Polo goes bigger on style...

VW creases up to hide its added girth

WE are getting a bit chubbier as a nation and probably a bit taller too, but that doesn’t explain why every new car has to be bigger than its previous generation.

Take the new Volkswagen Polo, which we’ve just driven in Hamburg. It is 81mm longer than the old model, providing more space inside for both people and luggage, but it also means it’s more difficult to park. It’s also heavier than it needs to be.

Surely if the Polo is not big enough for you then you can buy a Golf ? Interestingly, the new Polo is bigger than the Mk3 Golf was in the 1990s.

You won’t have any difficulty telling the new Polo apart from the old one. The latest car has very distinctive creases running down its side and it looks good, but not as cool as Seat’s new Ibiza.

There’s huge choice in the Polo range, but not in the number of doors available. Three-door versions don’t sell, so VW has quietly dropped that option. Only 5% of customers buy diesels so we’ll concentrate on the petrol engines available – and specifically the three-cylinder turbocharged 1.0-litre unit that produces 94bhp because that’s reckoned to be the biggest seller.

Allied to a five-speed manual gearbox, it’s a characterful engine that does its job well enough, but not quite as well as the more powerful 114bhp version with the six-speed manual gearbox.

The biggest changes with the new Polo are inside the car,

The boot has become 71 litres larger but it’s shallow

though. Traditionally the interiors, as they are in many German cars, were dull and monotone, but the new Polo is available with a stunningly wide choice of interior trims including coloured inlays and eight dash colours.

VW makes great play of its new Active Info Display digital instruments pack which is an option but doesn’t really offer any advantages over the standard analogue instruments.

The standard infotainment screen is a 6.5in unit but you can opt for an 11.7in screen with a wide variety of online services available.

Volkswagen’s young connectivity expert proudly explained how I could download onto my mobile phone details of my journey and analyse how “eco” my driving had been.

I pointed out that most of us, after a long spell in the car commuting or negotiating the UK’s clogged road networks, would much rather sit down with a glass of wine than replay the journey all over again.

The new Polo comes with a choice of three chassis settings: Normal, Sport – which has a 15mm lower ride height – and Sports Select which is lower still.

Normal is the sensible choice which, with standard 16in wheels, gives a comfortable ride and perfectly adequate handling.

One of the Polo’s key strengths is comfort and this latest version is better than ever.

There’s noticeably more space in the rear and the 351-litre boot is 71 litres larger than the outgoing car’s. It’s shallow though, particularly if the subwoofer that comes with the Beats audio system is fitted.

The car goes on sale next month. Exact prices haven’t been announced but they’re going to be about £200 more than the current Polo, model for model, which means our test 1.0SE model will be around £13,500.

The new version gives what you expect from a Polo but with a bit more style. It’s a sensible buy, but if you want more character and a more fun drive then look at the new Seat Ibiza before you give Volkswagen your money.