Volkswagen Polo (2009-2017) Review

The Volkswagen Polo is a car that’s very hard to argue against. In this fifth-generation version, it’s lighter and more efficient than its predecessor, delivers a safe, undemanding drive and offers up plenty of cabin space when compared to most of its rivals.

There’s a good choice of engines and the option of an automatic gearbox, while the handling is safe and secure, even if it won’t inspire you in the way a Ford Fiesta will on a twisty road. More relevant to most Polo drivers will be the feeling of being in a car that is solidly built and decently equipped if you sidestep the entry-level models and go for SE trim or above.

The Volkswagen Polo is also available in three- and five-door body styles, with the latter the more common and desirable as it makes the Volkswagen one of the most practical superminis of this period.

For the vast majority of Volkswagen Polo buyers, the 60PS 1.2-litre petrol engine will work perfectly well in earlier versions of the fifth generation Volkswagen Polo. However, if your budget allows, we’d make a beeline for the 75PS 1.0-litre motor that replaced the 1.2 when the car was facelifted in early 2014. This later motor is smoother, more refined and has a bit more power for added flexibility, especially on faster roads.

You may also consider the peppy 1.2 TSI turbo petrol that came in 90- and 110PS versions and gives performance that belies its small size and three-cylinder design. It’s also available with a DSG automatic gearbox in 90PS form.

We’d opt for a five-door Volkswagen Polo for its greater versatility and look for one in SE or SEL trim to make sure it has air conditioning and decent stereo. The SEL has the added benefit of integrated USB and iPod connections.

The Volkswagen Polo’s nemesis is the Ford Fiesta, which is also available in three- and five-door body styles. As well as this, the Fiesta comes with a variety of nippy, frugal engines and it’s a delight to drive, though not as well put together as the Volkswagen.

You might also look at the Vauxhall Corsa, though it’s not as roomy as the Polo, but there are plenty to choose from. Others to look at include the excellent SEAT Ibiza and Skoda Fabia that share the same basic mechanics as the Polo, while the three-door only contemporary MINI is even classier than the Polo and great to drive.

As with the outside, there's a strong Golf feeling to the cabin of the fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo. This is helped by the neat three-spoke steering wheel and a good quality stereo, and it certainly has a big car feel about it.

Volkswagen used a process called ‘slush moulding' for plastic surfaces such as the facia, which means they don't feel hard and cheap. This applies to the steering wheel and minor controls too.

Everything from the seat fabrics to instruments and centre console look classy, plus there's a lot of nice detailing, such as the chrome trim on the air vents, door handles and gear lever surround in all but the base S model. As for the way the Volkswagen Polo is screwed together, it’s one of the best in its class and should resist succumbing to rattles and creaks even when it’s covered plenty of miles and seen lots of family use.

Pre-facelift Volkswagen Polos of this generation built up to the start of 2014 make do with a simple digital display for the stereo. The SEL trim gained the Multi Device Interface that could be paired with a mobile phone or iPod. It’s clear and simple to use, so it’s not quite as outdated as systems in other superminis of this period.

The 2014 facelift introduced Volkswagen’s generic infotainment screen to the Polo which will be familiar to anyone who has the same in a Golf or Passat. The 5-inch touchscreen comes with Bluetooth and USB connections, as well as DAB radio. It responds quickly to the touch of a finger and it’s easy to scroll through the various menus onscreen. There are also handy shortcut buttons arranged on either side of the display to take you to the important menus quickly, while a smaller screen in the middle of the main dash instruments can show sat-nav instructions.

For anyone looking to a supermini to fulfil multiple roles that include carrying several passengers or plenty of luggage, the Volkswagen Polo is a car you must consider. 

Even the three-door model offers surprisingly easy access to the rear seats through the wide-opening front doors, helped by front seats that slide forward. The only thing to bear in mind here is the long doors might not swing open very much in narrow parking slots.

The five-door Volkswagen Polo addresses this issue with a pair of large openings to let adults and children hop in and out easily. Two grown-ups will fit back here without any complaints courtesy of good legroom, space for shoulders and their head not brushing the ceiling as they might in the Vauxhall Corsa. 

The Volkswagen Polo is also much more generous for rear seat accommodation than the Ford Fiesta, so kids will prefer travelling in the Volkswagen. A pair of ISOFIX child seat mounts also means you can securely attach kiddy seats into the Polo.

For loading luggage, the Volkswagen Polo’s boot is not as big as some at 280 litres, but it makes up for this with its wide opening. There’s also the load floor that can be lowered to create more space and the boot shape is a broad rectangle with no interruptions. Folding the 60/40 split rear bench opens up carrying capacity to a decent but not class best of 952-litres.

Unlike a lot of cars in the supermini class, most models in the Volkswagen Polo range come with a full-sized spare wheel. Some models replace this with a can of tyre sealant, such as the BlueMotion to save weight and improve its economy and emissions figures. So, best to check the spare is in good condition or the sealant kit is present and correct.

The Volkswagen Polo dimensions are 3970mm long, 1901mm wide and 1485mm tall.

Anyone looking to buy this generation of Volkswagen Polo has the choice of petrol and turbodiesel engines. We’ll start with the petrol options that most will lean towards. The 1.2-litre non-turbo petrol comes in 60 and 70PS guises and each is attached to a five-speed manual gearbox. Exciting? No, but each is able to get on with the job of powering the Volkswagen Polo with little fuss or drama even on the motorway.

