The city car Polo, the best-selling Volkswagen in France, is getting a makeover to better face the second part of its career. Test in TSI 95 version.
Arrive at forty-six years of career, in six lifetimes, the Polo passes over the pool table.
But the Botox injection is measured: the shields gently remodeled, the grille retouched and the arrival of 100% LED spotlights from the basic version do not transfigure the German.
No question of taking risks with the star, the second best-selling foreign car (excluding Dacia) in France after the Toyota Yaris.
It is not perfect, but this sixth generation of Polo has great quality: the space it offers to the rear seats and the volume of its trunk (351 liters) make it a benchmark in the segment in terms of versatility.
But, while the Polo has always shone in interior ergonomics, this restyling allowed the engineers to change the situation …
Instead of the classic but practical rotary knobs (kept on the basic versions) for adjusting the temperature and ventilation of the air conditioning, we now find sensitive commands.
Why make it simple when you can make it complicated… Less precise, these ergonomic details also require you to take your eyes off the road each time you want to adjust an air conditioning parameter.
However, this annoying and incomprehensible aspect does not spoil everything, especially as the Polo, which also accommodates a new decorative insert in front of the passenger, retains a sober and chic presentation at the same time.
It is enriched bydigital instrumentation from the access version, and the security endowment has nothing to envy to the latest innovations.
Supplied as standard, autonomous emergency braking – with pedestrian / cyclist detection – and active maintenance in the traffic lane, easily disconnected, are now accompanied bya capacitive steering wheel, which detects the presence of hands.
The VW also has a front central airbag, like the Yaris, which extracts from the right side of the driver’s seat, to prevent a collision between the heads of the front passengers in the event of an accident.
Under her hood, the little German has abandoned diesel since the end of 2020.
If it still shows no trace of hybridization, it can boast of a sporting variation that has become (very) rare in the segment; the 207 hp GTI will be launched in the coming weeks.
However, it is good le petit TSI 95 ch, like its cousin the Seat Ibiza, which remains the most sold engine: it achieves almost 7 out of ten Polo sales in France.
This three-cylinder engine displays decent availability and performance, despitea 5-speed manual gearbox with far too long staging, which forces you to downshift too regularly.
It can be replaced by a soft but soft automatic transmission DSG7 (+ 1,525 €).
The Polo is safe and pleasant to handle, but its behavior, more designed for comfort than for sport, does not have the edge of a Peugeot 208 or a Ford Fiesta.
And side price / equipment ratio, it is not a reference either. But it’s a Volkswagen and, for some, it’s already an asset.
Volkswagen Polo 2021 test – our opinion:
This Polo would improve its “versatility”, so much vaunted by Volkswagen, with a more stepped and six-speed gearbox. But the German, spacious and really up to date on the on-board technology side, has more than nice scraps to showcase in its segment.
WE love
- Roominess and trunk
- Comfort and presentation
- Optional equipment offered
We like less
- Box 5 poorly staged
- Ergonomic details
- Price / equipment ratio
Volkswagen Polo 2021: more info
The Polo is currently the best-selling Volkswagen in France, ahead of the T-Roc compact SUV and the Golf.
When she takes advantage of Matrix LED spotlights, the Polo has, like the Golf, a light strip between the headlights. It is dissociated from daytime running lights and only lights up in the dark.
Fiche technique (Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI 95 ch BVM5)
- Engine: front, transverse, 3-cylinder, petrol, turbo, 12-valve, direct injection, DPF, 999 cc3
- Transmission: traction, mechanical, 5 speeds
- Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 95 to 5,500
- Torque (Nm at rpm): 175 to 1,600
- Empty weight (kg): 1,172
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 4,07×1,75×1,45
- Wheelbase (m): 2.55
- Turning diameter (m): 10.6
- Max speed (km / h): 187
- 0 to 100 km/h (s): 10.8
- Standard tires: 185/65 R 15
- Test tires: 195/55 R 16 / Bridgestone Turanza Eco
- Conso. Mixed WLTP (l / 100 km): 5.2 to 6.1
- Conso. during test (l / 100 km): 6.5
- CO2 (g / km): 117 to 139
- Malus: 0 to 190 €
- Chest (l): 351
- Front / rear elbow width (cm): 147/143
- Rear legroom (cm): 69
- Tank (l): 40
- Country of manufacture: Spain
- Warranty: 2 years / unlimited mileage
- Fiscal power: 5 CV
- Tarif de base: 18 855 € (TSI 95 BVM5)
- Price of the version tested: € 20,810 (Life finish) + € 5,345 of options!
PROPOSED RANGE (Volkswagen Polo)
Gasoline, from 80 to 110 hp, from € 18,015 to € 25,915
RECOMMENDED OPTIONS
- Space saver spare wheel: € 100
- 16 ”alloy wheels: 465 €
- Reversing camera: 300 €
- “Hands-free” access / start: 400 €
- City pack (front and rear parking radars, code / headlights auto., Auto windscreen wiper, electrochromatic central mirror, front lumbar support): € 680
MAIN CONCURRENTS
Volkswagen news, seen by auto-moto.com:
Volkswagen Aero B: the electric replacement of the Passat on the way
Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric vs Volkswagen ID.3: first comparison
Volkswagen ID.X: it will be well produced
The city car Polo, the best-selling Volkswagen in France, is getting a makeover to better face the second part of its career. Test in TSI 95 version.
