Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI Life 5dr Review

Category: Small car

Section: Version review

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VW Polo front cornering
  • VW Polo front cornering
  • VW Polo rear cornering
  • VW Polo interior dashboard
  • VW Polo boot open
  • VW Polo interior driver display
  • VW Polo rear right driving
  • VW Polo front left driving
  • VW Polo front right driving
  • VW Polo rear right driving
  • VW Polo rear driving
  • VW Polo headlights detail
  • VW Polo alloy wheel detail
  • VW Polo rear lights detail
  • VW Polo interior front seats
  • VW Polo interior back seats
  • VW Polo interior steering wheel
  • VW Polo infotainment touchscreen
  • VW Polo interior air-con controls
  • VW Polo interior detail
  • VW Polo front cornering
  • VW Polo rear cornering
  • VW Polo interior dashboard
  • VW Polo boot open
  • VW Polo interior driver display
  • VW Polo rear right driving
  • VW Polo front left driving
  • VW Polo front right driving
  • VW Polo rear right driving
  • VW Polo rear driving
  • VW Polo headlights detail
  • VW Polo alloy wheel detail
  • VW Polo rear lights detail
  • VW Polo interior front seats
  • VW Polo interior back seats
  • VW Polo interior steering wheel
  • VW Polo infotainment touchscreen
  • VW Polo interior air-con controls
  • VW Polo interior detail
RRP £21,915What Car? Target Price£20,666
Fuel type:
petrol
Gearbox:
manual
Doors:
5 doors

The VW Polo is a great all-rounder that's smart, comfortable and roomy inside, and good to drive. While it has a higher list price than some small cars, that’s largely offset by competitive monthly finance rates and strong resale values. However, hybrid rivals offer better fuel economy and the Skoda Fabia is even more comfy and refined.

Entry-level Life trim is actually our pick of the bunch. That’s because it keeps costs down but still gives you a good amount of kit, which includes 15in alloy wheels, manual air conditioning, rain sensing wipers, an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. For extra comfort, we’d advise adding the reasonably priced adjustable lumbar support.

Our favourite Polo engine gives you 94bhp to play with and offers plenty of shove from low revs. It really shines when you’re driving around town, where it feels suitably nippy, but is more than happy at motorway speeds. It actually makes the more powerful 1.0 TSI 110, that’s available with the R-Line trim, look like an unnecessary expense.


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Key information

Doors5
Seats5
0-62 MPH10.8 seconds
Fuel TypePetrol
GearboxMANUAL

Available colours

MPGOfficial overall fuel economy figure

54.3

Boot CapacityHow much space is there?

351

litres

EmissionsOfficial emissions rating

118

g/km