Cars are growing all the time. When you sit in the current VW Polo, you’d think you were in a Golf.

The Polo is now in its sixth generation and is a very respectable car among small family cars. In total, more than 14 million Polo cars have been sold.

The new Volkswagen Polo is the biggest Polo ever. The Polo is now 4 053 mm long and the wheelbase is 94 mm longer than the previous model. The boot space has increased from 280 litres to 351 litres.

The Polo is built on the Volkswagen Group’s new MQB A0 chassis. The Seat Ibiza is also built on the same platform.

The Finnish import programme includes four petrol engines and two diesel engines in the power range from 55 kW (75 hp) to 147 kW (200 hp).

The test car had a one-litre three-cylinder engine with 95 hp. Fuel consumption is 4.7 litres per 100 km according to the NEDC standard, and carbon dioxide emissions are 107 g/km.

In the driver’s seat, everything looks good. Seat and steering wheel adjustments are easy to get right and all switches are within easy reach.

The car’s digital instrument cluster is very clear and emphasises the car’s modernity.

The front seats have pretty good lateral support and the adjustments allow you to adjust the seats to suit you.

The centre of the dashboard is dominated by a large screen with, among other things, radio information and a navigation display. A nice touch is the air-conditioning control knobs on the centre console. The exterior is designed to resemble a traditional car radio.

The latest Polo is very stable and has a good steering feel. It accelerates well enough under light loads, even with only a 1.0-litre engine in the engine compartment. The car’s long wheelbase provides stability and the suspension is suitably stiff. The car clearly has the feel of a bigger car now.

The car has a dsg automatic gearbox, which shifts with a suitably unobtrusive feel.

The boot can accommodate a small family, as long as you take advantage of the lower floor level. By keeping the boot floor level, the floor is the same height as when the back seat is folded down.

The test car came with a spare tyre. Without it, you can increase the boot space a little more.

The back seat can accommodate an adult, but is best suited to children in the family. The tinted rear side windows of the test car provide a nice degree of privacy.

Wide range of equipment

The new Polo offers a wide range of driver assistance systems. Standard Trendline equipment includes halogen headlights with LED daytime running lights, an environment monitoring system with emergency braking and pedestrian detection, Start-Stop, air conditioning and a 6.5-inch colour screen.

Optional extras include LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, blind spot warning and blind spot warning, as well as a navigation system with 8-inch touchscreen colour display.

The new Volkswagen Polo is the first Volkswagen model to be equipped with a second-generation digital instrument cluster. the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is standard on the Highline and GTI trim levels.

The trim levels are Trendline, Comfortline, Highline and GTI. A wide range of customisation options is also available, including 14 exterior colours and several different coloured dashboard trim panels.

Ambient lighting is standard on the Highline and GTI trim levels. Also available are keyless lock and start, driving profile selection and the “beats” audio system, as well as sporty front seats.

Further personalisation options are offered by the appearance packages. Wireless charging and the latest generation infotainment system, including Mirror Link, Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, are available on the new Polo.

The Highline trim level of the test car already comes with a fair amount of equipment, but there was also a wealth of optional extras in the test car.

Highline equipment includes a digital instrument cluster, driver alertness monitoring and hill start assist.

In the test car, the optional extras include a black roof, which also adds tinted rear windows.

Adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, blind spot warning, navigation package with parking assistance and front and rear parking sensors are also optional.

Prices for the new Volkswagen Polo start from €15 704 (Volkswagen Polo Trendline 1.0 55 kW (75 hp). The price of the test drive, including all the optional extras, is just over €27 000.

Who is the Polo for?

The Polo is a good first car for a young family, for example. There is no other body style available for the Polo, so those looking for a station wagon should consider the Golf from VW’s range.

However, there is enough room for a small family, so there is no need to move to a bigger car as the family grows.

The Polo can also be a handy option for a pensioner, who will benefit from all the assistance available in the car.