PoloDriver

Distinctive inside and out, the Polo Beats is a more recent edition to the Volkswagen’s small car range. With upgraded kit and a 300W music system, it sounds like a tempting package. PoloDriver.com editor Rich Gooding takes this special version of the fifth-generation Polo for a final fling and sees if it’s a sound proposition

Red mirrors and special graphics: what’s this Polo all about then?
Introduced in May 2016, the Polo Beats started its life as a special edition model, but has become a mainstay of the current Polo range. And yes, its distinct from its siblings by way of (pun intended) loud – for a Polo – body graphics, ‘Beats’ b-pillar branding, a gloss black front grille, darkened rear lights, 16-inch ‘Knight’ alloy wheels, and those red mirrors (which, can actually be also had in black if a mis-matched look is to be avoided).

But, the main attraction of the Polo Beats is its 300W audio system. Yep, as the name suggests, the Polo Beats is a ‘collaboration’ between Volkswagen and Beats Electronics of California.

Volkswagen states that a lower-spec Polo Match comes with an 80-watt sound system as standard, but along with the upgraded output, the Polo Beats also features a digital sound processor, an eight-channel amplifier, seven ‘high-end’ speakers, and unique ‘Beats’-trimmed seats with quilted silver-grey centre sections and alcantara side bolsters. 

There are also red-edged seatbelts, red-edged carpet mats, LED footwell lighting and ‘Isaac Silver’ dashboard trim. A range of four engines power the Polo Beats, with prices starting at £14,355 ‘on the road’ for the 59bhp 1.0-litre three-door. A tempting proposition, does the sound-focused Polo offer much more for its near-£1,000 premium, or is it more a case of the extra kit distorting the appeal?

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

The current Polo is now eight years old, so how does it drive?
Despite its age, the fifth-generation Polo is still a decent drive. Our test car was fitted with the 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine developing 89bhp, and although it’s been around a while, it’s still a powertrain highlight of the soon-to-be-discontinued Polo range.

Nippy and very tractable with 118lb ft of torque coming in from 1,400-4,000rpm, it scoots the 1,107kg small VW along at a decent lick, and only loses some performance towards the top of its rev range. It sounds nice, too, slightly reminiscent of the thrum belonging to lesser Polos’ turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit. If we’re talking figures, Volkswagen quotes a 0-62mph time of 10.8 seconds, and a top speed of 114mph.

As has been the way with Polos since the introduction of the third-generation model of 1994, the latest version has a very grown-up feel, with sure-footed and safe handling. The Polo Beats can be cornered with moderate verve, and while we won’t pretend it’s the ultimate in small car fun, it offers a good compromise of mildly involving handling with good grip, a largely comfortable ride, and refined road manners.

The power-assisted steering feels naturally-weighted and not overly light, the manual gearbox has a nice slick ‘mechanical’ action, while the brakes are strong and the car is very hushed when cruising. Not that that is too much of a concern when you have a 300-watt sound system at your disposal…

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Beats (UK)

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Even with cars now only available from dealer stock, the Volkswagen Polo remains one of the most popular cars in the UK, according to figures for July 2017 released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). In fact, the Polo moved up three places to number five in July from its eighth place in June: 3,227 Polos were registered last month, taking the 2017 year-to-date tally to 30,432 units.

The Ford Fiesta wasn’t reinstated as the king of the charts, though, with 3,372 small Fords finding homes last month. In fourth place, it was only one place above the Polo, the closest the two have been for some time. The Volkswagen Golf was at number two, with another Ford, the Focus, topping the list. So far in 2017, 62,752 Ford Fiestas have been registered in this country, so it remains the UK’s most popular model in the year so far.

At 161,997 units, the UK new passenger car market as a whole was down by 9.3 per cent, the fourth consecutive monthly fall. The SMMT states that demand was down across all sectors – business, fleet and private sales – but that the year-to-date overall performance is still at a ‘high level’, thanks to a strong first quarter: over 1.5 million new cars have been registered in the UK since January.

