Is it really a mini-Golf?
Where the sales figures of the Volkswagen Golf have collapsed in recent years, the more compact Polo is still doing very well. To what extent the current model, which has been on the market since 2017, cannibalizes its big brother is difficult to say and – to be honest – not very relevant. What we would like to know is how the Polo pleases its owners. This article provides insight, based on reviews written by users themselves.
A word about cannibalization. The Volkswagen Polo is also under attack in its own range. Since 2019 by SUV brother T-Cross, but last year the somewhat more dynamically lined Taigo also crossed its path. A model that, according to Volkswagen, ‘combines the sportiness of a coupé with the space of an SUV’. What can you do as a traditional hatchback against such modern violence?
VW Polo: space of a Golf
Well, owners and users of such a Polo know how to explain that. “For its class, the Polo is actually quite a spacious car,” says the owner of a Polo GTI. “Journalists often write that it is the size of the Golf IV and that could well be true. Four adults fit exactly and I have never been short of space in the front (self 1.90 meters long)”. Short version, by the driver of a Polo 1.0 TSI: “Nice, well-arranged and very quiet car. Spacious inside! And a nice trunk. The interior is more spacious than that of a Golf IV.”
Also compared to the previous Polo, the steps made seem big, says this experience expert. “The first thing that strikes me compared to the other cars I have experience with is the space inside the car. The difference with the previous generation Polo is very big and two steps forward. With my 1.89 meters I can easily sit in the car, even behind myself in the back seat, that was different in the previous generation Polo.”
Another one then: “The name goes wrong every time, I have stopped keeping track of how many times the Polo has been mistaken for a Golf,” reports a satisfied Polo driver. “That shows how big the car has become.”
Equipment-dependent seating comfort
Although the Polo appears to be very spacious, several riders of the Comfortline version express criticism of the seating furniture. “The seats are just a bit too hard and offer virtually no support in the lower back, which started to cause problems for me personally. For longer journeys or heavy use, I recommend not choosing the standard seats,” writes one of them. “After a few weeks I was completely used to the car,” writes another. “This took a while at first, because my lower back hurt enormously on rides longer than one hour. The option for a lumbar support was not present in the relevant version. After a period of a month, I was able to get used to this.”
If you want better seats, you have to switch to a different equipment variant, for example the Highline. “The seats of the Highline are sporty. They offer good lateral support and have a harder padding compared to the Trend and Comfortline,” writes the owner of such a car. “I like that, because it is just a bit more bearable for me, especially on longer journeys.”
How does such a Polo drive?
You may have noticed that the name ‘Golf’ appears regularly in this article. When it comes to handling, this is no different. “As stated before, the Polo regularly behaves like the Golf. While driving you don’t really have the idea that you are in a B-segment car on the road,” said the driver of a Polo Highline Business R with 95 hp 1.0 TSI turbo engine. “Driving the Polo is not a punishment. The ‘almost like a Golf’ has been mentioned many times here in this section, but it really is,” agrees another user whose Polo has the same engine. He continues: “Except for one thing … I can’t get used to the three-cylinder sound, which is well damped, but still brings a different experience.”
It is not the only driver who finds the 1.0 TSI detrimental to comfort. “Because it is a three-cylinder, there is an annoying hum in the engine,” said this Polo Comfortline Business driver, “although the sound insulation is excellent for this class.”
Another driver deliberately opted for a turboless, 80 hp 1.0 MPI with also three cylinders. He briefly explains the differences. “The biggest advantage of the MPI engine is the quietness. Where I noticed with the TSI that it is quite restless (with a lot of vibrations) at low revs (< 1,700 rpm), I notice that it is very comfortable to drive with the MPI. For example, 60 km / h in fifth gear is easy to do. One of the major drawbacks of the MPI is its lack of power. Especially in a car of more than 1,000 kg, it is striking that it cannot be burned forward.”
Disturbances and irritations
In reviews of the Volkswagen Golf VIII, we regularly read about teething problems and teething problems, which is less the case with the somewhat older Polo. However, the car was initially recalled due to a problem with seat belts that may come loose. Until this shortcoming was resolved, only four seats were allowed to be used, as this owner describes: “I received a letter from the RDW with a beautiful sticker that I have to stick on my dashboard, which reminds us that no one is allowed in the back in the middle. to sit. That’s quite difficult, since someone sometimes rides along!”
A modification was carried out on this car at the beginning of 2019 and if all goes well this should be the case with every Polo. Apart from this problem, the Polo seems to be free of structural problems. There is lesser suffering in the form of a defective LED strip on the front, wind noise at rear doors and a defective camshaft adjustment. In the last car, the multimedia screen was also replaced under warranty due to a sudden stripe in the screen.
Not a malfunction, but an irritation that the adaptive cruise control causes. “It could spontaneously fail on the highway during a heavy rain shower. Raised it with the dealer, who thought that was normal,” writes the user who is inconvenienced by this. The next rider does get a message, but that doesn’t solve everything. “In bad weather, fog, heavy rain or snowfall (visibility less than 75 meters), the sensor gives up and you get a warning that the ACC has been switched off. Sometimes when the weather clears up the sensor doesn’t reset and you have to stop somewhere to restart the car.” Several owners also report that the gearbox of their manual Polo does not feel very solid and that the reverse gear is sometimes difficult to insert. Defective gearboxes are not reported.
The reviews create the image of the Polo as an adult car without too much fuss. It drives mostly quietly and comfortably, it is mainly the grumbling 1.0 TSI engine that throws a spanner in the works at low revs. When it comes to space, the Polo offers enough for almost every user, but the seating furniture in the more affordable versions can be improved. Will the Polo also be able to withstand the SUV offensive in the future? Time will tell.
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl