Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Malaysia's entry-level car is the VW Polo hatchback. The current Polo with a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine and 6-speed conventional automatic has been on sale at RM 74,990 in Malaysia since 2014. Though Volkswagen has introduced several special-edition Polos, the company has not given the hatchback a major update since 2015 with only a few running changes in between. The 2018 Volkswagen Polo goes up against other B-segment hatchback rivals like the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris.

In Brief: VW Polo – Old, but is it worth it?

The VW Polo started life as an Audi? Say what?

Design

The Mk 5 Polo's design is understandably a little dated as the car has been around since a decade ago. The CKD Polo has an overall rounded look with bumper aprons that would have been sporty back when the Mk 5 was launched.

Dimensions 

The Volkswagen Polo measures in at 3,970 x 1,682 x 1,453 x 2,470 mm in terms of length, width, height, and wheelbase.

Lighting

Volkswagen only offers adjustable halogen headlights on the Polo.

Wheels 

The Polo wears classic 15-inch alloy wheels.

Dashboard

Though the dashboard is built with good quality plastics, you can't help but feel the roughness of that from the early 2010s. As the Polo did come during that era where dashboards are built to be robust surfaces with not much thought on sophistication.

Instrument Cluster

In a bid to give the Polo a modern twist, Volkswagen updated the classic dials to an electronic instrument cluster during one of the Polo's running changes. The Polo's cluster is now clear and precise, VW claims that the cluster is now arranged to allow drivers to glean all important information at a glance.

Space and Practicality 

The Polo is not big on space, legroom for the front and rear passengers is just right with not much wiggle room. The cubby space distribution is also not great as the front passengers make do with only 2 large bottle holders on the door pockets while the centre console offers a shallow compartment for storage of smaller items.

Boot

Boot space is very small that there is barely any space to fit a mid-size luggage bag. To fit anything larger you will have to sacrifice the rear seats.

Safety Features

The safety features on the Polo is the largest giveaway of the model's age. The Polo only has 2 airbags installed with the most advanced safety feature being Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS).

Comfort Features

Livon fabric comes as standard on the Polo Comfortline while leather upholstery is only available on the Polo Join variant. The Polo also received rear air-cond vents to keep rear passengers cool.

Infotainment

A 6.5-inch touchscreen was added during one of the Polo's many changes giving it the ability to connect via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Polo is one of the few cars with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity in the segment.

Engine

The Volkswagen Polo has a 1.6-litre engine that dispenses 105 PS and 153 Nm of torque.

Transmission

The Polo's 1.6-litre engine is mated to a 6-speed conventional automatic.

Chassis 

The Polo has a rack and pinion hydraulic steering.

Drivetrain 

The Polo is front-wheel drive only.

Accleration 

VW claims the Polo is capable of 11.1 seconds from 0-100 km/h.

Engine Performance 

The Polo's engine is a smooth unit that will happily dispense as much power as you need. The engine has shown that it is very much more reliable than the 1.2-litre TSI engine.

Transmission Performance 

The conventional automatic gearbox is very much more reliable than VW's dual-clutch units though not as smooth or responsive.

Steering and Handling 

Though it uses hydraulic steering, the Polo hardly feels heavy. Instead, the steering is weighted just right so it is a breeze to manoeuvre around a tight car park and yet remains steady when zipping around on the highway.

Sound Proofing 

As the Polo is a dated model, it is not a surprise that the car does not has the best soundproofing. The windows are thin and the sound of the hollow body further allows outside noise to seep into the car making it a wholly intrusive environment.

Passenger Comfort 

Suspension is something that VW has always excel with and the Polo also exhibits the same talented suspension tuning. The Polo irons out harsh surfaces with a little more crash but also manages to handle the corners with finesse.

Fuel Consumption 

VW claims 6.3-litre/ 100 km on the 1.6-litre engine.

The Volkswagen Polo might have received many updates to keep the car up with the modern times but there is still no hiding how dated the model is. While the world over is enjoying the delights of the Mk 6, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia hasn't seen the need to introduce the car here. But, a since-removed Facebook post in January on VPCM's official Facebook page saw the Mk 6 Polo on full display, so perhaps this is a hint that there are talks of launching the new car soon. In the meantime, we will have to make do with the Mk5 Polo for now.