Volkswagen Polo

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.

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.

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

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!

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.