Volkswagen Polo. Ever-changing and ever-popular
In April 2021, the 6th generation Polo was restyled.
Volkswagen Polo is a compact B-class car from the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, produced since 1975. In 2020, the 6th generation of the 2017 model year in a 5-door hatchback was presented on the Israeli market.
Over the years, the Polo could be a hatchback, a sedan, a station wagon, and even a cargo-passenger van. In 2010 it received the status of ‘Car of the Year’ in Europe and was recognized as the best car in the world. Volkswagen Polo is consistently among the ten best-selling cars in Europe.
First generation
The first-generation Volkswagen Polo, produced from 1975 to 1981, was essentially a continuation or a cost-eefective version of Audi 50. The small car has come in handy. After the fuel crisis, small, fuel-efficient cars became more and more popular. The first Polo was designed by Italians at Bertone and featured circular air vents on the rear pillars. The interior trim was simple and inexpensive, and only the bare essentials were available. But the trunk volume of the first 3-door hatchback was quite decent for its class. Later, Polo appeared in a sedan called Derby, and then a Polo GT with sports wheels, a red GT lettering on the radiator grille, a speedometer with red graduations, and other sports accessories.
Second generation
The second-generation Volkswagen Polo, produced from 1982 to 1994, received an updated body with an almost vertical tailgate. The second Polo looked stricter and more solid. Derby Polo sedan first came with a 2-door body, and then a 3-door coupe appeared. Since 1985, the Derby name has disappeared, and just the Polo sedan has remained. In 1990, the hatchback received a facelift, and the production of sedans was discontinued.
Third generation
The third-generation Volkswagen Polo was produced from 1994 to 2001, having gone through facelift in 1999. The third Polo was a ‘Spaniard’. Developed on the same platform as the Seat Ibiza, it was even first produced in Spain. The body, engines, and chassis of the Polo 3 were completely new. Polo of the 3rd generation became longer than the previous one and received more fashionable rounded shapes, which gave an excellent drag coefficient of 0.32. Changed suspension settings have improved the car’s behavior when cornering.
Fourth generation
The fourth-generation Volkswagen Polo was produced from 2001 to 2009, having gone through facelift in 2005. In terms of the quality of the interior trim and the options offered, the fourth Polo approached the cars of a higher class. The increased body rigidity, halved floor deformation in a frontal collision, and a 45% decrease in the deformation of panels and doors in a side collision, made the fourth Polo a much safer car than its predecessors. The salon became larger, and its interior was distinguished by convenience and increased quality of finishing. There was a lot of storage space – depending on the configuration, there could be up to sixteen of them.
Volkswagen Polo received the status of ‘Car of the Year’ in Europe, recognized as ‘The best car in the world’ and is consistently among the ten best-selling cars in Europe.
Fifth generation
The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo was produced from 2008 to 2015. And its facelifted version, which appeared in 2014, is still being produced, despite the release of the new, sixth generation in 2017. The fifth Polo is made in the new Volkswagen corporate style, with sharp edges, verified horizontal lines, simple and clear forms. The car has become slightly longer, wider and lower, its proportions have become more dynamic. The car has received a new level of comfort and interior quality. To ensure a high level of passive safety, the front bumper reinforcement and the B-pillars are made of high-strength steel, and the doors are made in one piece, into which the safety bars are integrated. In 2010 new Polo GTI and Cross Polo was introduced, one of the most original cars in the class. In 2012, the Polo BlueGT was introduced – a car that combines excellent dynamic performance with high fuel efficiency.
Sixth generation
The sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo, which appeared in 2017, is produced to this day in hatchback and liftback bodies. The new Polo has become larger, has a more spacious interior, and a wide range of driver assistance systems. Now it is a modern car, much more masculine, adult, and more emotional. Landing has become slightly lower, and all instruments and displays are located on the same visual axis. The completely new body was created on the corporate platform MQB-A0. Due to the new Volkswagen Polo has become much more spacious, the size of the cabin and the volume of the trunk have increased. The body rigidity has increased by 28% compared to the previous generation model. The sixth Polo is the first Volkswagen car to be ordered with a new fully electronic instrument panel.
