Facelifted Volkswagen Polo gets Golf Mk8 look

Volkswagen has pulled the drapes off a heavily updated version of the current sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo ahead of the light hatchback's launch in Australia in the first quarter of 2022.

Adopting plenty of design cues from the incoming new-generation 2021 Volkswagen Golf, the headline news is the 2022 Volkswagen Polo bags plenty of new tech you'd normally associate with cars a class or two above.

And good news for hot hatch fans is the fast Volkswagen Polo GTI will live on post-refresh, with the updated Ford Fiesta ST fighter confirmed for arrival later in 2022.

Compared to the current model, the updated Polo gets a pair of new headlights that are linked by a new LED lighting bar.

For the first time, the light hatch also gets the option of Matrix LED lights.

At the rear, there's both a new tailgate design and new LED tail-lights that look pinched off a Golf.

New dynamic-swipe element indicators also become an option, something normally only available on flagship Volkswagen or Audi models.

A sporty R-Line model will be fitted as standard with the LED Matrix headlights, plus a body kit and bumper inspired by the Volkswagen Golf R. It also has 16-inch alloy wheels, and at the rear there's even a faux gloss black diffuser.

Inside, the trickle-down Golf tech is evident. Every Polo now gets a digital instrument cluster – either 8.0-inch or 10.25-inch for the high-spec models.

Beneath the screen new touch-sensitive temperature buttons now operate the climate control, mirroring a similar set-up to the Golf and Volkswagen ID.4.

A new multifunction steering wheel has also been introduced, along with three infotainment systems – a 6.5-inch version for base models, an 8.0-inch unit for mid-series variants and a larger 9.2-inch unit for the range-topping models.

For the first time, new semi-autonomous driving aids also creep into the Polo's technological armoury, with the light hatch borrowing Travel Assist from the Golf and bigger Volkswagen Passat.

This means the Polo is capable of steering, accelerating, braking and staying in a lane from standstill (in autos) to its top speed, although drivers must keep their hands on the wheel at all time.

Under the bonnet, the Polo launches with just four outputs based around the turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, with power stretching from around 58kW to 80kW.

The Volkswagen Polo GTI, meanwhile, is tipped to carry over its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that currently produces 147kW and 320Nm of torque.