• Simple petrol-only engine range
• 1.0-litre units champion efficiency
• 2.0-litre GTI focuses on driving fun

Petrol engines

The common-or-garden Volkswagen Polo is available with a choice of two 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines. The cheapest option is a naturally aspirated unit that produces a rather lethargic 80hp – and it can leave you exposed if you don’t have enough space to wind it up. Short motorway slip roads test both your patience and your foresight, and you need to plan weeks in advance for overtakes on single track roads.

The 80hp engine is at its happiest around town, simply because you’re not rushed by faster traffic. Its sweet spot is in the mid-range, where you can take advantage of all its torque. There’s nothing to be gained from revving it to the redline, but you feel like you have to for the necessity of survival.

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Above that, there’s a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that produces a healthier 95hp. It feels a lot happier at higher speeds. Power delivery and response is good once you’ve got the turbo working – ideally above 2,000rpm – but if you let your engine speed decrease enough to drop off the boost, it takes a while to get moving again.

This isn’t helped by the tall gearing in manual-equipped cars. You often find yourself merrily driving along in third to keep the engine in its sweet spot, when fifth would be far better for fuel economy. However, you can solve this by specifying the 95hp engine with Volkswagen’s optional seven-speed DSG automatic.

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The automatic gearbox eases the amount of foresight you need to deploy when driving the Polo. It suits the car’s relaxed nature well and it changes gear quickly, which means you can get the engine back on boost by simply pressing the throttle to the floor and allowing the computers to sort everything out.

Plus, because the Polo isn’t a particularly engaging car to drive, you don’t feel like you’re making a sacrifice by opting for the automatic. It would be a travesty in something as exciting as a Ford Fiesta, but the Polo’s sensible character makes it far less of a forfeiture.

What’s it like to drive?

• Light controls means it’s easy
• Big car comfort and refinment
• Handling never really sparkles

If you haven’t already gathered, the Polo is rather unremarkable to drive. It isn’t offensive, it’s just forgettable. There’s very little feel in the steering and clutch, the throttle is governed more by the ECU than your right foot and the gear lever is disappointingly rubbery. It’s perfectly fine for your average driver, but there’s very little here to engage a petrolhead.

Our biggest source of irritation was the brake pedal. It only has about an inch of total travel – and most of the braking performance is delivered within the first few millimetres. It’s very bitey and quite difficult to drive smoothly. We’re sure you’d grow accustomed to it over time, but we can’t help but think the Polo’s controls would feel a little more homogenous if its brake was as doughy as its clutch and throttle.

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But we’d be wrong to dismiss the Polo for its humdrum driving experience because not everyone is interested in driving. The Polo is ideal if you value comfort, refinement and security over lively suspension and a talkative steering system. The composed, sedate experience it offers makes it a very relaxing companion on your morning commute.

We’re especially impressed by its ride. Small cars tend to transmit more impacts and noises into the cabin – but the Polo manages to filter lots of them out. It’s also quite refined on the motorway once you’ve got the engine up to speed and into a high gear. Wind noise is well suppressed, and the engine quickly fades into the background.

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If you want the Polo’s grown-up character but crave a more performance, you can always opt for the 207hp Volkswagen Polo GTI hot hatchback, which we’ve covered in a separate review. It sacrifices a little refinement for a lot more speed – and while it can’t offer the same white-knuckle experience as a Hyundai i20 N, it arguably the most well-rounded option in its class.