Volkswagen Polo hatchback - Interior & comfort

As one of the more sensible superminis around, the outgoing Volkswagen Polo often attracted adjectives such as ‘mature’ and ‘conservative’. Taking the lead from the SEAT Ibiza means the new Polo’s interior is a far more lively place than before, with the facelifted car receiving an array of upgraded technology to give it a truly digital feel inside.

Volkswagen Polo dashboard

Quality is generally very high, with excellent fit and finish and minimal panel gaps between sections of the dashboard. Look hard and you’ll find some scratchy plastics in areas like the door cards, but this is understandable in a supermini and the presence of such materials is only noteworthy because quality is so high elsewhere.

Speaking of noteworthy, the Polo’s digital dial cluster is now standard on every model. Called the ‘Digital Cockpit’ by VW, the system makes the Polo one of the more sophisticated and tech-happy cars in this class; rivals like the latest Renault Clio are only just catching up. While the graphics on the Polo’s dash display are dialled down slightly compared to the current Golf – particularly when using it to show sat-nav mapping – it’s clear and easy to read when driving, and its presence further adds to the high quality feel of the Polo and makes the integration of the various infotainment systems all the more cohesive.

All cars come with a central eight-inch infotainment screen as standard, and while this glossy setup looks great and works intuitively, it does attract fingerprints and the capacitive shortcut buttons for mapping, phone and other functions are easy to activate by accident when going for the volume. Additionally, both Style and R-Line models feature capacitive touch controls for the ventilation system and while they look great, they can be slightly fiddly to use on the move.

Equipment

Trim levels have changed over time, but now the standard Polo is offered in five different guises: Life, Match, Style, R-Line and Black Edition, not to mention the standalone GTI and GTI Edition 25 hot hatch models.

Every Polo is well specced, with the entry-level Life model getting an impressive kit list including 15-inch alloy wheels, all-round electric windows, automatic wipers, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, manual air conditioning, VW’s eight-inch Digital Cockpit and an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard safety features include cruise control with speed limiter, LED headlights, front assist and city emergency braking and lane assist.

The Polo Match gets larger 16-inch wheels, a rear-view camera, tinted windows and wireless smartphone charging. The Style trim places more focus on comfort with two-zone climate control, sports comfort seats, along with Matrix LED headlights, a light-up front grille and LED indicators and LED tail lights.

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R-Line models cost the same as Style, but feature a slightly different specification, with a bodykit, different 16-inch alloy wheels and rear privacy glass for a sportier look. Inside, two-tone sports seats feature ‘R-Line’ logos and there stainless steel pedals and a black headliner.

A Black Edition model was later added with 17-inch wheels, ambient interior lighting, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, upgraded disc brakes rather than drum brakes on the rear, and lots of equipment usually sold in packs thrown in as standard.

Both the Style and R-Line trims get a comprehensive list of safety equipment, including adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, high-beam control, driver fatigue alert detection, dynamic road sign display, front and rear parking sensors and VW’s Travel Assist suite, which includes both lane keep assist and traffic jam assist.

Access to the Volkswagen Connect app is also standard across the Polo range. This lets you remotely check your car’s fuel level and when it needs servicing from your smartphone, as well as providing ways to summon assistance. While all models are equipped with streaming and internet connectivity.

Options

You don’t have to spend money on options but if you want to, the list for the Polo contains features previously reserved for bigger, more expensive cars such as a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, a rear-view camera and a parking assist system. Bear in mind that adding too many options will push the price of the Polo firmly into the territory of the Volkswagen Golf.