Recommended for you

Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI DSG Beats (A) Review

Rule change allowed car buyers to access bigger loans

» Go to articles

This is an old car model that is no longer for sale by the local distributor since Feb 2024.
Editor Review
spacer
spacer
spacer
Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI DSG Beats (A) Review
23 Nov 2018  |  Volkswagen Reviews
Bigger, better-equipped and more refined, the new generation Volkswagen Polo is a surprisingly complete supermini with easy appeal.
spacer
spacer
What We Dislike
Not the sharpest handling in its class
Bold red interior trim in the Beats edition won't be everyone's cup of tea
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
   Consumer Reviews of Volkswagen Polo
spacer
3.5
 
5 Consumer Reviews
spacer
Comfort
3.5 Reliability
3.5
spacer
Handling
4.0 Features
3.5
spacer
Exterior Styling
4.0 Interior Design
4.0
spacer
Value for money
3.0 Engine Performance
4.0

  •   Sort By
  •  spacer 
  •  results/page
lagger
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
1 points
1 forum posts Joined on 25-Feb-2019
A very nice car that needs more understanding.  Posted on 23 Dec 2020
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
spacer

Review
Having owned many subcompact Japanese cars previously, it is actually unfair to compare the Polo with them. Besides the size, it feels like a segment and class above. The small 1 litre engine doesn't struggle when accelerating, and despite reviews I see commenting about vibrations from the 3 cylinder engine, personally I do not feel it. Interior wise, it has comfortable and supportive seats, modern infotainment system and a solid steering wheel. Although cars in this class usually have cheap plastic materials for the interior, the focus is taken away from it using clever design and use of colours. The beats audio system is decent and only slightly above average; Good bass but a lot of the mid range is missing. It also fits 3 small adults of typical Singaporean Asian built fine at the back.

Despite all the good points, price will be the main reason why majority of people will not be interested in this car. The Polo will inadvertently be compared to a Japanese/Korean brand hatchback, even though it shouldn't be, as it is more of a cheaper luxury subcompact option. At this price, one can actually get a more practical family sedan. As such, it's market segment is confusing and thus seems unappealing: priced too high competing with similar size hatchbacks, size too small competing with similar priced sedans.

The reasons I bought the Polo are due to the following for potential buyer reference:
1) Ride comfort and intricate engine refinement is a priority, comparing to Japanese/Korean hatchback.
2) You choose a small car not because you have to, but because you want to; I prefer manoeuvring in a small car than a larger sedan.
3) Space is not my top priority; Prefer driving experience, but not willing to spend the money for a luxury brand.

What I like
- Ride comfort, sturdy chasis and low road noise. Feels like being in a much larger luxury car.
- Design looks great and better than the Golf in my opinion, with the sharp lines on the side.
- Small but powerful engine. Road tax is low as a result.
- Bright interior design instead of the usual dull black/silver tone.
- Safety: No cost cutting in the number of airbags.
- Decent fuel efficiency: Long term average 15-16 km/l
- Modern infotainment and the active info display.

What I do not like
- Lack of storage space to hold cashcards, wallets and other small items.
- White parts in the interior like the lower door and centre console area, armrest etc. Easier to get dirty and require more cleaning.  
- Hard to source for car accessories for the Polo.
- Safety features like ACC, AEB and blind spot monitoring that is standard in other countries is missing, which is unforgivable at this age.
- Adjustable boot floor made redundant due to poorly thought of location of the beats speaker. Not an issue with the comfortline version.
- Only 2 colours to choose from for the polo beats: metallic white silver or black.


Enforcer533
Neutral Newbie
1 reviews
2 points
203 forum posts Joined on 22-Jun-2009
Mini Golf !  Posted on 06 May 2020
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 5.0
spacer

Review
Owned the car for about 1.5 years. Till now no major issue with the car accept the rubber strip around the boot area was defective causing water build up in the spare tire compartment when raining. Mechanical wise so far so good no DSG juddering etc.

Had already clocked 34000 KM on the car. Feels like driving a bigger VW car. Engine was smooth and punchy. Handling was good. Fuel consumption wise, about 16-17 Km/l and covered about 650-700 Km. Interior space was adequate for 4 person.

What I like
- Punchy engine.
- Design.
- Fuel consumption.
- Smooth ride.
- Stable at high speed.
- Trunk space was good.
- Soft touch material used on dashboard.
- LED DRL and headlights.

What I do not like
- Ride height a little high.
- Price.


