JOE’s Oisín Collins was recently invited to test out two different variants of Volkswagen’s latest generation of Polo over in Austria & Germany. Here’s a brief look at how he got on…
Ireland is a bit like Austria in the sense that we both have absolutely stunning and vibrant landscapes that are, unfortunately, all too often washed out by grey and gloomy clouds. Still, the weather didn’t put off the Irish contingent of motoring journalists and in fact, the bad weather probably helped us to really get a feel for the new VW Polo and VW Cross Polo. At least we weren’t staring out of the windows admiring the gargantuan Austrian mountains that you see in movies and on TV as they were completely covered by low clouds...
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. After arriving at the posh
Seehotel Überfahrt (try not to laugh) located on lake Tegernsee near the German/Austrian border, I drove VW’s new 1.4L TDI DSG - the diesel Polo with the automatic gearbox - the 1.0L TSI Polo - the petrol Polo with the small, but mighty engine - and finally the 1.2 TSI Cross Polo (pictured below) - the Polo that’s ready for (almost) any adventure.
So, what’s the difference between the new generation of Polo and the outgoing generation? Well, the new generation offers customers a host of new engines, new mechanics, new infotainment systems and a stunning new look.
VW says the changes will ensure that the new Polo will not only be safer, but also more efficient and comfortable to drive. In fairness, after driving three variants of the Polo, I can confirm that each one was extremely comfortable and VERY easy to drive.
From launch, the new Polo will be available in six different trim levels including Trendline (starting at €15,745), BlueMotion (€20,590), Comfortline (starting at €18,960), the new sporty Comfortline+ (starting at €20,105), the rough and ready Cross Polo (starting at €21,310) and the new BlueGT (starting at €22,860). So there’s plenty of choice when it comes to extras, add-ons and different engine types.
There are some really cool options that come ‘as standard’ on the various different trim levels, including: BlueMotion technology with the start/stop function, ‘Composition Colour’ radio system and multi-function display, a three-spoke flat bottom steering wheel and ‘front assist sensors' with city emergency brake (apart from the Cross Polo) all as standard.
As for engines, you’ll be able to get the new Polo in a variety of different power levels in both petrol and diesel, all of which sit in either Tax Band A2 (€180p.a.) or Tax Band A3 (€190p.a.).
The Petrol engine range starts with a 1.0L engine available in both 60hp and 75hp, which is capable of just 106 g/km of CO2, placing it in tax band A3 (dropping two tax bands versus closest comparable previous model). There is also a 1.2L 4-cylinder petrol engine available producing 90hp (in either 5-speed manual or 7-speed DSG automatic transmission). The 1.4L 150hp ACT (active cylinder technology) engine, with 250Nm of torque, completes the petrol line up and it is available in the new Blue GT (which also comes in a choice of manual or DSG transmission).
The Diesel range offers a 1.4L engine available in both 75 and 90bhp and capable of 3.47 l/100km (combined cycle) with as little as 82g/km of Co2. The 90bhp engine will also be offered with a choice of manual or DSG transmission.
All-in-all, the trip over to Austria (and Germany) gave us a great insight into the latest generation of Polo and we even got to try out two vintage Polo models that were 31 and 37 years old respectively, but you’ll have to wait until later in the week to find out how I got on driving them along with the 1.4L TDI DSG, 1.0L TSI and the 1.2 TSI Cross Polo. For now, here's a sneak peak at the 1983 MK2 Polo, nicknamed the 'Breadvan'.
