A most pre-eminent Polo

THE lid has been lifted on the forthcoming all-new Volkswagen Polo, which is one of the most important new cars of the decade.

Bigger and better than any Polo before, it offers the sort of safety, comfort and connectivity features that would have been the preserve of models costing 10 times the amount just a few years ago.

A perfect illustration of how the most sophisticated and upmarket equipment has filtered down to the most affordable models, this latest Polo wants for nothing.

It is the sixth generation of the Polo, which has been a hugely successful model for Volkswagen for several decades, and a very important step on the VW ladder for those who have gone on to buy Passats, Tourans and ultimately the most expensive Touareg.

This latest Polo is significantly bigger than the current model, being more like the original Golf in size, and sharing the same platform as the Audi A1 and Skoda Fabia.

This creates significantly more room for occupants inside, and also increases luggage capacity from 280 litres to 350 litres.

Offered in five-door form only, as a result of lack of demand for small three-door cars, it is launching in three trim lines, of Trendline, Comfortline and Highline, plus a ‘Beats’ special edition with an uprated sound system, and there will also be a sporty GTI. Several packages are being offered in the form of R-Line, Black and Style.

The R-Line makes the Polo more dynamic, with 16in alloy wheels, a bigger front bumper and rear diffuser, additional chrome trim and a roof spoiler.

For the first time, the Polo is available with a natural gas engine, which is the newly developed 1.0litre TGI with an output of 90bhp. Four petrol and two diesel engines are also available. The petrol engines range from the 1.0-litre with 65bhp to the new 1.5-litre TSI with cylinder deactivation and 150bhp of power.

The diesel versions have outputs of 80bhp and 95bhp, and all are equipped with a stop-start system and regenerative braking.

All engines can be combined with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and the GTI rounds off the range with an output of 200 horsepower.

Even the base version is launching with a Front Assist area monitoring system including City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring as standard.

There is also Adaptive Cruise Control in conjunction with a dualclutch gearbox, and Stop & Go. New options are a Blind Spot Detection lane change system with Rear Traffic Alert, the semi-automated Park Assist system for exiting parking spaces and a ‘manoeuvring function.’

The latter automatically protects against minor but often expensive parking dents. The optional Keyless Access locking and engine starting system, which is also new, can be used to unlock and start the car.

It is expected to cost about £500 more than the current car when it arrives here towards the end of the year.