VW Polo Car Lease

Cleverer, cleaner and classier, this improved fifth generation Volkswagen Polo supermini remains the quality choice it’s always been. It may look little different but the important changes lie beneath the bonnet – and on the equipment list. Some fresh new engines and a bit of extra hi-tech in the Golf-style cabin both aim to please loyal drivers, while keeping this car class-competitive against more recent rivals. As a result, this model remains very viable as a carefully conservative choice in its class. Low key, but likeable.

I mentioned that there were changes beneath the bonnet. Quite a few in fact in the now Euro6-compliant engine range. These include a revised diesel now 1.4-litres in capacity, clever ACT cylinder deactivation technology at the top of the line-up and the adoption - at last - of the efficient 90PS 16v 1.2-litre TSI petrol unit we’ve seen in rival SEATs and Skoda for ages, in place of the wheezy old petrol 1.4.

Aesthetic updates are limited to tweaks like this bit of extra chrome trim that connects the front foglights and attempts to make the car look wider – though in fact it isn’t. It is a couple of mm longer than before though, thanks to revised bumpers, below which at the front there’s a larger lower air intake. Oh and I should also talk about lights, which on plusher versions can now be LED-lit, a rare feature in this class.

When all’s said and done, a lot of the aesthetic tricks are really targeted at making this car feel as much like its larger Golf stablemate as possible – and if you didn’t know that already, then you’ll certainly be made more aware of the fact once inside. Dominating the dash is the same modular infotainment touchscreen you’d find on Volkswagen’s larger family hatch, 5.0 or 6.5-inches in size, depending on the spec you’ve chosen.

Otherwise, the look, feel and functionality of the controls, the clearly designated instruments and the neat switchgear should all be pretty familiar to Polo people, even though Volkswagen insists that all of it has been re-designed.

Overall, it’s true that there are certainly trendier choices you could make in this segment. And cars that offer up a more dynamic drive. But if you’re a typical Polo person, I reckon you might quickly tire of their charms. At the end of the day, there’s much to be said for an extra touch of quality and class. Seek those as your priorities and you’ll find this little supermini more than happy to oblige.