Citroën might, depending on
the whims of its designers at
the time, have orange detailing
or enormous bubble wrap down
the sides. A small Honda or
Toyota might offer some
intangible quality that seems
to lure in the elderly more
effortlessly than a half-price
evening meal offer that starts at
3.30pm. But only a Polo could
be described as feeling solid.
Chunky. Sturdy. Reassuring.
There’s a degree of artifice to
this, of course. Let’s not forget
that Volkswagen used to be run
by a man who insisted his cars
had surprisingly luxurious,
felt-lined gloveboxes because
he believed customers would
think, “Wow, if they’ve done
that in here, how much effort
must they have put into the
engine?” The inside of VWengines are just as dark, hot and
oily as everyone else’s, but the
brilliant trick was to make
people believe they were a cut
above. And so it is here with
doors that gently thud shut and
primary fixtures that feel tied
down with long, thick bolts.
This, your brain tells you, is a
well-made and dependable ally.
The 2021 Driver Power
satisfaction survey suggests that
a Kia Rio would be a better bet
as an ownership experience,
but a Kia Rio doesn’t quite have
the same feeling. The feeling
of being solid.It’s a formula Volkswagen
hasn’t messed with for this, the
lightly updated Polo. Most
versions make clear they aren’t
last year’s model with an
illuminated strip across the
grille, a fashionable detail we’ll
see all over the place in coming
years, as if car designers have
developed a sudden crush on
Star Trek: The Next Generation’s
Geordi La Forge. At the back
the lights now bleed onto the
hatchback in a way that
manages to be more unusual
than the previous arrangement
yet also more bland.DRIVING●Richard Porter
What’s the secret of its
success? A warm whump
REVIEW:
VOLKSWAGEN
POLO
S
olid is quite a positive
word, isn’t it? This
house has solid walls.
He’s a solid bloke. She
did me a real solid.
And “solid” is also the
quality long offered
by the Volkswagen
Polo. A Ford Fiesta
might feel more
dynamic to drive.
A Renault Clio may have a little
more personality. A littleIf interior space isn’t critical
to you, the Polo could be the
Volkswagen Goldilocks
78 • The Sunday Times Magazine