Volkswagen Polo review

The Polo is a great place in which to spend time for the driver. There's a generous amount of manual adjustment for the driver's seat and steering wheel, and the seat itself provides good support. All this means drivers of most shapes and sizes should be able to find a suitable position quickly and remain comfortable over long distances.

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However, it's a shame that adjustable lumbar support is only standard on GTI trim, while it's an optional extra as part of various style packs on other trims.

The Polo benefits from thin pillars both front and back, as well as tall, wide windows all around. That means judging roundabouts and T-junctions is made much easier.

Parking sensors are standard on SEL trim and above, while a reversing camera is an optional extra on all trims apart from entry-level S, which can't get it at all. Nevertheless, over-the-shoulder view is very good, thanks to a large rear screen. This makes judging the extremities of the car simple when parking.

All Polos get an 8.0in colour touchscreen as standard, but sat-nav is only standard on SEL trim.

The system is the latest Volkswagen unit and has done away with physical shortcut buttons that flank the screen, featuring instead touch-sensitive surfaces. While this might look flash, it’s actually harder to use on the move, because you’re less sure of what you’re pressing, thus forcing your eyes away from the road for longer.

Otherwise, the system is great to use, with good response times and a sharp, bright screen that is visually impressive. The way the menus are structured also makes it extremely easy to navigate and memorise.

The latest version of VW’s digital instruments Active Info Display features on the Polo. It’s every bit as crisp as the main infotainment system and just as easy to understand, and it’s possible to configure it to your needs. It’s likely to be an option across the range, but we don’t know how much it will cost at this stage.

Quality inside is some of the best in class. It features soft-touch plastic covering the top and front of the dashboard, classier plastics for the dash trim and around the air vents, as well as VW's traditionally slick switches that look built to last.

There are now eight dash colours to choose from, so your interior needn’t look like everybody else's. The only disappointment is that the doors feature textured but brittle-feeling plastics rather than soft, dense surfaces and stand out from such impressive materials elsewhere.