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Volkswagen Polo 1.4 DSG (A) Review
12 Jan 2010|44,063 views
And it’s not an easy battle this one.
Our never ending quest to purchase the most affordably-priced car, with a good level of fit and finish, an engine pushing enough horses, and a resale value not tied to a boulder, has elevated the Honda Jazz/Fit into something of a traditional norm.
Then a few years back Suzuki introduced their Swift, which knocked the wind out of Honda and a chunk of their sales books at the same time, as the choice of first-time car buyers. Then they topped that success with their sport version, the Swift Sport.
That one really hit Honda hard, with the usual Jazz modders deciding to buy the Swift Sport as their choice of ride with its fresh look, proportions and punchy engine.
Honda then decided to take the more mature product aging route and upsized everything about the car, focusing its appeal towards the younger family cluster.
So where does the Polo fit in? For one, although it’s priced a tad south of the Honda’s proposition, I don’t think it’ll be threatening the Jazz’s current image of a bulbous, roomy and refined choice of transport for the family.
Instead, the Polo will naturally draw two general groups of people, the first-time car buyer and someone looking to acquire a spare car for anyone of his family members to use.
Our never ending quest to purchase the most affordably-priced car, with a good level of fit and finish, an engine pushing enough horses, and a resale value not tied to a boulder, has elevated the Honda Jazz/Fit into something of a traditional norm.
Then a few years back Suzuki introduced their Swift, which knocked the wind out of Honda and a chunk of their sales books at the same time, as the choice of first-time car buyers. Then they topped that success with their sport version, the Swift Sport.
That one really hit Honda hard, with the usual Jazz modders deciding to buy the Swift Sport as their choice of ride with its fresh look, proportions and punchy engine.
Honda then decided to take the more mature product aging route and upsized everything about the car, focusing its appeal towards the younger family cluster.
So where does the Polo fit in? For one, although it’s priced a tad south of the Honda’s proposition, I don’t think it’ll be threatening the Jazz’s current image of a bulbous, roomy and refined choice of transport for the family.
Instead, the Polo will naturally draw two general groups of people, the first-time car buyer and someone looking to acquire a spare car for anyone of his family members to use.
 |
The ‘spare car’ buyer probably owns a continental car or a Volkswagen as it is, and is looking to keep a more economical car in the house for the short trips to the shops or to the beach on the weekends.
So with consumers spoilt for choice, let’s start by analyzing one of the more important factors in the buying decision process, the looks.
Exterior
Setting it apart cleanly from the rest of the horde, the Polo benefits from the design language currently dominating the VW line-up, lifting frontal design elements from the sexy Scirocco coupe.
 |
The no nonsense slim grill finds its way on the Polo, flanked by an intense looking headlamp cluster, pulled at its tips towards the wheel arches giving the little car some character and aggression. That’s helped by the fog lamp-less bumper and the clean hood creases that forms itself from the corners of the grill and curves upwards to meet the windscreen.
Shapely body-coloured side-view mirrors sit well with the car’s overall image, equipped with an indicator lamp and the ever useful driver-facing indicator portion that lets the driver know, apart from the indicator display behind the steering wheel, exactly where he’s signaling towards.
From the side the Polo cuts a very nice line with the crease from the headlamps rising ever so gently upwards, further pronouncing the top half of the car from the bottom. The 15 inch rims are standard across its competitors but looks best on the Polo.
16 inches would have filled the empty spaces in the wheel arches much better and would have given the car the aggressive stance it was working towards though.
The rear tail lamp cluster is like nothing I’ve seen before. Three layers of an “L” design within the lamp sets the tone for the cluster at the back, with the reverse lamps slimmed below it. I think they’ve done good with giving it some depth and making it look more expensive than the car really is.
Interior
Inside the Polo, you strangely, don’t get the sense of being inside an econo box. And you start to realise how weird that is when the likes of the dimensions of the Jazz and Swift are actually larger than the VW.
During the press launch of the car in Spain last year, Mr Ulrich Hackenberg, VW’s head of R&D said “We haven’t made this car significantly bigger [than the last one],but we have changed the proportions and thus gained more shoulder room for a more spacious feel.” Not much but the car does benefit from being 36 mm longer, 32 mm wider and 13 mm lower than the car it replaces.
Shapely body-coloured side-view mirrors sit well with the car’s overall image, equipped with an indicator lamp and the ever useful driver-facing indicator portion that lets the driver know, apart from the indicator display behind the steering wheel, exactly where he’s signaling towards.
