Volkswagen Polo 2020 Review

For years, the Volkswagen Polo has reigned supreme as an upper-class German city hatch, establishing itself as spacious, clever and relatively affordable.

In the second half of 2019, Volkswagen Australia introduced a new ‘Style’ variant to its light-car line-up, to sit above the Trendline 70 TSI and Comfortline 85 TSI, but below the GTI hot hatch.

The 2019 Volkswagen Polo Style 85 TSI adds extras such as LED tail-lights, window tinting, larger 16-inch alloy wheels, shift paddles, dual-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and more.

Those features result in a $4700 price hike over the Comfortline.

Volkswagen’s smallest model in Australia begins at $18,790 for the base-trim Trendline spec and tops out at just over $30K in performance-flavoured GTI guise.

The Polo Style we’re testing here sits below the GTI at $24,990 plus on-roads.

Extras on our tester include metallic paint ($600) and a Driver Assistance Package ($1500) which adds adaptive cruise control, park assist, blind-spot monitoring, power-folding mirrors and proactive occupant protection system.

In total, it added up to $27,090 before on-roads.

Servicing costs $1272 for three years and $2411 over five years and intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km.

Volkswagen offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and one-year roadside assist.

Sure, there are more affordable cars to own and run in the same category. The Mazda2, Kia Rio and Honda Jazz all fare better, but don’t expect the same level of tech, fit and finish on those cheaper options.

The Style gets just one engine option which it shares with the Comfortline – an 85kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. That’s paired exclusively to a seven-speed DSG automatic.

Inside the cocoon-like cabin, the Style gets black ceiling and pillar trim and is the only model fitted with VW’s new Comfort Sport seats.

Fabric-trimmed, the only noticeable difference compared to the Trendline’s seating is carbon-fibre-like pleather bolstering, white stitching and manual lumbar adjust for the driver.

A Sound & Vision package is also standard which includes the aforementioned digital instrument cluster, 8.0-inch touch-screen with navigation, 300W beats sound system with a subwoofer and amplifier, plus wireless phone charging.

Headlights are old-school halogens, as is the interior lighting.

A full-size (15-inch) spare wheel is located in the boot and standard safety equipment includes a reversing camera with guidelines, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver fatigue warning, distance warning display and more.

The Driver Assistance Package fitted to our tester ($1500) also adds adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, park assist, front and rear parking sensors, power folding door mirrors and proactive occupant protection system.

Being the size it is, there’s understandably not a great deal of storage solutions. Two hexagonal shaped cup-holders up front hold little more than a 375ml can, but large door pockets offer enough room for your larger items like a 1.0-litre bottle.

Mini hatches are popular with younguns looking for a first car, empty-nesters looking to downsize and city-slickers needing something pint-sized to park and cheap(ish) to run.

The Polo Style fits the bill for all those things, but on a more premium scale, offering much more substance than, say, a $15K Kia Picanto and even its entry-level Trendline sibling.

At 351 litres with the rear seats in place (and 1125 litres with rear seat folded), it’s got the biggest boot in its class – enough to fit both a large suitcase plus a carry-on bag.

And, as pint-sized as it is, you can still fit four average sized adults quite comfortably – although those in the back seat will be pressed for leg and head room if they’re much taller than 170cm. Singles and couples would be best suited to the overall space on offer.

Tech-savvy drivers will appreciate the Style’s extra USB outlets (two front, two rear), amplified audio system and customisable dash display.

Up against cheaper options like the Hyundai Accent, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris and Suzuki Swift, the Polo makes up for its premium price-tag with more tech and a more spacious cabin filled with high-quality materials.

It’s also got a punchy turbocharged engine that’s one of the more powerful offerings in its segment.

Understandably, first-time buyers might be more inclined to save their dollars and opt for the $18,790 Polo Trendline (or something cheaper again) – but they’ll miss out on that zippy 85 TSI engine plus creature comforts such as navigation and wireless phone charging.

Other hatchbacks for similar money you might want to consider include the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo ($23,990), Renault Clio GT-Line ($23,490) and Suzuki Swift Sport ($25,490).

The Polo Style certainly feels premium on the inside. Hard plastics are present but feel sturdy rather than cheap, and a simple, classic cabin layout is easy to navigate with all the main controls placed within easily reach.

Finding a comfortable seating position, however, might be a challenge with seating that feels too high and has minimal manual adjustment and a pedal arrangement that feels kind of like you’re in a dual-cab ute.

But the Polo isn’t alone in its class in this respect and it’s something you learn to live with pretty quickly.

First impressions once you’re driving are positive. The steering has a well-weighted and sporty feel, making it easy to point and steer, and that tiny three-pot engine has a lot more go than expected, easily keeping up with the demands of Sydney’s highway traffic and suburban crawl.

If the everyday grind starts to get a bit monotonous, flicking the Style into manual mode and getting the shift paddles to take you home is actually lots of fun.

On the move, the Polo’s seven-speed DSG auto feels good, but it tends to struggle at low speeds. An indecisive transmission combined with some turbo lag makes for a slight delay when moving off from a standstill as well as coming out of low speed corners, which can get frustrating.

We switched off the engine idle-stop system for a good portion of the time we spent in it, as it simply took too long to come back to life once stopped.

The Polo wins back points in the handling department, tackling different road surfaces with ease and happily punting around any corner you throw it at.

It glides over bumps and potholes with little fuss, it’s very stable at speed and it’s easy to place on the road. Importantly, there’s great vision out of all windows and road noise inside the cabin is minimal.

A $27K city-car has big shoes to fill, but we reckon the Polo Style offers enough safety, technology, refinement, performance, handling and – dare we say it – style to make a good enough case for itself.

It might be expensive for many first-car buyers, but those craving a safe, gadget-filled, German-designed city-car will certainly appreciate its charm.

How much does the 2019 Volkswagen Polo Style 85 TSI cost?
Price: $27,090 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 85W/200Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel: 5.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 115g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)

Related reading:
Volkswagen Polo GTI review
Hyundai i30 N review
2019 Ford Focus v Mazda 3 v Toyota Corolla comparison

*Style images interior only