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German quality starts under $20,000
Larger body / more interior space and luxury
Volkswagen Group Australia has introduced the all-new Polo hatchback range with recommended retail prices starting at just $19,800.
The fourth-generation of Volkswagen’s small car highlights its German engineering and quality in a stylish new body featuring four, round headlights and providing increased space in the generously proportioned interior which is an ergonomic masterpiece.
In Australia, Polo is offered in three model types - S and SE - available in both three and five-door versions and the Polo 3-Door. Unlike some blander competitors, Polo’s two bodystyles offer distinctly different side profiles.
All Polo models are powered by Volkswagen’s acclaimed 1.4-litre 16-valve engine which delivers a responsive 55kW of power and 126Nm of torque. Available transmissions are a five-speed manual or four-speed electronic automatic with adaptive shift patterns.
Volkswagen’s new Polo - now clearly the standout competitor in the small car segment - has noticeably grown in every measurement compared to its predecessor. At 3.897 metres, it is 15.4 centimeters (cms) longer, 4.7 cms higher and 1.8 cms wider.
Looking beyond its chic Euro-style contemporary good looks, it is hard to find another small car to rival Polo’s practicality and lack of complication: wide-opening doors to provide plenty of room for entry/exit of people and their stuff, a tailgate opening high enough for a person 1.9 metres tall to stand underneath, lots of handily placed storage positions/bins, split-folding rear seat, good all-round vision… even down to tough, ergonomically-designed door handles.
Polo is a small car which doesn’t compromise.
Want more proof? Just step inside…
After closing the door, Polo challenges one to consider which class of car you have just entered. This uncertainty stems from the generous space, all-new seat design, uncluttered cockpit with classic round dials, ergonomic layout of all controls, standard semi-automatic air conditioning (S and SE models) and the noticeable quality of materials used throughout.
All these elements are sufficiently impressive to blur the traditional borders between vehicle classes. That is precisely the intention of Volkswagen’s design team – for every Volkswagen vehicle to represent the brand’s premium standard in its segment, whatever the segment.
And it’s not just the Polo’s driver who benefits. Rear legroom has especially increased (assisted by the 53 extra millimeters in the wheelbase) and in the SE model three-door, the front seats have an easy-entry tilt function.
Standard trunk volume is 250 litres and with seats folded down, this increases to an impressive 1030 litres.
Similarly, Volkswagen says Polo drivers should not compromise their driving enjoyment. With a torsion beam rear axle and McPherson strut front, combined with three and five door bodyshells offering best-in-class torsional rigidity, all new Polo models – like their fellow Volkswagen family members – are a joy to drive on the urban freeways or winding rural roads.
Braking performance is up to the task with optional ABS and electronic brake pressure distribution. The standard electric/hydraulic power steering matches power assistance to vehicle speed providing enhanced feel at higher speeds and maximum assistance for city manoeuvres and parking.
"The all-new new Polo epitomizes everything which is good about Volkswagen’s German designers and engineers," explained Volkswagen Group Australia’s Managing Director, Mr Peter Nochar. "Here is Europe’s new benchmark hatchback, its styling highlighted by sophisticated four round headlights – a feature one of our rivals reserves for its mid-size luxury sedan buyers."
"Polo is a small hatchback, but in the Volkswagen way, it offers the driving dynamics associated with bigger/high performance cars like our Golf GTi."
"Clearly our new Polo has been designed and equipped for the post Baby Boomer generation. These consumers appreciate the inherent qualities of German products like Volkswagens, but they recognize their lives have become way too complicated – they want quality and sophistication but without the fuss - for these people, all-new Polo is their car."
Volkswagen’s all-new Polo lineup is:
Polo 3-door…….……………$19,800
Polo S 3-door……………….$20,800
Polo SE 3-door……………..$22,500
Polo S 5-door……………….$21,800
Polo SE 5-door……………..$23,500
All prices are for vehicles fitted with manual transmissions. Optional automatic transmission adds $2,000 to the above prices.
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