From the side the Polo cuts a very nice line with the crease from the headlamps rising ever so gently upwards, further pronouncing the top half of the car from the bottom. The 15 inch rims are standard across its competitors but looks best on the Polo.
16 inches would have filled the empty spaces in the wheel arches much better and would have given the car the aggressive stance it was working towards though.
The rear tail lamp cluster is like nothing I’ve seen before. Three layers of an “L” design within the lamp sets the tone for the cluster at the back, with the reverse lamps slimmed below it. I think they’ve done good with giving it some depth and making it look more expensive than the car really is.
Interior
Inside the Polo, you strangely, don’t get the sense of being inside an econo box. And you start to realise how weird that is when the likes of the dimensions of the Jazz and Swift are actually larger than the VW.
During the press launch of the car in Spain last year, Mr Ulrich Hackenberg, VW’s head of R&D said “We haven’t made this car significantly bigger [than the last one],but we have changed the proportions and thus gained more shoulder room for a more spacious feel.” Not much but the car does benefit from being 36 mm longer, 32 mm wider and 13 mm lower than the car it replaces.
What that essentially means, is that you and particularly your passengers get a good amount of shoulder room and head room (especially at the back) now, but there’s still the problem of leg room once you’ve shifted the seats closer to the rear. And, if like me, you’re 176cm, you’d be faced with the predictable complaints about how there’s no space in the rear and how they don’t feel their legs anymore.
In regards to the fixtures and fittings, all the equipment in and around the console area of the Polo are typical VW, and thus are of good quality. No wobbling and cheap plastics here, sturdiness dominates the interior of the car. I like the white backlit dials inside the dashboard that’s constructed out of high-quality soft touch plastics. The leather seats are plenty comfortable, again, typical of the German manufacturer, and so is the thick steering wheel.
One design flaw though, was the positioning of the arm rest. Not only was it slopping down more than it should, it also hampered you releasing the handbrake. So for the less tolerating bunch of us, we’d find much displeasure in lifting the arm rest up each time we release or lock the brake in place.
A relatively small matter but it’s not something you’d expect from Volkswagen.
Boot space at the back is optimized by flat-folding rear seats and a two-level boot system, giving owners 952 litres of space (280 litres with seats up).
Driving impressions
Driving the Polo, you must remember, should almost be an economical experience. The 85 bhp producing 1.4-litre we sampled paired up with VW’s 7-speed DSG gearbox well enough to deliver quick shifts up and down the rev range and through all the seven cogs smoothly. Only once did it sputter, when I was going up the ECP and floored the throttle to over-take the car in front, delaying the swap in a lower gear for a split second.
But the car does feel (and sounds) punchy, owing solely to the 132 Nm of torque and the exhaust system that lends the tiny 1.4 a more manly, throaty sound.
In regards to the fixtures and fittings, all the equipment in and around the console area of the Polo are typical VW, and thus are of good quality. No wobbling and cheap plastics here, sturdiness dominates the interior of the car. I like the white backlit dials inside the dashboard that’s constructed out of high-quality soft touch plastics. The leather seats are plenty comfortable, again, typical of the German manufacturer, and so is the thick steering wheel.
One design flaw though, was the positioning of the arm rest. Not only was it slopping down more than it should, it also hampered you releasing the handbrake. So for the less tolerating bunch of us, we’d find much displeasure in lifting the arm rest up each time we release or lock the brake in place.
A relatively small matter but it’s not something you’d expect from Volkswagen.
Boot space at the back is optimized by flat-folding rear seats and a two-level boot system, giving owners 952 litres of space (280 litres with seats up).
Driving impressions
Driving the Polo, you must remember, should almost be an economical experience. The 85 bhp producing 1.4-litre we sampled paired up with VW’s 7-speed DSG gearbox well enough to deliver quick shifts up and down the rev range and through all the seven cogs smoothly. Only once did it sputter, when I was going up the ECP and floored the throttle to over-take the car in front, delaying the swap in a lower gear for a split second.
But the car does feel (and sounds) punchy, owing solely to the 132 Nm of torque and the exhaust system that lends the tiny 1.4 a more manly, throaty sound.
 |
Driving feedback is considered a level down from direct (still more direct than the Jazz), making the Polo something you’d rather not be throwing into corners too often, especially with those high-profile energy saving tyres shod on the 15’s.
Those tyres are solely meant to make sure that when it comes to topping up of fuel, your wallet doesn’t hurt as much as the tyres do when you thrust the car into a corner, screaming relentlessly from being unable to grip the surface while understeering from the herb.