Wlee
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 20-Apr-2006
Great car at a great price  Posted on 12 Nov 2019
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 3.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
This is a very nice compact hatchback, easy to handle with a nice spacious interior. It's a very fun ride that is also reasonably priced

What I like
i love the handling, it's easy to drive

What I do not like
nope


Hotbod
1st Gear
1 reviews
94 points
50 forum posts Joined on 07-Aug-2019
New MK6 VW Polo - Small & zippy, well packaged supermini  Posted on 24 Aug 2019
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
Design/Comfort/Entertainment:
*8 inch infotainment system is easy to use, good to look at with sharp, crisp graphics, menu buttons are clearly laid out, and comes with Apple Carplay or Android Auto
*Dashboard material is soft touch plastic, with gun metal like glossy finish plastic trim across the dashboard; Together with piano black plastic and the 8" Screen, the dash design feels modern, high tech & smart looking
*Steering wheel is nicely designed, looks good & feels good to grab with quality leather
*LED headlights w/ DRL comes as standard for both Comfortline & Beats edition locally, which looks cool & unique
*Road and wind noise barely noticeable at cruising speeds

Space/Practicality:
*Shares same platform as Golf so MK6 Polo has larger interior & boot space
*Knockdown rear seats for added utility
*Under boot floor storage to hide stuffs
*Decent amount of leg & head room

Safety/Convenience:
*6 airbags, traction control, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, keyless engine start, retractable side mirrors, cruise control, front & rear fog lamps, all round parking sensors - All are standard kit

Performance/Drivetrain:
*MK6 isn't heavy so the 1.0 TSI performs adequately - 114BHP 200NM 0-100km/h in 9.5 seconds
*Throttle response is good but you'll feel slight vibration from the 3cyl turbo engine - Just need to increase throttle input
*Full torque of 200NM comes in early at around 2000 RPM so it's easy to get going
*DSG shifts seamlessly & smoothly under acceleration, most of the time you don't even notice it, unless you're driving slowly in carparks then it can feel slightly jerky
*Comes with paddle shifters for added fun & control
*Overall, the new Polo is zippy around town areas and does well to keep up with others on the highway, with minimum hassle for overtaking

Conclusion:
For its price ($8x K when I bought it), you're getting a grown up, more practical & sensible Polo, with decent engine & transmission enough to have abit of fun, and together with its smart looking, well designed interior & good equipment list (in its segment), VW managed to not constantly remind you that you're buying the cheapest car in its range (unlike other brands) - Which is a good thing!

What I like
Perky, responsive engine & transmission
Easy to drive, predictable handling w/ small turning radius
Cool looking LED headlights with DRL
Smart looking, modern interior
Steering wheel design & feel + paddle shifters
Increased cabin & boot space (from previous model)
8" infotainment system w/ Apple Carplay
Levels of NVH kept to a minimum
5 year warranty & 3 x free servicing

What I do not like
Slight vibration during acceleration (inherent of 3cyl turbo engine)
Door panels hard plastics (but expected of this segment)
Lack of reverse camera


MarkerPen
Clutched
23 reviews
15 points
12 forum posts Joined on 28-Aug-2011
Costs more than the Mk 7.5 Golf  Posted on 24 Feb 2019
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 3.0 Reliability 3.0
Handling 3.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 1.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
The Polo is a nippy car for Singapore roads, accelerating well to keep up with traffic and during overtaking. The 3 cylinder engine can get slightly buzzy at highway speeds and vibration is more pronounced than 4 cylinder models.
The car is surprisingly spacious even for 5 adults, definitely bigger than the exterior looks may suggest.

One major downside of this car would be the entry price at $93k ($100k for the Beats Edition) which is a good $15k more expensive than the equivalent Seat Ibiza which is exactly the same car with the same engine and gearbox configuration in Singapore. You have many other good choices at that price, the Golf 1.4 for example is a great buy.

Being a VW group vehicle, you should expect good build quality in the interior at least. However, the showroom unit (Beats Edition) in red had a shaky left rear passenger door pull handle which really surprised me about VW QC. Interior quality is not up to par for VW standards with hard and scratch plastics around the cabin. The previous Polo had better feeling interior quality.

What I like
- LED headlights
- Simple and clean cut interior design
- Good space for a compact hatchback
- Perky drivetrain

What I do not like
- Price is too high for the segment
- Interior quality is substandard (shaky door pull handle in showroom unit)
- Buzz from the engine at higher speeds

Volkswagen Polo
3.5 stars - based on 5 reviews