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Volkswagen Polo 1.2

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the new Volkswagen Golo, or is it the Polf? As we revealed in our exclusive first drive two weeks ago, VW - pioneer of the premium supermini with the Mklll Polo - has shuffled the pack once more and made its much-anticipated newcomer a bigger and better machine, marching boldly into Golf territory in the process.

March 2002

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the new Volkswagen Golo, or is it the Polf? As we revealed in our exclusive first drive two weeks ago, VW - pioneer of the premium supermini with the Mklll Polo - has shuffled the pack once more and made its much-anticipated newcomer a bigger and better machine, marching boldly into Golf territory in the process.

But while many observers have focused attention on the top end of the range where the two models will dovetail together, it's at the entry level where the real business is going to be done. Volkswagen UK bosses reckon that this car - the all-new 1.2-litre three-cylinder Polo - will take the lion's share of sales when the vehicle hits showrooms next February. It will effectively replace the popular, but uninspiring, 50bhp 1.0-litre four-cylinder version that currently props up the range here.

Although other companies use a three-cylinder petrol layout - Vauxhall offers a triple pot unit in the Corsa, while MCC has put one in its Smart - this is the first time that the German giant has been brave enough to place one in a mainstream model. Producing 65bhp and 112Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, the new unit is very tidily engineered, with a light alloy block, featherweight components and a host of gadgets aimed at reducing vibration and harshness. The entry-level Polo is also remarkably good fun.

Although you'll be very familiar with the throttle stop after a motorway haul - the unit has to work hard to shift 1,015kg of car - the engine is sweet, revving freely and delivering power smoothly. With more muscle than the breathless 1.0-litre it will replace, it is a vastly more rewarding unit to use. The fact that it sounds terrific with a tuneful thrum at high revs is merely a bonus.

The rest of the mechanicals are more than up to the job, too. Thanks to a rethink in the steering, the Polo is a livelier drive than before. Key to this is a new electro-hydraulic rack that can be tuned more accurately. As a result, VW's chassis engineers have made the Polo feel more agile without sacrificing refinement or stability.

As on the Skoda Fabia - a car with which the Polo shares its platform - the ride quality is remarkably good, steamrollering surface imperfections and taking the sting out of larger road bumps. An equally impressive ABS braking system - standard across the range - underwrites the package.

In other areas, the new Polo is bigger and generally better. The cabin is vast for a supermini, with plenty of leg and headroom for everyone. The driving position, meanwhile, has more adjustment than all its rivals except the Fabia. And although the centre console doesn't break new ground in terms of visual appeal, it looks and feels immaculately built with a soft-touch moulded dashboard and solid switchgear.

VW has yet to finalise specs and prices for UK cars, but if the German market is anything to go by, expect the equipment count to increase and the price to remain constant. However, with the new Ford Fiesta set to debut shortly after, the tantalising prospect of a supermini price war could well shake things up further. Watch this space.

Bigger, better, brighter. That's the new VW Polo in a nutshell. What's more, the entry-level 1.2-litre engine is a corker and knocks the unit it replaces for six. Smooth, entertaining and frugal, the Polo is everything an economical supermini should be. Let's hope Volkswagen also gets the price right come February.

At a glance

* Entry-level Polo uses all-new 1.2-litre, 3cyl engine

* 0-60mph in 14.7 seconds, 100mph top speed

* Price expected to be around

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