The 1.4-litre petrol motor is not worth seeking out as it adds little in terms of performance and is thirstier and more polluting. Far better are the 60 and 75PS 1.2 TSI turbo petrols that arrived with the 2014 facelift of the Volkswagen Polo.

Each is peppy and fun to use, and the 110PS version is surprisingly quick and fun to drive. Both are three-cylinder motors, so they also have a distinctive and appealing note when revved harder. A four-cylinder 1.4 TSI turbo petrol with 150PS turns the Polo into a decent warm hatch, but this engine is rare.

On the diesel front, Volkswagen offered the 1.6-litre TDI unit in 75 and 90PS forms. The 70PS was soon dropped, leaving the excellent 90PS version to provide strong performance at all speeds and decent economy. You should also consider the three-cylinder 1.2 TDI with 75PS, particularly in BlueMotion trim where it’s even more efficient. It punches above its weight in terms of performance.

A 1.4-litre turbodiesel replaced the 1.2 unit in 2014 and is another easygoing, low-cost diesel for those who cover larger mileages. It’s decently refined and well suited to motorway driving.

Whichever Volkswagen Polo fits in with your needs, you’ll find it will be among the most refined of its peer group. This is where Volkswagen truly distinguished this Polo from the opposition, making it quieter and more grown-up in the way it feels at any speed.

By suppressing noise from under the bonnet very well, the only sounds you are likely to hear inside the cabin from the mechanical components are the whirrs of the three-cylinder engines when revved hard. That’s no hardship as you don’t have to rev these engines to get the best from them and, when you do, they have an appealingly off-beat thrum.

Other sources of noise are also quelled just as effectively, so you won’t hear much in the way of road noise even on models that sit on larger wheels. There’s also very little wind noise on the motorway, making the Volkswagen Polo a good bet for anyone with a longer daily commute.

The refinement of the Volkswagen Polo is topped off by all of its major controls working with a finely judged weighting and balance to their actions. They’re light yet work with a controlled movement that makes driving the Volkswagen Polo very easy.

The Volkswagen Polo came with only four airbags instead of the six that was rapidly becoming the norm in the supermini class in 2009. However, this should not be a cause for concern when buying as the side airbags inflated upwards as well as outwards to create the same cushioning area as cars with side and curtain airbags. As a result of this, the Volkswagen Polo scored an impressive five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating thanks to it adult and child occupant safety.

Every Volkswagen Polo in the range comes with ESP traction and stability control, as well as ABS anti-lock brakes on all models. There are also three-point seat belts for every person in the car plus two ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outer two rear seats. There is no airbag cut-off switch in the front passenger seat, so rear-facing kiddy seats have to go in the back of the car.

This Volkswagen Polo predates autonomous emergency braking technology, but there was the option of adaptive cruise control to help maintain a safe distance to the car in front even as speed varied. However, there are several contemporary rivals to the Volkswagen Polo that have more safety kit either as standard or as an option.

The Volkswagen Polo scored a disappointing 8.78 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, even though that puts it somewhere in the middle of the Volkswagen range on that score. Given its longevity it's no surprise that the Volkswagen Polo has been the subject of several recalls for issues relating to airbags, oil consumption, child locks and camshafts on petrol engines to name a few.

As a brand Volkswagen performed better, finishing 10th place overall out of 30 manufacturers in the same survey.

The cheapest Volkswagen Polo to insure will be the 1.2-litre petrol model in S or SE trim as it falls into group 3 for its cover. Choose the 1.0 75PS in SE trim and it sits in group 10, while a 1.4 TDI BlueMotion model comes in with a group 15 rating.

The most expensive non-GTI Polo to get cover for is the Blue GT model that sits in group 23 due to its 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and swift performance.

Almost all Volkswagen Polos of this generation will have been registered before 31 March 2017. This means several enjoy free road tax thanks to their emissions falling below 100g/km of carbon dioxide emissions. That includes the BlueMotion models and some of the 1.2 TSI versions.

The popular 1.0 75PS-powered models sit in Band B for Vehicle Excise Duty with emissions of 108-109g/km meaning an annual payment of £20. Event he Blue GT models with their 1.4-litre turbo petrol engines sit in this tax band.

Most expensive to tax is the 1.4-litre petrol with DSG automatic gearbox and 134g/km CO2 output to attract a yearly rate of £150.

The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo range starts with the S trim that offers central locking, electric front windows, CD stereo with MP3 connection and 14-inch steel wheels.

The Volkswagen Polo Moda upgrades this with 15-inch alloy wheels, electrically heated and adjusted door mirrors, front foglights and remote central locking. It also has rear privacy glass, USB and iPod connectors, and passenger seat height adjustment.

Over the S trim, the Volkswagen Polo SE gains air conditioning, 60/40 split rear seat back and replaces the spare wheel with a spacesaver. For the Volkswagen Polo SEL, Volkswagen added the Multi Device Interface to pair with phones and iPods, a storage cubby with armrest between the front seats, and leather-trimmed steering wheel. It also has 16-inch wheels.

The Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion has its own body styling to make it more aerodynamic, as well as slim 15-inch alloy wheels, firmer suspension and a ride height reduced by 15mm. there’s also cruise control, air conditioning and Blue Merlin cloth upholstery.

From 2011, the Volkswagen Polo Match replaced the Moda and SE trims and included air conditioning, the Multi Device Interface and 15-inch alloy wheels.

Volkswagen also offered the Volkswagen Polo Blue GT with sporty styling. The Volkswagen Polo Beats has an uprated stereo, and sports seats with Alcantara trim. Pick the Volkswagen Polo Match Edition and you get rain sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, and cruise control.