VOLKSWAGEN recently added the new four-door model to its Polo range. In 1,4-litre Trendline guise, it goes to show that being basic and spacious is not necessarily a bad thing … as long as it’s priced right.
Visually, tacking a sizeable boot to what is essentially the profile of a trendy compact hatchback is never going to produce anything especially pleasing on the eye. Thankfully, the Polo is a classy, if somewhat conservative canvas upon which the sedan treatment has been applied and the overall effect is pleasant enough. A strong character line connecting the front and rear wheel arches helps break up any slab-sidedness to the flanks and, while the taillamps aren’t as funky as those found on the hatch, they do look modern and upmarket enough.
But styling is not a major consideration when evaluating a compact saloon. Space and practicality are the main concerns and here the Polo four-door does quite well for itself. That snub tail plays host to a 384 dm3 boot (extending to 944 dm3 with the rear seatbacks folded) with a useful flat floor. The boot aperture is of a good size and a reasonably low 655 mm load height means that hoisting goods into the boot shouldn’t be a discslipping exercise.
The saloon sits on a marginally longer platform than the hatch- back and this translates into a reasonably roomy cabin that offers 950 mm of headroom and 775 mm of legroom for the rear passengers. Although the cabin trim is dark, the generous glazing further imparts a sense of space and should go some way to ensuring that the rear accommodation doesn’t feel claustrophobic.
The cabin is typical Polo fare, being solidly built from highquality materials. The seats are firm, if somewhat lacking in lateral support, and finished in durable cloth that should withstand the kids/pets/shopping duties that will inevitably be thrown at them. Although the car only tips the scales at 1 139 kg, it still has a substantial feel. Combine that with the spacious interior and you’re often under the impression that you’re piloting a much larger car.
Power is provided by a fuel-injected 1,4-litre petrol engine developing 63 kW at 5 000 r/min and 132 N.m of torque at 3 600 r/min. Granted, the engine is no ball of fire, but the short gearing and reasonable torque at low-ish revs give the car the requisite nippiness required for town driving. Although it strains a little at motorway speeds, the engine refinement is generally good. The only detracting aspect of the drivetrain is a springy clutch with a high taking point, but at least the shift action of the five-speed manual gearbox is positive.
There isn’t a hint of sportiness to be found here, but that’s not a bad thing. The ride is supple without being overly wallowy and the steering strikes a neat balance between being light and wieldy. There is a bit of understeer and body-roll under hard cornering, but that’s to be expected. More importantly, the Polo four-door feels stable and planted at both town and motorway speeds.
Being a Trendline-spec model, it is a bit spartan on the equipment front. However, there are a couple of welcome specification features such as electric windows with one-touch up/down function all-round, pockets on the backs of the front seats and optional cruise control– often omitted or not available on equivalent rivals. Otherwise, it is rather basic.
With a sticker price of R159 900, it sits squarely in four-door Fiesta/Yaris territory. Our test unit was specced with a multifunction steering wheel, CD sound system, cruise control and metallic paint – options that bumped up the price to R167 510, but still within the realms of the aforementioned rivals.
The safety equipment on offer is good and includes dual front and side airbags, rear Isofix points, a three-point belt for the rear centre pew and ABS with EBD. The only area where it potentially falls short is the omission of a standard service plan – the others feature four-year/ 60 000 km items as standard. Ticking the box for a 60 000 km service plan and equivalent specification will see the Polo’s price creep up around the R175 000 mark, which is getting rather pricey in this segment.
TEST SUMMARY
From a functional perspective, there’s a lot to like about the Polo four-door. In terms of styling and dynamics, it’s not spectacular but a solid, roomy and refined vehicle. From a buyer’s perspective, however, there are some areas of concern – most notably the relatively ungenerous standard specification and the omission of a standard service plan. If you can live without the rival-equalling extras, you’ll land yourself a solid, practical little car which, thanks to that VW badge, will undoubtedly have a stronger second-hand value than most of its rivals.
