VW Polo hatchback - good looks and sensible pricing

Price: £9,995 - £16,230

Pros: Excellent build quality and VW’s image, spacious interior, incredible economy from BlueMotion model

Cons: firm suspension, numb steering, expensive options

Car buyer, 4.4/5

"Drivers looking for a classy supermini look no further. The Volkswagen Polo seems to have it all: good looks, a high quality interior, plenty of space and sensible pricing. If it falls down in one area it's the driving experience, which just isn’t as much fun as with some of its supermini rivals. Economy in all versions is good, but for maximum fuel efficiency the BlueMotion is a highlight - it manages 80.7 miles on just one gallon of diesel, beating the cheaper Hyundai i20 for fuel economy. With its shrunken Golf looks and plentiful space you might want to try the Polo before opting for the Golf – unless you regularly carry four passengers, there really is very little to choose between them." 

Top Gear, 11.0 /20.0

"If you want to go a long way in a small car without your arse aching, skeleton humming and ears zinging, the Polo is your car. There's remarkably little cruising noise, and the suspension swallows that tiring high-frequency patter of the average concrete motorway. At low speed the Polo's ride is nicely pliant when dealing with the craters that are standard on British streets. However, due to the weight of the larger engines the car is hardly fun, although you can have a good time in the 1.2 TSI."

Evo, 4.0 /5.0

"Meet the new Golf GTI. In spirit, anyway. The new Polo GTI is almost exactly the same size as a Golf GTI Mk2. Reflecting today's downsizing trend, the engine is smaller than in those early GTIs, its pistons displacing a mere 1.4 litres. But with the help of a supercharger and a turbocharger, there's 178bhp on tap."

Auto Express, 5.0 /5.0

"Beneath the surface you’ll find VW's new small-car platform, which is also set to underpin Audi's imminent A1 supermini. Turn in sharply and the Polo can’t match the poise and precision of a Fiesta, but VW clearly wasn’t concerned with that, instead concentrating on giving it a more mature feel."

Honest John, 4.0 /5.0

"Although the floorpan is a development of the outgoing car's, the new Polo is 7.5 per cent lighter, which is to be welcomed. Typically, VW couldn't resist making it slightly bigger, but at least there's plenty of cabin and luggage space." ·