2019 Volkswagen Polo Review

What’s the spec?

Unsurprisingly, there is a vast choice of trim levels: S, SE, Beats, SEL, R-Line, GTI and GTI+. The basic S gives you an 8in infotainment touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB port. Go north from there and you get front and rear parking sensors, LED rear lights, and the very top of the tree gives you adaptive cruise control.

The price rises in sync with your box ticks: while the Polo starts at £14,235, you can easily spend nearer £20,000, and go as high as £22,895 for the GTI+.

Tell me about the exterior and interior

Our test car came in a fantastic bronzed orange, or “Energetic Orange” as VW terms it, a worthwhile £570 extra. The new Polo has more creased lines and defined edges for a more aggressive look, which suits the all-round upmarket feel of this urban hatch.

Inside, there’s now enough room for four adults (five is a squeeze) and a decent boot for the week’s shopping. All Polos come decked out in Volkswagen’s smart dark grey and black fabrics covering the seats, with soft dark plastics and textiles on the dash and doors. It just proves tyou don’t need to splash out on leather for a premium feel.

The dashboard houses VW’s fantastic infotainment system, which operates via touch. It cleverly reveals the functions you need as your finger approaches the screen, withdrawing them again when you take your hand away to leave a clearer view of the necessary information, such as the sat-nav map. It puts more expensive systems to shame, although the audio quality can be a bit tinny.

How does the Polo drive?

We tested the best-selling SE with a 1.0-litre petrol engine developing 80 horsepower, and a five-speed manual gearbox. The power on tap was just enough for overtaking manoeuvres, but you have to go down a gear for the extra revs each time.

Unbelievably there’s a 1.0-litre version with just 65 horsepower, which we wouldn’t recommend unless you never need to go uphill. If you’re after more oomph, the GTI versions put out nearly 200 horsepower, and there are six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes (VW calls them DSG gearboxes, which means they have two clutches for smoother gear shifts).

Like all VWs, the ride of the Polo is very well judged, leaving you enough feedback to feel connected to the road surface, but shielding you from the big jolts and bumps. Most importantly, the cabin is pleasantly quiet at motorway speeds, which is not normally the case for smaller, cheaper cars.

In a nutshell

If you’re looking for a budget small hatchback, there are cheaper alternatives out there, but if it’s a strong sense of build quality, reliability and premium engineering you’re after, you can’t do much better than a Volkswagen Polo. We love the styling of this latest version, which echoes the smart, subtle design inside. We also like the wide range of engines and specifications on offer, meaning this car will suit multiple budgets and briefs. View the entire range of used Volkswagen cars for sale on finance, with ChooseMyCar.

Similar car reviews

There are some great alternative options to the VW Polo, we’ve compiled a list of alternative car reviews if you’re looking for something different than the Polo.

First of all, it’s no surprise that the UK’s top-selling car is the Ford Fiesta. With its urban look and good value, it’s an all-round great car to own and drive.

We then have the Audi A1, which has only been around since 2010 has the 5 door Audi A1 Sportback. Now the second generation A1, it’s extra interior and greatly improved technology makes this a great supermini.

The Hyundai i30 is a hot-hatchback in a grown-up body, and the i30 Fastback N is a 2-litre turbocharged petrol-engined version which has a nifty 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds.

You cannot forget the immensely stylish, upmarket Mercedes A Class is possibly the ultimate family hatchback and comes in Petrol, Diesel, and Hybrid options.

The Mini may not have been seen as a small family car previously, but the new range of Mini’s are now much larger and practical, with the Mini Clubman & Mini Clubman John Cooper Works being somewhere in the middle of a small SUV and a three-door hatchback that’s more like a mini-estate. The Mini Cooper S also comes with a 5-door option.