Should you even consider this?
I’d say yes.
It’s a pretty tricky one though because I don’t think this car appeals to the affordable hatch masses. This, instead, will appeal to the well-heeled fresh driver benefiting from his parents deep pockets, and as I stated at the start of the article, someone who already owns a car and is looking for an affordable run around for his second car.
Those tyres are solely meant to make sure that when it comes to topping up of fuel, your wallet doesn’t hurt as much as the tyres do when you thrust the car into a corner, screaming relentlessly from being unable to grip the surface while understeering from the herb.
Should you even consider this?
I’d say yes.
It’s a pretty tricky one though because I don’t think this car appeals to the affordable hatch masses. This, instead, will appeal to the well-heeled fresh driver benefiting from his parents deep pockets, and as I stated at the start of the article, someone who already owns a car and is looking for an affordable run around for his second car.
At $67,300, the 1.4 Polo is priced below the $69,800 1.3 LA Jazz, and higher than the $66,388 1.6 Swift Sport. But really, with the rest you just won’t be getting the German quality fit and finishing’s that exudes a more premium feel that none of the Japanese alternatives can emulate.
Then there’s the ultra-efficient 7-speed DSG gearbox that cracks two segment firsts, one with offering a 7-speed box and another with it being dual-clutch. Giving the Polo an impressive average run of 17 km/l at the tank.
Surely it sounds very appetising but you’ll need to keep in mind the lower Open Market Value of the car when sending it to the second hand car market.
I would suggest being patient and waiting for the much-acclaimed 1.2-litre unit to hit town before committing your pay cheque to the 1.4 though.
Then there’s the ultra-efficient 7-speed DSG gearbox that cracks two segment firsts, one with offering a 7-speed box and another with it being dual-clutch. Giving the Polo an impressive average run of 17 km/l at the tank.
Surely it sounds very appetising but you’ll need to keep in mind the lower Open Market Value of the car when sending it to the second hand car market.
I would suggest being patient and waiting for the much-acclaimed 1.2-litre unit to hit town before committing your pay cheque to the 1.4 though.
And it’s not an easy battle this one.
Our never ending quest to purchase the most affordably-priced car, with a good level of fit and finish, an engine pushing enough horses, and a resale value not tied to a boulder, has elevated the Honda Jazz/Fit into something of a traditional norm.
Then a few years back Suzuki introduced their Swift, which knocked the wind out of Honda and a chunk of their sales books at the same time, as the choice of first-time car buyers. Then they topped that success with their sport version, the Swift Sport.
That one really hit Honda hard, with the usual Jazz modders deciding to buy the Swift Sport as their choice of ride with its fresh look, proportions and punchy engine.
Honda then decided to take the more mature product aging route and upsized everything about the car, focusing its appeal towards the younger family cluster.
So where does the Polo fit in? For one, although it’s priced a tad south of the Honda’s proposition, I don’t think it’ll be threatening the Jazz’s current image of a bulbous, roomy and refined choice of transport for the family.
Instead, the Polo will naturally draw two general groups of people, the first-time car buyer and someone looking to acquire a spare car for anyone of his family members to use.
Our never ending quest to purchase the most affordably-priced car, with a good level of fit and finish, an engine pushing enough horses, and a resale value not tied to a boulder, has elevated the Honda Jazz/Fit into something of a traditional norm.
Then a few years back Suzuki introduced their Swift, which knocked the wind out of Honda and a chunk of their sales books at the same time, as the choice of first-time car buyers. Then they topped that success with their sport version, the Swift Sport.
That one really hit Honda hard, with the usual Jazz modders deciding to buy the Swift Sport as their choice of ride with its fresh look, proportions and punchy engine.
Honda then decided to take the more mature product aging route and upsized everything about the car, focusing its appeal towards the younger family cluster.
So where does the Polo fit in? For one, although it’s priced a tad south of the Honda’s proposition, I don’t think it’ll be threatening the Jazz’s current image of a bulbous, roomy and refined choice of transport for the family.
Instead, the Polo will naturally draw two general groups of people, the first-time car buyer and someone looking to acquire a spare car for anyone of his family members to use.
|
The ‘spare car’ buyer probably owns a continental car or a Volkswagen as it is, and is looking to keep a more economical car in the house for the short trips to the shops or to the beach on the weekends.
So with consumers spoilt for choice, let’s start by analyzing one of the more important factors in the buying decision process, the looks.
