Despite the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal VW is going through, one mustn’t forget that the giant from Wolfsburg builds rock-solid vehicles. The Polo has been with us for years and now in its 6th generation, Volkswagen Polo Saloon is battling with the likes of Toyota Yaris, Honda Brio, Renault Kwid and Ford Figo for the fuel efficiency title.
Design
The Polo has taken on a more mature look than the previous-generation model with sharper, more precise lines and the new VW nose already seen in another VW model. With slightly larger dimensions, the Polo sedan definitely has grown bigger and is almost the size of the Jetta mark 5 (MK5).
Cabin quality
The seats are comfortable, the high-class build quality and finish are typical of new VW cars, and everything falls easily to hand. From a practicality point of view, it wasn’t the massive boot that surprised me but the airy and spacious interior.
Rear passengers get treated with generous legroom, and three reasonably sized adults should have nothing to complain about back there. The Polo sedan is perfect as a day-in, day-out runabout, offering superb levels of ride comfort and that uncanny ability to get in and just gel with the car.
Engine derivatives
Polo sedan comes in two model variants, both the 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol units available locally. The 1.4-litre petrol engine delivers 63kW while and makes use of a 5-speed manual gearbox while the 1.6-litre motor makes 77kW. There is a Tiptronic version available in the 1.6-litre model.
Powering my sedan test unit was VW’s familiar 1.4-litre petrol engine, good for 63kW, which doesn’t sound like much but feels surprisingly feisty through the gears.
The claimed 0-100km/h sprint is 11.1 seconds, but our bums-in-seats impression was that it felt slightly quicker. Fuel consumption for this model is claimed at around 5.9-litres/100km.
The drive
The Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels while driving was impressively low, thanks to extensive use of sound damping materials in the cabin. The steering is not overly assisted, with good, especially at cruise speed.
The Polo is fitted with the ‘rough road’ package that consists of stronger dampers and springs, able to withstand our treacherous road conditions. Front McPherson struts and rear independent suspension setup ensures the Polo’s sure-footedness in all surfaces.
Safety
As far as safety goes, all Polo sedans are fitted with dual front and side airbags as well as ABS brakes as standard.
Summary
Good build quality, generous equipment levels and a fuel-efficient engine make the Polo a worthy vehicle for the discerning penny pincher. The question still remains, is it the best fuel sniffer money can buy?