Review of the new Volkswagen Polo 1.6 Sport

If the latest Volkswagen Polo has a hole, then a dash of character would seem to fill it. Character perhaps, like that provided by the 105PS 1.6-litre petrol engine featured in the Sport variant we examine here.

This reasonably rapid unit would seem on paper at least to be enough to create a kind of 'warm hatch' out of this car. Hence Volkswagen's decision to offer it here only in Sport guise at £12,825 (or £13,425 for the five-door). In truth, it won't be the sparkiest warm hatch you've driven this year, but decent reserves of torque are enough to make the driving experience a reasonably rapid one. Sixty from rest takes 10.4s on the way to 119mph, so you'll be able to snap at the heels of the odd GTi around your favourite country back double.

As you'd have a right to expect for this kind of money, there's plenty of equipment included at Sport level. Check off remote central locking with an alarm, an eight-speaker stereo (with dash-mounted 6-disc CD autochanger), 15" alloy wheels, sports suspension, sports seats, a multi-function trip computer, climate controlled air conditioning and front foglamps. All Polos get twin front and side airbags and ABS with Brake Assist.

This Polo's more grown-up attributes mean that you might well be tempted to use it on much longer journeys than the average supermini might usually be subjected to. Ride and refinement levels are both impressive in this respect. You can still hear the stereo at 70mph with the heater fan full on. Moreover, the handling will be a revelation to previous Polo owners, with far crisper turn-in and improved road holding, while the electro-hydraulic power steering is a generation on from the somewhat baggy helm that those who used older models will be used to.

"You'll be able to snap at the heels of the odd GTi around your favorite country back double."

As for that styling - well the look is still undeniably Germanic. The smart front end introduced in 2005 is now the 'family face' of Volkswagen, with a deep grille forming the point of a V-shape which then continues up through the bonnet to the base of the windscreen pillars. The reshaped headlights lose the cute look of the old Polo in favour of something wielding a little more gravitas, the circular headlamp cutting into the bumper to give a resolutely contemporary look.

An integral aspect of the Polo's appeal is the drive to downsize. That may sound odd given that the car's girth has noticeably swelled, but 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 drive a smaller car. No more, no less.

The finish is certainly as slick as anything in the £20,000 bracket. Invisible laser welding makes the roof, rear wing and sills look all of a piece and also contributes to Volkswagen's claim that the Polo has better structural rigidity than any car in its class, although as a rather outsized supermini, one hesitates to identify exactly which class that is. 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, all Polos now being fitted with ISOFIX child seat mountings and a passenger airbag that can be deactivated when a child seat is fitted.

With 270 litres of boot space, the Polo, especially in five-door form, can 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 that was once unseen on supermini class cars. 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 plus a tiltable and telescopic steering column, pretty much guaranteeing comfort behind the wheel.

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, pretty much guaranteeing comfort behind the wheel. Only the rather nasty spring-mounted cupholder lets things down. Its flimsy mechanism pops out of the dash at you and looks a rather perilous place to entrust your polystyrene cup, especially if you plan to be taking the 'warm hatch' thing in any way seriously. Expect to reach your destination with cold coffee still dribbling into the controls of the hi-fi.

Given the prices being asked, you'll need to be particularly partial to Polos to enjoy this one. Still, a while at the wheel could just leave you with a taste that can't be satisfied anywhere else.

TOP 5 POLO DEALS

The results below show the top POLO deals on buyacar

Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TDI Bluemotion 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £13,890 Read Polo Reviews	Save £1,155
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Price £13,195 Read Polo Reviews	Save £1,065
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Price £17,712 Read Polo Reviews	Save £1,163
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