The UK’s top 10 most popular cars during July 2017 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Focus: 5,521 (45,296, 2nd)

2 Volkswagen Golf: 5,236 (41,939, 3rd)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,640 (38,214, 4th)
4 Ford Fiesta: 3,372 (62,752, 1st)
5 Volkswagen Polo: 3,227 (30,432, 7th)
6 Kia Sportage: 3,155
7 Mercedes-Benz C Class: 2,828 (30,214, 8th)
8 Vauxhall Corsa: 2,819 (36,379, 5th)
9 Mercedes-Benz A Class: 2,809 (25,753, 10th)

10 Audi A3: 2,607

(The 2017 year-to-date top 10 most popular cars absent from July 2017’s registration figures were the sixth-placed Vauxhall Astra and the ninth-placed Mini, with 34,875 and 27,626 registrations recorded respectively.)

Elsewhere, the Polo retained its second best-selling car in South Africa status in South Africa with 1,623 examples finding new homes. Once again the entry-level Polo Vivo claimed the number one spot, with 2,675 cars registered. Based on the facelifted fourth-generation Polo sold in Europe from 2005-2009, the Vivo has topped the South African new car sales charts since it was introduced in 2009, when it took over from the fondly remembered Citi Golf as Volkswagen South Africa’s entry-level model.

As the fifth-generation Polo gets ready to become another past generation of VW’s small car, Volkswagen Group Australia has announced two new ‘purpose-built’ models. The Polo Urban and Urban+ replace the outgoing Polo Trendline and Comfortline respectively, and come with extra kit for the same price when compared to the cars they oust.

Enhanced specification
The Polo Urban is now the entry-level model to the Australian small Volkswagen range, and adds $1,500-worth of additional features. Its enhanced specification includes 15-inch ‘Tosca’ alloy wheels; illuminated vanity mirrors; a leather-trimmed steering wheel, handbrake lever and gear knob; a multi-function display; and ‘Urban’ badging.

Move up to a Polo Urban+ however, and the added value increases to around $3,000 in extra equipment. Among the additional goodies are 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels; automatic headlights; dark-tinted windows; driver fatigue detection system; front fog lights; rain-sensing wipers; and, yes, you’ve guessed it, ‘Urban+’ badging.



Inside, there is an auto-dimming rear view mirror; climate control; heated ‘comfort’ sports seats with alcantara trim; front footwell lighting; as well as chrome and silver decorative trim. Metallic paint is a $500 supplement, and buyers can also now choose the Flash Red colour, previously only available on the Polo GTI.

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

2017 Volkswagen Polo Urban (Australia)

Driver Assistance Package
Additional upgrades include a new $1,800 Driver Assistance Package for the Urban+ which includes adaptive cruise control; front assist and emergency braking systems; a ‘Discover Media’ navigation system, as well as front and rear parking sensors. Both the new models are powered by a 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine, tuned for 89bhp in the Urban, and 108bhp in the Urban+.

Both the Polo Urban and Urban+ will be available until the arrival of the all-new sixth-generation model, which had its world premiere in Berlin in June, and is due to arrive in Australian showrooms in March 2018.

2017 VOLKSWAGEN POLO URBAN AND URBAN+ DRIVEAWAY PRICES

Polo Urban 1.2 TSI
$16,990 (manual)
$19,490 (DSG)

Polo Urban+ 1.2 TSI
$19,990 (manual)
$22,490 (DSG)

The latest Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) new car registration figures are out, and we’re pleased to report that even after the new sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo was unveiled in Berlin last month, the current car has remained in the UK’s most popular car chart for June 2017. In eighth place, 4,705 Polos were registered last month, with a total of 27,205 finding homes for the year so far.

For the first time in eight years, the Ford Fiesta didn’t top the SMMT monthly charts, the number one most popular car in the UK was the Volkswagen Golf, itself revamped earlier this year. The evergreen small Ford still tops the year-to-date chart with 59,380 models registered, and sits below the popular VW in June’s registration rundown.

