A stylish body kit adds undoubted visual appeal to the modest
performance and reasonable fuel economy of the 60 PS 1.2 Polo, with manual
air-conditioning an extra feature on this A/C model…
Some confusion arises about the number of versions of the
Polo in the 38 years since it was first adopted by Volkswagen from the Audi 50
in 1975, primarily because of various facelifts rather than major revisions,
but the current Polo – launched in 2009 – is actually the fifth generation of
Volkswagen’s popular small car, its second best-selling model after the Golf.
The Polo R-Line
Style is based on the Polo S
In fact, we’ll shortly be looking at another new model, due
for launch in July 2014, but in the meantime we have some catching up to do
with our road tests of the Polo 5, of which the array of permutations is quite
bewildering, with no less than eight different engines and seven different trim
levels, as well as the number of doors and types of transmission.
Our test car was the Polo R-Line Style A/C, with the 60 PS
1.2-litre engine, in three-door form. Introduced in April 2013, this model
specification was designed and marketed to provide the extra visual appeal of
the stylish body kit used for the R-Line model (as introduced in July 2012),
but with equipment and engines that make it more affordable, and insurable, and
therefore of particular appeal to younger drivers.
Front fog lights,
with the static cornering system, are also standard.
With prices starting at $20,066, the Polo R-Line Style is
based on the Polo S, but with the addition of the R-Line body kit with its
distinctive front and rear bumpers, bespoke radiator grille, and side skirts,
body-colored door handles and door mirror housings with integrated indicators,
7 x 16-inch Rivazza alloy wheels with 215/45 R16 tyres and a Bluetooth Touch
phone kit. Front fog lights, with the static cornering system, are also
standard. As with the Polo S, the R-Line Style also comes with the option of
manually-operated air-conditioning, hence the A/C of our test car. This adds
$1,189 to the price ($21,256).
Making it much more affordable and more accessible for
younger drivers, with lower insurance categories (5E and 8E respectively), the
Polo R-Line Style is available with a choice of the 60 or 70 PS versions of the
1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, rather than the higher-performance 105 PS 1.2
TSI unit used in the Polo R-Line proper (insurance group 14E). These engines
are fitted as standard in conjunction with a five-speed manual gearbox.
Based on the S,
the R-Line Style comes with a fairly basic level of equipment, but there are no
compromises with safety, with four airbags, ABS and ESP as standard
The R-Line Style is available in four colours: Flash red,
Candy white, Nimbus grey and Deep black pearl, with complementary cloth
interior trims. Our test car was finished in Candy white (B4B4) with Titan
black Cirrus patterned upholstery.
Based on the S, the R-Line Style comes with a fairly basic
level of equipment, but there are no compromises with safety, with four
airbags, ABS and ESP as standard. In other respects, simplicity is the key (pun
intended…) as even the door / ignition key was just that, a simple metal key
with no remote control facility, something that caused much confusion at first
with some our drivers more accustomed to driving models which have a
remote-control key fob. Needless to say, no matter how hard the key button was
pressed, only the small integral light would operate!
The two 1.2-litre
3-cylinder engines have four valves per cylinder (hence ‘12-valve’) and are
fitted with a balancer shaft to improve refinement
Nevertheless, all the usual niceties are evident, with
central locking, electric front windows, RCD 310 DAB digital radio receiver/CD
player, a height and reach-adjustable steering column, driver’s seat height
adjustment, and even a luggage compartment light. The R-Line Style also comes
with Bluetooth phone connection, using the Touch phone kit.
The two 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engines have four valves per
cylinder (hence ‘12-valve’) and are fitted with a balancer shaft to improve
refinement. Essentially, the same engines as those used in the previous
generation Polo, further improvements have reduced the weight and an improved
timing chain and oil pump drive arrangement has reduced engine noise. The
engine management was also modified to help achieve the Euro 5 emissions
standard, with CO2 emissions reduced from 138 to 128 g/km.