Arrive at forty-six years of career, in six lifetimes, the Polo passes over the pool table.
But the Botox injection is measured: the shields gently remodeled, the grille retouched and the arrival of 100% LED spotlights from the basic version do not transfigure the German.
No question of taking risks with the star, the second best-selling foreign car (excluding Dacia) in France after the Toyota Yaris.
It is not perfect, but this sixth generation of Polo has great quality: the space it offers to the rear seats and the volume of its trunk (351 liters) make it a benchmark in the segment in terms of versatility.
But, while the Polo has always shone in interior ergonomics, this restyling allowed the engineers to change the situation …
Instead of the classic but practical rotary knobs (kept on the basic versions) for adjusting the temperature and ventilation of the air conditioning, we now find sensitive commands.
Why make it simple when you can make it complicated… Less precise, these ergonomic details also require you to take your eyes off the road each time you want to adjust an air conditioning parameter.
However, this annoying and incomprehensible aspect does not spoil everything, especially as the Polo, which also accommodates a new decorative insert in front of the passenger, retains a sober and chic presentation at the same time.
It is enriched bydigital instrumentation from the access version, and the security endowment has nothing to envy to the latest innovations.
Supplied as standard, autonomous emergency braking – with pedestrian / cyclist detection – and active maintenance in the traffic lane, easily disconnected, are now accompanied bya capacitive steering wheel, which detects the presence of hands.
The VW also has a front central airbag, like the Yaris, which extracts from the right side of the driver’s seat, to prevent a collision between the heads of the front passengers in the event of an accident.
Under her hood, the little German has abandoned diesel since the end of 2020.
If it still shows no trace of hybridization, it can boast of a sporting variation that has become (very) rare in the segment; the 207 hp GTI will be launched in the coming weeks.
However, it is good le petit TSI 95 ch, like its cousin the Seat Ibiza, which remains the most sold engine: it achieves almost 7 out of ten Polo sales in France.
This three-cylinder engine displays decent availability and performance, despitea 5-speed manual gearbox with far too long staging, which forces you to downshift too regularly.
It can be replaced by a soft but soft automatic transmission DSG7 (+ 1,525 €).
The Polo is safe and pleasant to handle, but its behavior, more designed for comfort than for sport, does not have the edge of a Peugeot 208 or a Ford Fiesta.
And side price / equipment ratio, it is not a reference either. But it’s a Volkswagen and, for some, it’s already an asset.
Volkswagen Polo 2021 test – our opinion:
This Polo would improve its “versatility”, so much vaunted by Volkswagen, with a more stepped and six-speed gearbox. But the German, spacious and really up to date on the on-board technology side, has more than nice scraps to showcase in its segment.
WE love
- Roominess and trunk
- Comfort and presentation
- Optional equipment offered
We like less
- Box 5 poorly staged
- Ergonomic details
- Price / equipment ratio
Volkswagen Polo 2021: more info
The Polo is currently the best-selling Volkswagen in France, ahead of the T-Roc compact SUV and the Golf.
When she takes advantage of Matrix LED spotlights, the Polo has, like the Golf, a light strip between the headlights. It is dissociated from daytime running lights and only lights up in the dark.
Fiche technique (Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI 95 ch BVM5)
- Engine: front, transverse, 3-cylinder, petrol, turbo, 12-valve, direct injection, DPF, 999 cc3
- Transmission: traction, mechanical, 5 speeds
- Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 95 to 5,500
- Torque (Nm at rpm): 175 to 1,600
- Empty weight (kg): 1,172
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 4,07×1,75×1,45
- Wheelbase (m): 2.55
- Turning diameter (m): 10.6
- Max speed (km / h): 187
- 0 to 100 km/h (s): 10.8
- Standard tires: 185/65 R 15
- Test tires: 195/55 R 16 / Bridgestone Turanza Eco
- Conso. Mixed WLTP (l / 100 km): 5.2 to 6.1
- Conso. during test (l / 100 km): 6.5
- CO2 (g / km): 117 to 139
- Malus: 0 to 190 €
- Chest (l): 351
- Front / rear elbow width (cm): 147/143
- Rear legroom (cm): 69
- Tank (l): 40
- Country of manufacture: Spain
- Warranty: 2 years / unlimited mileage
- Fiscal power: 5 CV
- Tarif de base: 18 855 € (TSI 95 BVM5)
- Price of the version tested: € 20,810 (Life finish) + € 5,345 of options!
PROPOSED RANGE (Volkswagen Polo)
Gasoline, from 80 to 110 hp, from € 18,015 to € 25,915
RECOMMENDED OPTIONS
- Space saver spare wheel: € 100
- 16 ”alloy wheels: 465 €
- Reversing camera: 300 €
- “Hands-free” access / start: 400 €
- City pack (front and rear parking radars, code / headlights auto., Auto windscreen wiper, electrochromatic central mirror, front lumbar support): € 680
MAIN CONCURRENTS
Volkswagen news, seen by auto-moto.com:
Volkswagen Aero B: the electric replacement of the Passat on the way
Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric vs Volkswagen ID.3: first comparison
Volkswagen ID.X: it will be well produced
