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…
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 is applied and the overall effect is pleasant enough. A strong character line connecting the front and rear wheelarches helps break up any slab-sidedness to the flanks and, while the brakelamp clusters aren’t as funky as those found on the hatch, they do look modern and upmarket.
But styling is not the paramount consideration when looking at a model such as this. Getting down to the brass tacks, it’s space and practicality that are the paramount considerations 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 seatback folded) with a usefully flat floor. The 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 disc-slipping exercise The four-door sits on a marginally longer platform than the hatchback 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 doesn’t feel claustrophobic.
The cabin is typical Polo fare, being solidly built from high quality 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 to it. 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 on offer at low-ish revs give the car the requisite nippiness required for town driving. Although it strains a little at motorway speeds, the engine remains fairly refined throughout. The only black mark against 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 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 here. More importantly, the Polo 4-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. There are a couple of odd, yet welcome, standard additions such as electric windows with one-touch up/down function – often omitted or not available on equivalent rivals. Being a family car, 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.. Our car was specced with a multifunction steering wheel, CD sound system, cruise control and metallic paint.
There’s a lot to like about the Polo four-door. It’s not spectacular but it is solid and refined, and despite its low level of standard specification, its second-hand value should prove stronger than that of its rivals. If you’re after a solid, fuss-free family car, you’ll do well to consider the Polo sedan.
