The Volkswagen Polo - The Elderly Statesman of the Supermini

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the elder statesmenis that the Polo has retained the understated good
of the Supermini market; remaining stoic in its refusal tolooks and style that have maintained its popularity
disappear from forecourts across the land. After oversince its 1975 inception. The favourite chunky, boxy
30 years on our roads, the Polo is still seen on everybody has been smoothed out for modern taste, but is
high street the length and breadth of the country. It'sstill unmistakably the 'Volkswagen Look'.
available in hatchback, coupé and estatePerformance-wise the Polo is never going to reinvent
variants so everyone is catered for. However, as Bobthe wheel, but no present or prospective Polo owners
Dylan once perceptively announced, the times they arewould expect it to. The whole Volkswagen shtick is
a' changing. With so many young pretenders snappingreliability, sturdiness and a bit of oomph occasionally.
at Polo's well-trodden heels, how is it going to remain aThe Polo E's punchy engine is extremely responsive
petrol head favourite?for a base model and is backed by excellent handling
No longer the baby of the Volkswagen fleet (followingand an intuitive suspension system that will iron out the
the introduction of the Lupo in 1998 and then the Fox inbumpiest of city streets or pot-hole ridden country
2004), the Polo now sits in a slightly odd position inroads.
between the entry level model and the higher specThe tired old cliché of efficient German
Golf. New drivers will opt for the lower end models,engineering will be trotted out here, but there isn't a
whilst the more adventurous will jump straight to thesingle nuance of frivolity to be found on the whole car;
Golf. It would appear to the untrained eye thateverything is functional, because if it wasn't it wouldn't
Volkswagen are putting the squeeze on their ownbe on the car. A simple/basic concept has been
product. Are VW struggling to find a suitable niche forapplied to the designing of the Polo, ensuring that
the Polo?quality takes a huge precedent over quantity. Apply
Let's take a look at the competition. The sporty-lookingthis logic to German beers if you will; never the tastiest
Seat Ibiza skips into view like a Spanish waiter withof beverages and often more expensive than the
itchy under-garments, the Vauxhall Corsa stalksother beers, but you always seem to get drunker
nearby like a Huntsman Spider and the ever-presentquicker if you choose the Bavarian way. That, my
Ford Fiesta reinvents itself more than Madonna does.friends, is efficiency.
That goes without mentioning the Fiats, the ToyotasThe real feather in the Polo's cap is the way it has
and the Hondas, all of which are turning heads andeffortlessly straddled and conquered the most
gaining notoriety within the Supermini circles. To staypressing social issues of the day. The Polo's extremely
afloat the Polo will have to keep well ahead of thelow running costs combat the current economic burial
curve.pit we find ourselves in, whilst remaining kind to the
In a purely aesthetic sense, the Polo doesn't disappoint.environment with impressively low Co2 emissions. So
The evolved looks cannot hide the treasuredwhether you're a financially doomed merchant banker
Volkswagen lineage, the curvy body updated to keepor a earth-loving hippy, you're unlikely to be annoyed by
up with the Joneses whilst remaining distinctly 'VW'. Inseeing this car on the road.
relative terms the Polo is akin to an aging aunty with aThe future looks uncertain for the VW Polo; the
keen desire to look 17 again; perhaps a nip here andcompetition is mounting like a hungry pack of wolves,
tuck there and she'll nearly be there... nearly. But wouldbut for the time being it remains near the top of the
you want to be seen with her? Well, as a matter ofsupermini pyramid in both popularity and performance
fact, yes you would...if she was a Polo...which she'sstakes. Whether it stays there for much longer is
not...but you understand what I mean...sort of. The pointanother matter.