As for the UK market as a whole, registrations were down by 4.8 per cent, with 243,454 units leaving forecourts across the country. That marks the third consecutive month of decline, but the market is still reported to be in-line with 2017 forecasts, the SMMT has said. The UK’s top 10 most popular passenger cars during June 2017 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Golf: 8,808 (36,703, 3rd)
2 Ford Fiesta: 8,601 (59,380, 1st)
3 Ford Focus: 8,283 (40,045, 2nd)
4 Vauxhall Astra: 6,977 (32,408, 6th)
5 Mini: 6,630 (25,585, 9th)
6 Vauxhall Corsa: 5,739 (33,560, 5th)
7 Nissan Qashqai: 5,103 (33,574, 4th)
8 Volkswagen Polo: 4,705 (27,205, 8th)
9 BMW 3 Series: 4,264
10 Mercedes-Benz C Class: 4,102 (27,386, 7th)

(The 2017 year-to-date top 10 most popular car absent from June 2017’s registration figures was the tenth-placed Mercedes-Benz A Class with 22,944 cars registered.)

Elsewhere, the In other sales-related news, the Polo reclaimed its second best-selling car in South Africa status in South Africa with 1,897 examples finding new homes. The car that topped it? As ever, the ‘budget’ Polo Vivo claimed the number one spot, selling 2,516 cars. Based on the facelifted fourth-generation Polo sold in Europe from 2005-2009, the Vivo has topped the South African new car sales charts since it was introduced in 2009, when it took over from the fondly remembered Citi Golf as Volkswagen South Africa’s entry-level model.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released its new car registration figures for May 2017, and we’re pleased to report that the Volkswagen Polo has risen in the charts to become the UK’s fifth most popular new car. A total of 4,247 examples of the evergreen small VW found new homes last month, while 22,500 Polo registrations have been recorded in the year-to-date.

As in the past few months, Ford’s Polo sparring-partner the Fiesta is top dog once again: 7,617 small Fords were registered in May, adding to the car’s cumulative figure of 50,779 for 2017 so far. This means it still tops the charts for the year to date, too. The Polo’s bigger brother the Golf was in second place during May, no doubt buoyed by the arrival of the refreshed Mk ‘7.5’ model.

While we’d expect demand for the Polo to stay stable for a little while yet, the new sixth-generation model will be revealed later this month. Overall, the SMMT states that UK new car demand has fallen 8.5 per cent, with 186,265 vehicles registered, but still over 1.1 million new cars have been registered since January. The UK’s top 10 most popular passenger cars during May 2017 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 7,617 (50,779, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Golf: 5,449 (27,895, 4th)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,970 (28,471, 3rd)
4 Ford Focus: 4,455 (31,762, 2nd)
5 Volkswagen Polo: 4,247 (22,500, 8th)
6 Vauxhall Astra: 4,170 (25,431, 6th)
7 Vauxhall Corsa: 4,056 (27,821, 5th)
8 Mercedes-Benz C Class: 4,046 (23,284, 7th)
9 Mini: 3,535 (19,952, 10th)
10 Mercedes-Benz A Class: 3,367 (19,222, 9th)

In other sales-related news, during May 2017 the Polo lost its second best-selling car status in South Africa to the Toyota Auris/Corolla/Corolla Quest, losing out by just 39 units! However, the face-lifted Mk 4 Polo-based Polo Vivo still sat astride the top of the country’s sales charts, with 1,955 examples registered.

Elsewhere, according to JATO Dynamics, the Polo is the third most popular car in Austria so far in 2017, behind family members the Golf and Tiguan. It also shares the same place in Demark, behind the Peugeot 208 and Nissan Qashqai, and also in Germany, where it trails the Golf and Tiguan once again.

World’s most popular supermini
The Polo was also among the top ten registered cars in Italy for 2016, and so far during 2017, the small Volkswagen is – that’s right! – the third most popular car in Europe. With a total of 148,331 global registrations, it is also the world’s most popular supermini, even if those numbers are reportedly down 3.4 per cent. A total of 704,062 Polos were registered in 2016, making it the world’s eighth most popular car, according to the FM Global Mobility Database.