Exterior
Setting it apart cleanly from the rest of the horde, the Polo benefits from the design language currently dominating the VW line-up, lifting frontal design elements from the sexy Scirocco coupe.
|
The no nonsense slim grill finds its way on the Polo, flanked by an intense looking headlamp cluster, pulled at its tips towards the wheel arches giving the little car some character and aggression. That’s helped by the fog lamp-less bumper and the clean hood creases that forms itself from the corners of the grill and curves upwards to meet the windscreen.
Shapely body-coloured side-view mirrors sit well with the car’s overall image, equipped with an indicator lamp and the ever useful driver-facing indicator portion that lets the driver know, apart from the indicator display behind the steering wheel, exactly where he’s signaling towards.
From the side the Polo cuts a very nice line with the crease from the headlamps rising ever so gently upwards, further pronouncing the top half of the car from the bottom. The 15 inch rims are standard across its competitors but looks best on the Polo.
16 inches would have filled the empty spaces in the wheel arches much better and would have given the car the aggressive stance it was working towards though.
The rear tail lamp cluster is like nothing I’ve seen before. Three layers of an “L” design within the lamp sets the tone for the cluster at the back, with the reverse lamps slimmed below it. I think they’ve done good with giving it some depth and making it look more expensive than the car really is.
Interior
Inside the Polo, you strangely, don’t get the sense of being inside an econo box. And you start to realise how weird that is when the likes of the dimensions of the Jazz and Swift are actually larger than the VW.
During the press launch of the car in Spain last year, Mr Ulrich Hackenberg, VW’s head of R&D said “We haven’t made this car significantly bigger [than the last one],but we have changed the proportions and thus gained more shoulder room for a more spacious feel.” Not much but the car does benefit from being 36 mm longer, 32 mm wider and 13 mm lower than the car it replaces.
Shapely body-coloured side-view mirrors sit well with the car’s overall image, equipped with an indicator lamp and the ever useful driver-facing indicator portion that lets the driver know, apart from the indicator display behind the steering wheel, exactly where he’s signaling towards.
From the side the Polo cuts a very nice line with the crease from the headlamps rising ever so gently upwards, further pronouncing the top half of the car from the bottom. The 15 inch rims are standard across its competitors but looks best on the Polo.
16 inches would have filled the empty spaces in the wheel arches much better and would have given the car the aggressive stance it was working towards though.
The rear tail lamp cluster is like nothing I’ve seen before. Three layers of an “L” design within the lamp sets the tone for the cluster at the back, with the reverse lamps slimmed below it. I think they’ve done good with giving it some depth and making it look more expensive than the car really is.
Interior
Inside the Polo, you strangely, don’t get the sense of being inside an econo box. And you start to realise how weird that is when the likes of the dimensions of the Jazz and Swift are actually larger than the VW.
During the press launch of the car in Spain last year, Mr Ulrich Hackenberg, VW’s head of R&D said “We haven’t made this car significantly bigger [than the last one],but we have changed the proportions and thus gained more shoulder room for a more spacious feel.” Not much but the car does benefit from being 36 mm longer, 32 mm wider and 13 mm lower than the car it replaces.
What that essentially means, is that you and particularly your passengers get a good amount of shoulder room and head room (especially at the back) now, but there’s still the problem of leg room once you’ve shifted the seats closer to the rear. And, if like me, you’re 176cm, you’d be faced with the predictable complaints about how there’s no space in the rear and how they don’t feel their legs anymore.
In regards to the fixtures and fittings, all the equipment in and around the console area of the Polo are typical VW, and thus are of good quality. No wobbling and cheap plastics here, sturdiness dominates the interior of the car. I like the white backlit dials inside the dashboard that’s constructed out of high-quality soft touch plastics. The leather seats are plenty comfortable, again, typical of the German manufacturer, and so is the thick steering wheel.
One design flaw though, was the positioning of the arm rest. Not only was it slopping down more than it should, it also hampered you releasing the handbrake. So for the less tolerating bunch of us, we’d find much displeasure in lifting the arm rest up each time we release or lock the brake in place.
A relatively small matter but it’s not something you’d expect from Volkswagen.
Boot space at the back is optimized by flat-folding rear seats and a two-level boot system, giving owners 952 litres of space (280 litres with seats up).
Driving impressions
Driving the Polo, you must remember, should almost be an economical experience. The 85 bhp producing 1.4-litre we sampled paired up with VW’s 7-speed DSG gearbox well enough to deliver quick shifts up and down the rev range and through all the seven cogs smoothly. Only once did it sputter, when I was going up the ECP and floored the throttle to over-take the car in front, delaying the swap in a lower gear for a split second.
