Volkswagen Polo 1,0 TSI 85 kw Highline DSG

The Polo range-topper proves VW'S celebrated small hatch isn’t quite perfect

R302 200

I11,05 sec 85 kw/200 N.m 187 km/h T’S often the case that, even before you drive a vehicle, you have a fairly good idea of how the road test will turn out. This may be based on a colleague’s feedback from said vehicle’s international launch a few months prior, or it could be because we’ve already sampled another derivative in an earlier test. Both instances apply in this case. However, life, as they say, is full of little surprises. We’ll get to that, but rst a recap on what we know. This, of course, is the latest-generation Volkswagen Polo, a car which, in 1,0 TSI 5,76 L/100 km 109 g/km Comfortline manual guise, we tested in our February 2018 issue. That 70 kw derivative received a resounding thumbsup from the CAR team, scoring 82/100 and garnering praise for its re ned ride, excellent t and nish, class-leading interior design and infotainment tech, and frugal habits. Basically, it’s a vehicle that, rather than exhibiting a generational leap, has seen marginal gains over its predecessor in just about every area. It’s now more of a mini-golf than ever and surely can only be a good thing.

Until the arrival of the 2,0-litre GTI model in May, the subject of this test is the current range-topper, the 1,0 TSI Highline. Whereas all models in the current Polo range share VW’S 999 cm3 turbopetrol engine, the version in the two Highline derivatives is tuned to deliver an extra 15 kw and 25 N.m. This more powerful engine is – like the 70 kw DSG – mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Externally, there’s little to distinguish this top-spec Polo