways and dual carrigeways, where overtaking is easier.
Similarly-equipped to the Moda, the 1092kg 1198cc SE drives much the
same, too. We also tried a 1.4 SE and at a stroke the car feels faster. And
so it should; developing 84bhp, it has a more than useful 15bhp over the
1.2, and 97lbs ft of torque developed at 3800rpm – the lower-powered unit
pulls 83lbs ft of torque at 3000rpm, and a whole two seconds are shaved
off by choosing the 1.4 (0-62mph in 11.9). The 1390cc unit feels and sounds
sportier, too, and can also be specified with Volkswagen’s double-clutch
DSG automatic gearbox. Which is exactly what we tried next, with the
engine and gearbox combination fitted to the Polo SEL.
Improved interior: new Polo has high-quality Mk 6 Golf-inspired cabin with chrome accentson Moda and above. Full-width RCD 210 radio display gives a premium feel, while high-spec and optional RCD 510 touch-screen unit controlsphone, MP3s and sat-nav
Until the turbocharged 104bhp 1.2-litre TSI arrives early next year, the
1.4 SEL is the most powerful new Polo. It looks the same, though, as the
TSI will only be available as an SEL, and in this trim, the fifth-generation
really looks the part. Looks can be deceptive, though; the test car was
fitted with almost £3000-worth of extra kit, including 17-inch ‘Boavista’
alloys and 215/40 R17 tyres (replacing the standard 16” ‘Navarre’ rims),
a touch-screen satellite navigation/radio unit and multifunction steering
wheel. The leather trimmings inside the cabin are standard, however, and
together with the magic carpet ride and hushed noise, really make the new
Polo feel like the little limo VW wants it to be. The DSG gives the SEL a
sporty edge, and as well as leaving it in fully automatic mode, normal and
sports modes are available. Manual control is available, too – pull back to
change down and push forward to change up. DSG also hangs on to the
gears for longer, and in Sport mode, might fill the Polo GTI-sized for now.
The last drive of the day was of the 74bhp 1.6 TDI SE. To be honest, we
may have to reserve judgement on this one for now, as the test car was the
most inconsistent of the day. It had enjoyed appearances in the motoring
magazines very recently, seemingly being the only new Polo press car
available, and we suspect was not quite the blemish-free, fresh out of the
box car it could have been. It was good enough to get a first impression
of the new family of 1.6 common-rail diesel engines, though. A little rough
around the edges, but with 144lbs ft of torque available between 1500 and
2500rpm, it is plenty fast enough. It should be popular in SE trim, but a
nasty pedal vibration from the engine detracted from the refined new Polo
driving experience.
Conclusions? The new Polo can be descibed as a mini-Golf (we wish it
wasn’t), but it does feel individual enough from its bigger brother to have a
personality of its own. VW has made good use of advanced technology to
make the latest model both lighter yet safer, offering more ‘big car’ kit in the
process. It’s the most refined, luxurious and capable incarnation of the model
to date, and may at last get the recognition it has been deserving of.
The fifth-generation model is the most refined, luxurious and capable incarnation
of the Polo to date, and may at last get the recognition it has been deserving of.
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