Britain’s favourite cars are small cars. And among small cars, there are few that are better loved than the Volkswagen Polo.
The Polo has always been the small car with big ideas; a rival to the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Vauxhall Corsa that always felt slightly more grown-up, a touch classier, and just a little bit more aspirational. Other rivals include the Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Citroen C3 and Skoda Fabia, as well as more premium cars like the Audi A1 and Mini Hatch.
There are small cars out there that are more exciting to drive, and it’s fair to say that cheaper versions have always felt a touch on the utilitarian side. But its winning blend of build quality, space and comfort has won the Polo plenty of fans regardless. And the latest version, like its larger stablemate, the Volkswagen Golf, is widely regarded as one of the best cars on the market, as capable around town as it is on longer motorway drives.
But just where did it all start – and how did we get here? Well, believe it or not, the Polo’s story started as far back as 1974 – and even more strangely, it started life as an Audi.
Generations: 6
- Volkswagen Polo mk6 (2018-present)
- Volkswagen Polo mk5 (2009-2018)
- Volkswagen Polo mk4 (2002-2009)
- Volkswagen Polo mk3 (1994-2002)
- Volkswagen Polo mk2 (1981-1994)
- Volkswagen Polo mk1 (1976-1981)
Volkswagen Polo mk6 (2018-present)
Bodystyles:
- Five-door hatchback
Notable features and facelifts of the Volkswagen Polo mk6:
- Known as the AW
- More eye-catching styling than before
- Three-door model dropped
If the mk5 Polo felt a bit dull, the latest mk6 supermini rectifies that with the addition of snazzy new interior options and more vivid paint colours. Heavily creased styling sets the new model apart from its straight-laced predecessor, too, while more involving driving dynamics - with better body control and better grip of the tyres on the road - mean it’s more interesting behind the steering wheel than ever.
For the first time there’s also no three-door VW Polo – demand simply isn’t high enough any more – but there is a host of new technology, such as a touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, and means this Polo feels right up to date. There's lots of safety equipment, too, which helped give the Polo a full five-star score from safety organisation Euro NCAP.
Standard equipment is generous on the new Polo, with all trim levels getting alloy wheels, LED headlights, cruise control and air conditioning (all but the entry-level version actually have more sophisticated climate control). There's a choice of manual and DSG dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, but there's no TDI diesel option.
The R-Line version has sportier styling that the rest of the cars in the range, but it goes no faster. If you genuinely fancy going fast, the latest Polo GTI hot hatch can hit 62mph in just 6.7 seconds thanks to its punchy TSI petrol engine, which also manages very reasonable fuel economy. The GTI+ version also gets adaptive cruise control and a 10.3-inch ‘digital cockpit’ instrument screen.
Volkswagen Polo mk6 Review
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Volkswagen Polo mk5 (2009-2018)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
Notable features and facelifts of the Volkswagen Polo mk5:
- Known as the 6R and 6C
- Mk5 model had a much improved interior and generous standard equipment
- Facelifted in 2014 with new engine options and visual tweaks
The Polo returned to form with the mk5, with a much more upmarket-feeling interior than before, complete with high-quality materials and, in some versions like the upmarket SEL, a generous equipment list.
There was a wide range of engines on offer in the new car, and while the entry-level naturally-aspirated variants were sluggish, the turbocharged models offered plenty of pep without driving up MPG, emissions and running costs. Reliability improved, too, although the early Volkswagen Polo GTI with its 175bhp, 1.4-litre turbo and supercharged engine still had a few issues.
This was replaced in 2014 with a more conventional 1.8-litre turbo producing a bhp figure of 186, and at the same time the rest of the range had a very mild facelift, with subtle tweaks to the styling and specification and the addition of new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines from the Up city car.
Volkswagen Polo mk5 Review
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Volkswagen Polo mk4 (2002-2009)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
Notable features and facelifts of the Volkswagen Polo mk4:
- Known as the 9N
- Saloon and estate models were dropped
- Facelifted in 2005
The mk4 Polo was marked out by its unusual quad-headlight nose, which imitated that of the smaller Lupo. The rest of the car, though, was business as usual, with plenty of space in the front and rear seats, a comfortable ride and a solid, serviceable engine line-up. However, the saloon and estate versions of the then-new Volkswagen Polo were dropped from the range in the UK market, leaving only the three-door and five-door Polo hatchbacks behind.
