POWER: 70 KW
TORQUE: 175 N.M.
0 TO 100 KM/H: 11.8s
MOTOR: TURBO INLINE 3
*Details found on carmag.co.za
Another week, another misconception busted. This week I review the new VW Polo 1.0 L TSI that came out last year. When the car first came out, I despised it. I thought the styling was horrendous and the small engine would be gutless.
Anyway, let start with the styling. I still am not the biggest fan of it, simply because it looks like the first gen BMW 1 series. In my mind, a Polo should be small and easy to park, but it had now grown to Golf five size. Honestly, I have never been a fan of the styling, until the facelift of the previous Polo came out (My regular readers will know that I own one, if you don’t, read about it here).
But, let's not judge a book by its cover. My initial fears about the new engine, which is a Turbo inline three-cylinder, turned out to not be true at all. I think that it is one of the best on the market today. I got my grubby paws on a comfortline, and if I compare it to my comfortline, it packs a serious punch. It is quick to get going and climbs the rev range with relative ease. I routinely found myself shifting gears at 4000 RPM, and it still had more to give. The clutch took some getting used to, but even it feels more sporty than the old version. My only gripe is that you have to use a lot of force to slot in the gears, which almost feels like there is something wrong with the ‘box, but the sales rep explained that it is normal.
The interior feels very upmarket, with lots of styling tweaks and very driver-focused layout. Everything that you need to use while you are driving is in reach and easy to use while still looking at the road. I love new touch screen which you download a new App on your phone, which allows you to connect with the infotainment system, which as a millennial, I find pretty cool. They have also gone rather Audi A1ish on the inside as well, with lots of bits and pieces lifted from the A1 such as the window switches, which either adds or detracts from the overall feel depending on how you see it.
The ride is rather harsh, in line with the sporty feel of the car, which, don’t get me wrong, is terrific if you are throwing the car into corners and such, but for a long road trip, I would imagine it could
cause a bit of discomfort.
Then there also some of the little options you can add such as the R line package, which adds some trim pieces such as a new splitter, rims, R badges, etc. it elevates the whole car just that much more.
All in all though, a pretty good little car.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
TL; DR:
Good: Engine, interior, driver focus
Bad: Styling, ride comfort, tricky clutch.
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