I recently attended the launch of the six generation Volkswagen Polo. Vehicle launches usually involve a flight, straight to meet the car and a long drive but after attending the launch of the Volkswagen Polo, I can tell you that Volkswagen do things a bit differently, well for the Cape Town attendees at least.
Myself as well as 2 other journalists from Cape Town flew to Port Elizabeth where we were driven in the VW caraevlle to the Boardwalk Hotel in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth. Since the actual launch was taking place the next day, we spent the day at the spa. I then went for a swim in the indoor and outdoor pool as well as a walk along the boardwalk pier. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and having supper.
The next morning we met up with the rest of the journalists, chose our vehicles and headed off for a day of driving. I teamed up with Volkswagen enthusiast Mputi, who is one of the biggest Volkswagen fans I have ever met and he is certainly very knowledgeable when it comes to all things VW.
Mputi and I chose the Beats edition of the Polo, in the Comfortline trend, which came in the Deep Black Pearl colour and headed off for a drive around Port Elizabeth to see what the newest Polo is all about.
The 6th generation of the VW Polo is longer, lower and wider. The front has the familiar narrow grille we are used to while the back is definitely wider and more defined. I heard comments like “it has the front of a Golf and the rear of a Jetta” and this is so true. The new Polo is a major head turner. Parked on the Port Elizabeth beach front, I was attracting loads of attention. A gentleman with his family was looking at the car, after giving him a wave, he came over to speak to me. It turns out, he actually works at the Volkswagen Plant in Uitenhage and was very happy to see the new Polo on the road fresh after the launch. The polo comes with either 15, 16 or 17 inch wheels depending on the trim level. The Polo Beats comes with 16 inch alloy rims which look really good!
The cabin is just as surprising as the body. The interior is more spacious and sporty. You get different interior trims, colours and fabrics, comfortable multi material seats, a 6.5 inch touch screen display, multi functional steering wheel and loads of storage. The dashboard is wider and the centre console is slightly angled. The infotainment system is now in the line of site of the driver. Overall the dashboard has been redesigned to be more refreshing, contemporary and charismatic. You also have a choice of a 11.7-inch Active Info Display and a 8.0-inch touchscreen. In the Beats model, you are greeted by a Grey and red dashboard as well as the beats branding on the seats.
The new Polo comes in three trim levels: Trendline, Comfortline and Highline.
Trendline. The Trendline base version is very well equipped. Standard features include assistance systems such as the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System as well as LED daytime running lights and front and rear curtain airbags. Front Electric Windows, Composition Colour infotainment system with four speakers and a Connectivity Package featuring Bluetooth and USB also come as standard.
Comfortline. At the Comfortline trim level, additional details are included such as Multi-function Display “Plus”, the Composition Colour infotainment system with six speakers, leather multi-function steering wheel, Driver Alert System and front and rear electric windows.
Highline. Those who select the Highline get features such as Composition Media infotainment system, App Connect, Voice Control, Sport seats, Cruise Control with speed limiter and white LED ambient lighting (front doors and instrument panel).
The Comfortline and Highline trim versions can be further personalized by choosing the R-Line package.
R-Line. The ‘R-Line’ package makes the Polo even more dynamic with such features as 17-inch alloy wheels (‘Bonneville’), a large, sporty front bumper and, at the rear, a diffuser with chrome trims and a roof spoiler. The Polo with R-Line package also has wrap-around black sill trim strips which visually press the car down to the road. The R-Line Package is only available in South Africa from the beginning of the second quarter.
I really spent loads of time with the Comfortline Polo beats and one of my favourite features was the 300 watt Beats sound system. I must say at first when I saw the Beats logo, I didn’t expect the audio experience to be amazing, oh but it was. While Mputi was driving, I became the DJ, probably why we missed the turn off and we arrived late.. but back to me being a DJ. Using the touch screen interface I went into the sound settings and turned up the Bass to really create that club experience and Mputi loved it.
I bet you didn’t know that the all new Polo comes with a 1L TSI engine. I know what you are thinking, a 1 Litre engine in a Polo? Well with 70kW and 175Nm of torque there is loads of power. You do have the choice of an engine with 85Kw/200Nm, which I didn’t get to drive. On my Solo adventures I drove roughly 500Km and let me tell you something about this 1L engine, it was surprisingly very fast and with an average fuel consumption of 6.6L per 100km it is certainly fuel efficient. I went a bit over the 4.5 litres/100km quoted on the specs but I do have a bit of a heavy foot. On the open road the Polo cruises along but up hill, you will have to drop a gear to get extra power.
The Polo comes with either a 5 or 6 speed manual gear box or a 7-speed DSG. I only drove the 6 speed manual and gear changes were quick, easy and smooth. I found my drive very easy all thanks to cruise control and the speed limiter. Parking was also easy thanks to the reverse camera.
The boot is also surprisingly pretty big for a car in the segment. The new polo has an extra 70 litres of space, making total space 350 litres, and even more if you put the seats down. The extra boot space does not mean less leg room. In fact, there is even more rear leg room than previous generations.
Pricing of the Volkswagen Polo is as follows:
Recommended Retail Prices (VAT and emissions tax included)
1.0 TSI 70kW Trendline R 235 900
1.0 TSI 70kW Comfortline R 264 700
1.0 TSI 70kW Comfortline DSG R 280 700
1.0 TSI 85kW Highline R 286 200
1.0 TSI 85kW Highline DSG R 302 200
During the trip we were also taken to see the VW Plant in Uitenhage where every single Volkswagen in South Africa is made! It is one of the most impressive facilities that I have ever seen. As we walked through I saw car bodies, parts, chassis meeting the wheel base, vehicles being sprayed and the final product. If you are ever in Port Elizabeth, find out if you can have a tour.
The new Polo looks great on the road, at the beach or just enjoying the view!
After spending roughly 500 kilometres on the road alone with the Polo Beats, I really fell in love with the vehicle. I loved how she looks and so did those that saw me with her. I loved the multi fabric interior. I really enjoyed the audio experience and the touch screen interface. Actually there was not one thing I didn’t like. The Polo Beats is a great vehicle for those that want fuel efficiency, good looks, great sounds without lacking when it comes to power.
The new Polo is now available in South Africa and you should be seeing many of them on the road, I know I have. Are you getting the new Polo?