While the interior was as solidly built as ever, some of the plastics didn’t feel quite as high-quality as buyers had by now come to expect from the Polo. What was more, a litany of reliability issues saw the Polo slump to the bottom of customer satisfaction surveys.
That didn’t seem to dent the Polo’s popularity, mind you, and when the facelifted model of 2005 came along, it was well received. On the outside, the quad headlights were joined together into one single unit on each side. Under the skin, meanwhile, Volkswagen had worked on the car’s problems, so reliability improved, and there was even a new GTI, this time with a turbocharged 1.8-litre engine developing 145bhp.
Volkswagen Polo mk4 Review
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Volkswagen Polo mk3 (1994-2002)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
- Four-door saloon
- Five-door estate
Notable features and facelifts of the Volkswagen Polo mk3:
- Known as the 6N and 6K
- Five-door hatchback introduced for the first time
- Estate model also launched
- Diesel engine made available
- Facelifted in 1999 with revised front end and new interior
- First Polo GTI introduced in 1999
The mk3 Polo was a huge leap forward for Volkswagen’s smallest car. Not only was a long-awaited five-door option introduced for the first time, but an estate joined the range alongside the saloon and three-door (no longer named Classic and Coupé) models. A diesel Polo was available for the first time, too, though its naturally-aspirated engine made it slow.
This Polo was also much more interesting to drive, not to mention more comfortable, and it also felt far more grown up than the outgoing model, with smart styling, a solidly built interior and far more space than before. No wonder it won a slew of awards from British car magazines. In short, this was the model with which the Polo really took flight.
The mk4 was notable for being the first Polo available with airbags, although only as an added extra. A facelift in 1999 brought an even more grown-up nose that aped the larger Passat’s, and an updated interior; it also brought with it the first Polo GTI to be sold in the UK, which boasted a 123bhp 1.6-litre 16v engine with variable valve timing.
Volkswagen Polo mk2 (1981-1994)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Three-door estate
- Two-door saloon
Notable features and facelifts of the Volkswagen Polo mk2:
- Known as the Typ 86C
- Facelifted in 1990 with technical upgrades, new interior and restyled front end
- Polo G40 was the first sporty Polo, launched in 1991
It was all change for the second-generation Polo, as Volkswagen introduced a slightly odd naming strategy. The hatchback model now gained an unusual squared-off profile, making it look more like a small estate; however, a version with a sloping tail was also made available, now named the Polo Coupé. The Polo Classic, meanwhile, was a saloon model that took over from the Derby.
While the UK market didn’t quite get a sporting model, the Coupé – later rebadged S – had red striped seats, a spoiler, a rev counter and a sporty bodykit.
However, better was yet to come when, in 1990, Volkswagen revealed an extensive facelift. While the same three body styles were retained – so the Polo didn’t get the five-door option it was sorely lacking – it did at least gain new, more aerodynamic styling and a much more upmarket interior with a dashboard inspired by the larger Passat. And finally, there was a sporting Polo – two, in fact, with the arrival of the warm GT and supercharged G40.
Volkswagen Polo mk1 (1976-1981)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
Notable features and facelifts of the Volkswagen Polo mk1:
- Known as the Type 86
- Essentially a rebadged Audi 50
- Also spawned a saloon version, called the VW Derby
- Facelifted in 1979 with new bumpers, grille and dashboard
The first Polo was a rebadged version of the Audi 50. We never got the 50 in the UK, but it was launched in the rest of Europe in August 1974. It was a bit of a departure for Audi, which was better known for its conventional four-door saloons; a small hatchback was not its usual sort of thing.
So it was no surprise when Volkswagen released its own version of the 50 a year later. The first-generation Polo, as VW’s version was named, was a huge success; so much so, in fact, that sales of its Audi twin dwindled, and it was pulled from sale in 1978.
The Polo, by contrast, made it to this country in right-hand-drive form in 1976, and spawned a variety of different variants, including a saloon, which was called the Volkswagen Derby. By the time it went off sale in 1981, the top-end GLS version had joined the range, too, with such luxuries as mirror-finish hubcaps and a cigarette lighter coming as standard.