The last Polo we tested was, at the time, the only new-generation version in the UK, fresh off the ferry after a long sea trip from the South African factory where all the five-doors are being built (the three-door, not yet on sale here, is produced in Spain). Two months on, the Polo is still not yet a familiar site on our roads, but it's attracting positive comments.I don't mean by this simply that it is getting good press coverage - though it undoubtedly is - but also that a friend of mine who saw me with the car tested here, and who rarely has a good thing to say about small cars, was moved to remark on its good looks. Volkswagen may never know the magnitude of this achievement.I'm rather fond of the Polo myself, and having already experienced the 1.2-litre petrol model I was glad of the chance to try out this 1.6 turbo diesel in 75PS form (that's 74bhp to wavers of the Union Jack). There is also an 89bhp version, but for the moment it's not offered with the relatively lowly SE trim.74bhp isn't a great deal, and in fact it's only slightly more than the 1.2 petrol unit produces. Straightline performance is about the same in each case, and although this is usually the point where I would say that the diesel nevertheless feels quicker because of its extra mid-range punch, that doesn't in fact apply here because that punch is noticeably lacking.A charitable way of describing the performance would be to say that if you never need to go anywhere in a hurry, the Polo will not confuse the issue you by being able to.The lack of power also means that in some ways you have to drive this car as if it had a petrol engine. Unlike many other diesels, it won't happily move slowly from rest if you simply bring up the clutch pedal, and in forgetting this I stalled (with a loud and embarrassing clunk) at least six times during this test.Similarly, you need to keep the revs up to an unexpected degree on the road, and a corner for which you might select third gear in a petrol car and fourth in a diesel will require third in this one.Despite that, there are still great benefits in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The official figures for the 1.6 TDI 75PS are 64.7mpg and 112g/km - not bad going for a car which has not been designed as a low-CO2 special. I did not have the opportunity to check my own mileage (ah, what the hell - I really mean I forgot to), but I did get nearly 500 miles out of a tank, and I'm sure I could have exceeded that figure if I'd tried.I didn't try because I was having too much fun. Volkswagen has gone in a strange direction with its high-performance cars, the most recent of which are tremendously efficient but not very exciting, but it is doing a superb job with its slower models.Both of the new Polos I have driven are fantastic on country roads (the way my favourite current Golf, the 2.0 TDI 110, is) and the reason is the same - a vast excess of grip over power which reduces your chances of getting into trouble to just about the lowest possible level.That, of course, is unlikely to be an issue for most drivers. A more important result of the way the Polo's suspension has been set up is that it has superb ride quality, and runs very smoothly over every type of road (and they were many and various) I encountered during this test.Other comments are the same as those that applied to the 1.2: pros include excellent build quality, very comfortable seats, a great deal of room for front occupants and impressively low noise levels, while on the con side you have to consider the lack of room for rear passengers and (compared with obvious rivals such as the Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa) luggage, and dreadful - though sadly not untypical - rear visibility.For the latter reasons the Polo is not the outstanding car in the supermini class that it might have been, but it is very definitely one of the leaders. Engine 1598 cc, 4 cylinders Power 75 bhp @4000 rpm Torque 144 ib/ft @1500 rpm Transmission 5 speed manual Fuel/CO2 65.7 mpg / 112 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 14sec Top speed 106 mph Price From £13280.00 approx Release date 12/10/2009
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