Volkswagen Polo 2002 Review

Volkswagen's 2002 Polo is bigger and safer than its predecessor, and with impressive comfort and ride qualities for a car of this size. It's aimed at buyers who appreciate European levels of style and quality, and don't mind paying a little extra for it. The Polo's up against other 'premium' small cars like the Peugeot 206 and Renault Clio, as well as an array of cheaper Japanese and Korean small cars.

"Polo is a small hatchback, but in the Volkswagen way, it offers the driving dynamics associated with bigger/high performance cars like our Golf GTi," says Volkswagen Group Australia's managing director, Peter Nochars.

The basis of the upgraded Polo is a new Volkswagen platform borrowed from Europe's Skoda Fabia, which has stretched the wheelbase an extra 53mm. At 3.9 metres, the new Polo is 15cm longer, 5cm higher and 2cm wider than its predecessor.

Externally, the Polo retains its conservative styling, the major distinction being the addition of four round, Mercedes-style headlights. Despite big VW badges front and rear, the overall look is uncluttered and inoffensive.

The bigger body, which is also said to be torsionally stiffer, has resulted in more room inside. Front passengers have plenty of headroom and even with the seats back there's still enough room for long-legged adults to squeeze into the back. Boot space is a handy 250 litres, enough for a decent load of shopping.

Safety is another strong selling point of the Polo, with dual airbags, five lap-sash seatbelts and head restraints fitted as standard. Side impact protection is much improved over the previous model, according to Volkswagen, and the Polo has been a star performer in European crashworthiness tests.

The new chassis has added a new dimension to the Polo's already decent ride. During a drive over rough country roads the suspension - MacPherson struts and lower wishbones at the front and a torsion beam axle, trailing arms and coil springs at the rear - soaked up road bumps with consummate ease, all with little feedback into the cabin so as not to disturb the peaceful ambience.

Roadhandling is another plus, the Polo willing and able to be punted enthusiastically over twisting roads, offering plenty of grip and predictable doses of understeer, as you'd expect from any competent front-wheel driver. It's hardly inspiring, but the Polo turns and stops in a confident manner which belies its size and stature.

Unfortunately, under the bonnet there's still the same 1.4-litre, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine which powered the old Polo, pumping out a measly 55kW at 5000rpm and 126Nm of torque at 3800rpm through either a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed auto.

The slick manual 'box makes the most of the underpowered engine, providing reasonable performance as long as you keep the revs up. Though quiet and willing, the tiny four struggles when asked to overtake on highway stretches or sprint up hills, feeling more at home ducking around suburban streets. The auto feels even more sluggish.

Not surprisingly the quality of the Polo's interior is first-class. Inside the dark, stylish cabin the cloth-trimmed seats are firm and supportive, and most instruments and dials are simple to use. The only negatives were an annoying rattle coming from the glovebox, and an unusual cup holder that springs aggressively from its resting place in the dash.

Realising the Polo competes against the cheaper range of small cars as well as premium mini-Euros, Volkswagen has priced the Polo at launch (July 2002) at $19,800 for the base three-door model with manual transmission, 1.4-litre engine but no air-conditioning.

Five door versions start at $21,800, with S and SE trims available in both body styles.

Standard equipment across the three-model range includes engine immobiliser, power steering, colour coded mirrors and door handles, rear fog lamps, single CD stereo, and split-fold rear seat.

Topping the range is the five-door SE auto, priced at $25,500, which also gets an alarm system, remote central locking, front fog lights, rear passenger reading lights, drawers under front seats, a multi-function trip computer, sports cloth seats, and power front windows.

Options available on all models except the base three-door include ABS with electronic brake pressure distribution (EBD) for $700, and an electric glass sunroof ($990); metallic paint ($490) and 'auto box ($2000) are available across the range.

With its solid build quality, refinement, superb ride and safety levels, the Polo is undoubtedly an impressive performer in its class. Less favourable though, considering its premium price, is the underpowered engine and less than generous standard equipment list. But if Euro chic and top-notch German engineering appeals, the Polo is worth the extra dollars.