Published:
7 November 2024Of the core range’s selection of engines — the 2.0-litre TSI fitted to the Polo GTI flagship is reviewed separately — today’s narrow line-up is but a shadow of its former self. Punchier petrols and the diesels were deleted from the price lists years ago, leaving a trio of unleaded-sipping 1.0-litre choices.
Entry-point for the current Polo range is the 79bhp naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit that requires a fair bit of cog-swapping from the five-speed manual if you want to make anything like decent progress.
This will enable you to make the most of its 69lb ft developed at a fairly revvy 3700-3900rpm; the quoted 0-62mph benchmark is a leisurely 15.6sec.
Accounting for the bulk of Polo sales is the turbocharged, 94bhp edition of the same engine, with a lustier 129lb ft available from 1600-3500rpm. With the same five-speed manual ’box, the 0-62mph time is slashed to 10.8sec.
It can sound a little grumbly low down, but it revs smoothly and would be perfectly adequate were it not for the manual’s tall gearing, which means this engine also needs quite a few revs to make good progress. Happily, thrashing it seems to make little difference to the fuel economy, and it has just enough low-down grunt to allow it to keep up with regular traffic on a flat road.
