| It always amazes me how efficient the Germans | | | | stereo/cassette unit, allowing for increased |
| are. Whilst settling down to watch Grand Designs | | | | security and was a hit with buyers and is now |
| the other day, I saw an entire house built in a | | | | de-rigueur with all in-car audio units. |
| Bavarian factory, shipped to England and built in | | | | 1994 finally saw a significant update of the Polo. |
| three days, all without mistakes and of course - | | | | Available in 3 and 5 door hatchback versions, the |
| with a top quality finish. It's the same story with | | | | car sat on a new chassis shared in part with the |
| sport, I bet Michael Schumacher could waltz back | | | | SEAT Ibiza (VW also owning SEAT) and the Polo's |
| into the Formula One paddock, shake Lewis | | | | big brother the Golf. Eight different engines were |
| Hamilton's hand before demolishing him on the | | | | available, the largest choice yet in the Polo range |
| track, without breaking a sweat. | | | | and more contemporary styling was also on offer. |
| German cars are no different and a perfect | | | | The turn of the millennium saw the obligatory |
| microcosm of this can be found with one look at | | | | facelift with 70% of the components being |
| the Volkswagen Polo. Staggeringly this car has | | | | changed, although this wasn't outwardly visible. |
| been with us for 33 years and is just as popular | | | | The car certainly continued the tradition of being |
| today as the first model was in 1975, which sold | | | | better made and having a more upmarket feel |
| over 500,000 units worldwide in just six years. | | | | than its rivals and sold well. It also won a number |
| Originally a rebadged Audi 50, the Polo was sold | | | | of awards including best 'Supermini' from Top |
| alongside it's Audi counterpart but was cheaper to | | | | Gear, Auto Express, and Which? in the late |
| buy. Unsurprisingly, the Polo outsold it's identical | | | | nineties. |
| twin and Audi stopped production of the 50. | | | | The Mk IV Polo was launched in 2002 and further |
| Buoyed by it's success a face lifted Polo appeared | | | | built upon the heritage of it's predecessors. Again |
| in 1979, with subtle styling changes to bring the | | | | sharing a platform with the SEAT Ibiza and |
| baby Polo into line with the design of the existing | | | | additionally the Skoda Fabia, the Polo's appearance |
| Jetta Saloon (this included square headlights on the | | | | was dramatically changed, with quad headlights |
| top-of-the-range 'Derby' derivative). It was VW's | | | | similar to the smaller Lupo featured in the new |
| intention for this to act as a stop-gap until the Mk | | | | design. No fewer than 11 different engine options |
| II Polo arrived in 1981. | | | | were available, each with different levels of trim |
| It's fair to say that Porsche are often criticised | | | | to complement. Despite early promise, the Mk IV |
| for having a lazy design studio, after all the 911 | | | | didn't sell as well as previous Polos and faired |
| has looked almost identical for 40 years, but | | | | poorly in many customer satisfaction surveys, |
| Volkswagen made a fair fist of clinching the title in | | | | including high profile ones such those conducted by |
| 1981. The Mk II Polo was essentially identical to it's | | | | Top Gear. |
| predecessor, although crucially what it lacked in | | | | With this in mind, the Mk IV, was redesigned in |
| originality of styling, it more than compensated for | | | | 2005 and is the model found on the roads today. |
| with build quality and reliability. Whilst it's main rivals | | | | Subtle exterior changes were made for the car |
| the Renault 5, Fiat Uno and Austin Metro have | | | | to again share the design style of others in the |
| long since gone to the great scrap yard in the | | | | Volkswagen range, particularly the Passat and |
| sky, the Mk II Polo is still in plentiful supply on | | | | interior components were redesigned in the light |
| Britain's roads. | | | | of previous criticism. The latest model is the Polo |
| Built until 1994, the Mk II also allowed Volkswagen | | | | Bluemotion, specifically designed to be more |
| to pioneer new technology - most notably a | | | | environmentally friendly, by reducing the vehicles |
| G-supercharged engine that would later be the | | | | weight, electronic equipment and engine emissions. |
| basis for the one found in the Corrado and Golf. | | | | Reliability and value for money continue to be the |
| As with the Mk I, the second generation Polo | | | | Polo's standout features, although there is no |
| received a subtle facelift in 1990 for the final four | | | | doubt the latest model is a very classy looking |
| years of production. Despite new headlights and | | | | vehicle. The best way to sum up this car is to |
| bumpers it still bore a near identical resemblance | | | | steal the phrase from the German company |
| to the original 1975 model. One notable feature | | | | themselves - "small but tough". |
| however was the introduction of a removable | | | | |