Volkswagen’s Polo range of hatchbacks and saloons has enjoyed unbridled success and we found out why, when handed the keys to a 1,9 TDI Sportline.
I was not an instant believer when the current Polo was first launched late in 2002. I could live with the car, but those oddball circular lights ala-Golf Mark I would always be good for a grimace.
Not true for the facelifted version. I may be one of the only people so completely swung by a new nose of all things, but I’m glad that VW has ditched the quirky design in favour of something a bit more sophisticated. Sadly, in doing so, the Polo may have lost some of its individuality in favour of the “family look”.
Ergonomically, the instrument arrangement was predictable with all the essentials clearly marked and within easy reach. Sometimes it is a relief to hop into a car and just drive off without having to run around the car a couple of times, punch in a secret 23-digit code, and recite a nursery rhyme before leaving.
Predictable is good, but whoever chose those that seat upholstery should have foreseen that there was nothing “funky” about grey check seats. Thankfully, once seated, the print is the furthest thing from your mind, though the seats in the “Sportline” could definitely have been more supportive.