Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 153

T

he sixth-generation VW Polo
starts at $18,790 for the
70TSi — as in 70kW of power —
1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo,
fi ve-speed manual Trendline.
The seven-speed twin-clutch DSG
transmission variant is $21,290.
We’re testing the 85TSi — the
same engine, with 85kW of
power — Comfortline, with a
seven-speed, twin-clutch DSG
transmission, priced at $22,790.
It’s also available with a six-
speed manual, at $20,290.
The sixth Polo is much longer
than its predecessors, so two
adults can now travel in the
back seat without having to visit
the chiropractor afterwards
and boot volume is 351 litres
— a six-pack short of the class-
leading Honda Jazz.
You face a beautiful leather-
wrapped steering wheel and
VW’s typical businesslike dash,
with brightly lit analogue dials. A
digital speedo is useful; less so is
air con with central vents located
so low on the dash they blow air
at your stomach, or up your nose,
rather than at your face.

The lightly bolstered driver’s

seat is sized for big Germans

and has plenty of travel, as does

the wheel. Vision is clear around

the car, assisted by 360-degree

proximity sensors and a camera.

Our test car also has the Driver

Assistance option with adaptive

cruise, blind spot monitoring,

rear cross traffi c alert and

automatic parking.

Packaged at a reasonable

$1400, it complements Polo’s

standard automatic emergency

braking with pedestrian detection,

fatigue alert and tyre pressure

monitoring and gives the VW the

strongest safety credentials in the

class.

Ride comfort is good for a small

car. The suspension can get a

little fl ustered on choppy surfaces,

but that’s common of the class.

Automatic stop/start, DSG’s

usual momentary delay in

engaging plus excessive turbo

lag can conspire to make moving

off from rest a slow business.

It can quickly become tedious

and, at times, fraught in traffi c,

especially when you’re trying to

take advantage of a gap and you

want immediate go-forward.

Your right foot has to apply

precisely the right amount of

pressure — too little and nothing

happens for long enough for

the people behind you to get

antsy or for the the gap to close;

too much and the car lunges

inelegantly forward, chirping the

front tyres as the engine’s torque

arrives in a rush.

You get used to it – or maybe

you don’t – but the Mazda’s

naturally aspirated 1.5-litre/six-

speed automatic is a smoother,

more responsive drivetrain in

heavy traffi c.

You put your foot down and

the car moves straight away,

at a rate that’s exponential to

pedal pressure. That’s how it’s

supposed to be.

It’s also worth noting that this

Polo Comfortline is a fraction

slower and thirstier than its

1.2-litre 81TSi predecessor.

That said, once you’re rolling,

the DSG goes straight for the

high gears and kicks down

immediately when required,

acceleration is extremely strong

and, apart from the cute three-

cylinder growl under power, the

triple is also quiet and smooth.

On the highway, Polo cruises

silently and effortlessly, using

4.5-5.0L/100km; in town, expect

6-7L/100km, on premium.

Handling is unremarkable but

confi dent and secure.

The steering is quite numb

and surprisingly indirect for

a small car, while the brakes,

though powerful, have a

slightly wooden pedal feel, a

consequence of Polo’s standard

regenerative braking function.

Polo Mk6 is still one of the

better small cars, but it now has

to argue class leadership with the

Mazda2. Test drive both, because

they are very different cars.

S VOLKSWAGEN POLO FROM $18,790

THINGS WE LIKE

 Comfortable, spacious and well-

equipped

 Frugal, refi ned, punchy drivetrain

 Confi dent handling and a

comfortable ride

 Best-in-class safety with optional

Driver Assistance package

 Full-size spare

 Intuitive infotainment

 Strong resale values

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Delayed response when moving off

from rest

No voice control or navigation

Vague, imprecise steering

Tinny audio

Air con vent placement

Short warranty and pricey servicing

SPEX

Made in South Africa

1.0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol/

seven-speed DSG/front-wheel drive

85kW of power at

5000-5500rpm/200Nm of torque

from 2000-3500rpm

0-100km/h in 9.5 seconds (claimed)

4.4L/100km highway; 5.8L/100km

city; 95 octane premium; CO2

emissions are 112gkm

Warranty: Five years/unlimited km

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, automated emergency

braking, fatigue detection, tyre

pressure monitoring, 8-inch

touchscreen, Bluetooth, Apple

CarPlay, Android Auto, two USBs,

camera, 15-inch alloys, automatic

headlights and wipers, leather

steering wheel

Redbook future values: 3yr: 52%;

5yr: 40%

Safety

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

compare with ...

Honda Jazz, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio,

Mazda2, Škoda Fabia, Suzuki Swift