Design and build

* Take a trip round the Polo * Headline-grabbing economy * VW expects 5-star crash-test rating...

Design and build

Design and build
It uses the latest VW Group small-car architecture first seen on the current Seat Ibiza. This is 80% new and 20% taken from the outgoing Polo. The new architecture means the car has increased in size to just under four metres long, with improvements in passenger and luggage space as a result.

However, the designers have managed to avoid any hint of bulkiness by making the Polo wider and lower as well as longer. This is particularly noticeable on the Bluemotion, which rides closer to the ground as part of its aerodynamic package.

Despite the size increase, weight has been trimmed by 7.5%, or a minimum of 75 kilos, to help improve fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.