Facelifted Volkswagen Polo goes on sale from £11k

The facelifted Volkswagen Polo has gone on sale, priced from £11,100, having made its debut at the Geneva motor show earlier this month.

The refreshed version of the fifth-generation Polo gains a number of customary mid-life exterior styling changes together with an upgraded interior and a range of new driver-assistance systems in a bid to boost sales five years after introduction.

The biggest changes, however, centre around the Polo’s three- and four-cylinder engines, which have been significantly updated or replaced by more contemporary units boasting improved performance and economy.

New to the petrol engine line-up are two three-cylinder 1.0-litre MPI units with either 59bhp or 74bhp, as well as two 1.2-litre four-cylinder TSI engines available with either 89bhp or 108bhp. The 1.4-litre TSI now comes with cylinder deactivation technology, and includes a power increase to 148bhp. 

Diesel engines include two new three-cylinder 1.4-litre TDI engines, with 74bhp and 89bhp respectively.

Described as significantly smoother and more flexible than predecessor engines, the 74bhp unit in the TDI BlueMotion model is claimed to develop peak torque of 155lb ft at 1500rpm for improved standing start and in-gear acceleration along with a combined 88.3mpg and 82g/km.

Even bigger fuel savings are made with the new 89bhp unit, which is claimed to have a 21 per cent reduction in consumption at 83.1mpg and 89g/km against the 65.7mpg and 112g/km of the earlier 89bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder diesel it replaces.

Depending on the engine, buyers will be able to choose between a standard five or six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Volkswagen has also worked on improving the Polo’s ride and handling by providing it with an optional Sport Select suspension with two levels of damping stiffness along with a new electro-mechanical steering system.

Among the external styling changes made to the facelifted Polo is a new front bumper with added structure and larger air ducts together with a reworked grille whose horizontal emphasis aims to provide the strong selling hatchback with greater visual width.

The headlamps retain the same shape as before, but they are now available with an LED main beam function on upper-end models, giving the Polo a new night-time optic.

At the rear is a subtly restyled bumper with a wider cutout for the number plate, along with revised taillamps and altered graphics. Buyers will once again get to choose between 15-, 16- and 17-inch wheels depending on the trim line along with 15 different exterior colours, eight of which are described as new.

Mirroring efforts made on the larger Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen has attempted to lift the perceived quality of the Polo’s interior with a new three-spoke steering wheel, altered instrument graphics and a revised centre console with new controls for the air-conditioning, the choice of either a 5.0- or 6.5-inch touchscreen monitor, a range of optional infotainment features and a new rear camera to ease parking.