Car Test
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R0232 | |
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May 2002 |
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| VW Polo | ||
| Printer Friendly Page | Featured Model 1.2SE | |
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TWO YEARS AFTER THE SKODA FABIA SHOT to prominence, VW has launched its version of that concept – plus the SEAT Ibiza as the more overtly sporting of what is now a three-card hand.
The Polo is clearly destined to be the posh relative – with higher prices to match – but all draw on VW Group’s range of engines, overlapping at some points. This three-cylinder petrol version is also used in the Ibiza, whereas Skoda sticks to its own Czech four-pot design for its base model (see rivals table). Close affinity with its extremely frugal diesel counterpart, with balancer-shafts in its sump to keep it smooth, results in outstanding flexibility at one end of its rev range with uncanny refinement when going faster. Indeed, only the tachometer gives away how fast it’s revving; it’s hard to believe, otherwise. So it came as a real disappointment to discover that in performance and fuel economy, it’s a real letdown. The new model’s 160kg weight increase could be a significant factor, so one can’t assume that engines carried over from the previous Polo will do as well. Neither should sheer space be a reason for preferring a Polo against current rivals; although the car is usefully more accommodating to rear occupants, load space (especially height) is no improvement on the previous Polo. Yet when you start looking at interior detailing, you have to be impressed by the quality of the trim and fittings. The front seats are anatomically superior to most (including the Fabia’s), with lots of adjusters. The intermediate S version is the best-value proposition – the E lacks a split/fold back seat and a sunroof, with the excellent semi-automatic air-con missing too. However, you really don’t have to shell out the extra £800 for this SE version to get a reasonable inventory of standard kit. There’s a curious mixture of paucity with generosity evident even in the SE, however; a gas strut-assisted bonnet, yet no door sill protectors; lined oddments spaces yet no carpet beneath the back seat cushion (as Skoda provides). Yet when it comes to safety features, every new Polo is up there with the best of them. On the move, the standard suspension gives a nicely judged compromise between a smooth ride and alert handling, with ideally weighted steering; the sports suspension gives more ultimate grip, but feels more flurried on poorer surfaces – moving its road manners closer to the Ibiza’s in fact. |
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