But the car does feel (and sounds) punchy, owing solely to the 132 Nm of torque and the exhaust system that lends the tiny 1.4 a more manly, throaty sound.
In regards to the fixtures and fittings, all the equipment in and around the console area of the Polo are typical VW, and thus are of good quality. No wobbling and cheap plastics here, sturdiness dominates the interior of the car. I like the white backlit dials inside the dashboard that’s constructed out of high-quality soft touch plastics. The leather seats are plenty comfortable, again, typical of the German manufacturer, and so is the thick steering wheel.
One design flaw though, was the positioning of the arm rest. Not only was it slopping down more than it should, it also hampered you releasing the handbrake. So for the less tolerating bunch of us, we’d find much displeasure in lifting the arm rest up each time we release or lock the brake in place.
A relatively small matter but it’s not something you’d expect from Volkswagen.
Boot space at the back is optimized by flat-folding rear seats and a two-level boot system, giving owners 952 litres of space (280 litres with seats up).
Driving impressions
Driving the Polo, you must remember, should almost be an economical experience. The 85 bhp producing 1.4-litre we sampled paired up with VW’s 7-speed DSG gearbox well enough to deliver quick shifts up and down the rev range and through all the seven cogs smoothly. Only once did it sputter, when I was going up the ECP and floored the throttle to over-take the car in front, delaying the swap in a lower gear for a split second.
But the car does feel (and sounds) punchy, owing solely to the 132 Nm of torque and the exhaust system that lends the tiny 1.4 a more manly, throaty sound.
|
Driving feedback is considered a level down from direct (still more direct than the Jazz), making the Polo something you’d rather not be throwing into corners too often, especially with those high-profile energy saving tyres shod on the 15’s.
Those tyres are solely meant to make sure that when it comes to topping up of fuel, your wallet doesn’t hurt as much as the tyres do when you thrust the car into a corner, screaming relentlessly from being unable to grip the surface while understeering from the herb.
Should you even consider this?
I’d say yes.
It’s a pretty tricky one though because I don’t think this car appeals to the affordable hatch masses. This, instead, will appeal to the well-heeled fresh driver benefiting from his parents deep pockets, and as I stated at the start of the article, someone who already owns a car and is looking for an affordable run around for his second car.
Those tyres are solely meant to make sure that when it comes to topping up of fuel, your wallet doesn’t hurt as much as the tyres do when you thrust the car into a corner, screaming relentlessly from being unable to grip the surface while understeering from the herb.
Should you even consider this?
I’d say yes.
It’s a pretty tricky one though because I don’t think this car appeals to the affordable hatch masses. This, instead, will appeal to the well-heeled fresh driver benefiting from his parents deep pockets, and as I stated at the start of the article, someone who already owns a car and is looking for an affordable run around for his second car.
At $67,300, the 1.4 Polo is priced below the $69,800 1.3 LA Jazz, and higher than the $66,388 1.6 Swift Sport. But really, with the rest you just won’t be getting the German quality fit and finishing’s that exudes a more premium feel that none of the Japanese alternatives can emulate.
Then there’s the ultra-efficient 7-speed DSG gearbox that cracks two segment firsts, one with offering a 7-speed box and another with it being dual-clutch. Giving the Polo an impressive average run of 17 km/l at the tank.
Surely it sounds very appetising but you’ll need to keep in mind the lower Open Market Value of the car when sending it to the second hand car market.
I would suggest being patient and waiting for the much-acclaimed 1.2-litre unit to hit town before committing your pay cheque to the 1.4 though.
Then there’s the ultra-efficient 7-speed DSG gearbox that cracks two segment firsts, one with offering a 7-speed box and another with it being dual-clutch. Giving the Polo an impressive average run of 17 km/l at the tank.
Surely it sounds very appetising but you’ll need to keep in mind the lower Open Market Value of the car when sending it to the second hand car market.
I would suggest being patient and waiting for the much-acclaimed 1.2-litre unit to hit town before committing your pay cheque to the 1.4 though.
Also read our comparison article on:
Renault Clio 1.2T vs Seat Ibiza 1.0 EcoTSI vs Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI
Car Information
Volkswagen Polo 1.4 DSG (A)
CAT A|Petrol|17.2km/L
Horsepower
63kW (85 bhp)
Torque
132 Nm
Acceleration
11.9sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Volkswagen Polo
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