Volkswagen’s Supermini has always been a solid little car but apart from the Polo GTi from a few years ago it remains devoid of the slightest hint of personality. What is more annoying is the VW price tag.
It is simply way too high with prices starting at €15,465 for the sluggish 55bhp 1.2 litre especially when you consider the brilliant 1.3 Suzuki Swift can be had for €13,995!
My test car is the 1.4 litre ‘Comfort’ (€17,975) has standard features like height adjustable comfort front seats, rear armrest and split folding seats, body coloured moldings, front fog light, remote central locking and illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors.
With only the addition of ‘Climatic’ air con and metallic paint from the options list my little Polo comes in a massive €19,852. For that money I could go up a car size and get a Ford Focus (the current Semperit Irish Car Of The Year) and even get change!
The 1.4 Volkswagen Polo produces an unimpressive 75bhp from its four-cylinder 1390cc engine. This translates to having to do a fair bit of egging on at Motorway speeds.
It is frugal at the pumps though and with sky rocketing fuel prices that can’t be bad.
This revised Polo arrived here in June along with the super new Passat and slightly pointless five seat Golf +. There are twenty-six versions of the latest Polo, which incidentally is as a model has been around for some thirty years.
Slowly Volkswagen is copping on to the fact that well and sometimes over-engineered cars are not what motorists today want.
Value for money is vital with running costs going through the roof. The vicious taxes imposed on Irish motorists are sadly here to stay despite being anti European. Irish politicians especially the Minister for Finance can’t seem to find a softer touch than the easy ‘pushovers’ we road users are.
There is always talk of forcing motoring issues on the political agenda at election time but as a group we road users are sadly less than cohesive and the politicians know it.
Rant over back to the Polo. Okay so what is new and worth talking about? There is a new rear window! The new lights front and rear smarten up the otherwise dull exterior oh and the grill is now the new VW corporate one.
Inside the car is well laid out. The VW DNA is clearly to be seen. The engine range is limited to two petrol units (1.2, 55bhp / 1.4, 75bhp) while a 1.4 diesel (80bhp) that runs on the mere promise of fuel is available starting at €19,840.
The revised Polo is for die hard VW owners who don’t mind paying over the odds for an average car.
Michael Sheridan
