Just how much of a new car can you get for £7,700? Your expectations will probably not be very high. A Far Eastern cheapie perhaps. Or some dubious special edition. It might be something of a surprise to learn then, that this is precisely the amount required to land a Volkswagen Polo.

Not one of the most expensive versions obviously, but still an 'E' specification version complete with speed-sensitive power steering, central locking, driver and front passenger airbags, a 4-speaker MP3-compatible radio/CD player, a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel and an electronic engine immobiliser.

If you want more, then you want a plusher Polo Match, from £9,325. Here you get 15" alloy wheels, body-coloured bumper inserts, door handles and mirrors, electric front windows, front foglights, heated mirrors, a 6-disc CD autochanger or an iPod connector and split-folding rear seats.

Though it's possible to order the 'Match' version with 1.4-litre petrol or diesel power, most 'E' or 'Match' specification entry-level Polo models come with a 1.2-litre petrol engine. In an attempt to cover all the bases, Volkswagen offers two different versions of this unit, developing either 60 or 70PS. As with virtually all Polo variants, two body styles are available, three and five-door, with a £600 premium should you opt for five doors.

"Any rival model trying to wrestle sales from the Polo range will have a fight on its hands.."

Certainly, in both its forms, the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine is a beguiling unit, its distinctive offbeat thrum giving the car genuine character. The 60PS version of this powerplant doesn't shift the Polo's with any great alacrity, so if your intended use includes much motorway work, you're better off shaking the piggy bank a little further for the high output version. Both engines use a balancer shaft to reduce vibration and Volkswagen claim they are as refined as a four-cylinder. Whilst that may be true as regards vibration, they are quite vocal, especially when extended.

The key difference between the two engines is that the 70PS version features a quartet of valves per cylinder whereas the 60PS version makes do with a pair. With the 70PS unit, 60mph is around 15 seconds away en route to a top speed of just over 100mph, whilst the 60PS car keeps your licence that little bit safer by topping out at 95mph. Combined fuel consumption figures are identical at around 48.7mpg, a creditable figure given the Polo is so solidly built.

An integral aspect of the Polo's appeal is the drive to downsize. Although this may sound odd given that the car's girth has manifestly swelled, it now caters very well to drivers no longer interested in running something Mondeo-sized without making them feel as if they've suddenly become a member of the underclass. Swap from a Passat to a Polo and you certainly won't feel as if your station in life has taken a dive; you'll just feel as though you've taken an informed decision to downsize.

The key themes behind the Polo are the worthy (but slightly dull) avenues of safety and environmental friendliness. Both have been ratcheted up a notch or two in recent times, all Polos now being fitted with anti lock brakes with electronic braking assistance, twin front and side airbags, ISOFIX child seat mountings and a switchable passenger airbag.

With 270 litres of boot space, the Polo, especially in five-door form, can now realistically function as family transport, with rear legroom particularly generous. Park yourself behind the steering wheel and you'll witness a level of fit and finish unseen on Supermini class cars. The steering wheel design is slightly unusual, resembling an early Porsche 911 design, but the rest of the cabin has that elegant, understated simplicity of all Volkswagen Group products. It takes enormous corporate confidence to build something this tasteful and without resort to gimmickry to pull the punters in, but Volkswagen have pulled it off with aplomb. All models get power steering, an adjustable height driver's seat plus a tiltable and telescopic steering column.

In summary? Well, surprising at it may seem given the influx of new arrivals into the supermini sector over the last couple of years, the Polo still has a great deal of life in it - especially at the kinds of prices being asked for the 1.2-litre E and Match models we've been looking at here. As ever, any rival model trying to wrestle sales from the Polo range will have a fight on its hands.

TOP 5 POLO DEALS

The results below show the top POLO deals on buyacar

	Volkswagen Polo 1.2 E 60 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £117	Saving £727	Price £6,993
	Volkswagen Polo 1.2 E 60 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £127	Saving £792	Price £7,516
	Volkswagen Polo 1.2 E 70 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £128	Saving £793	Price £7,530
	Volkswagen Polo 1.2 E 70 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £138	Saving £858	Price £8,052
	Volkswagen Polo 1.2 Match 60 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £144	Saving £1,025	Price £8,295

typical 13.77% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000