Volkswagen's Polo goes under the knife

Volkswagen is giving its current-gen Polo supermini a mid-cycle refresh to keep it up to date in this highly-contested B-segment hatch market. 

The facelifted Volkswagen Polo is fitted with significant changes such as an LED light bar that we have seen in the refreshed Tiguan. The headlights have also been tweaked and now come standard with LEDs, while the rear is fitted with wider LED tail lights ala the Golf. 

As expected, the Polo lettering now sits in the middle of the tailgate, as seen on its Golf 8 sibling.

Inside, the refreshed Polo is fitted with an 8-inch digital instrument cluster or a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro. According to Volkswagen, the 6.5-inch touchscreen now allows Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Buyers can upgrade to an 8-inch and 9-inch at an added charge. 

The interior is further bolstered with fancier climate controls as well as a fully digital driver’s display. 

Opt for the R-Line trim and the Polo can be fitted with 16-inch alloy rims while the lesser trims ride on a set of 15-inch rims. 

For the overseas market, the refreshed VW Polo will be offered with a naturally-aspirated 1.0-lite turbocharged petrol engine with 59 kW and 93 Nm paired with a five-speed manual transmission. 

There is also a 1.0-litre TSI engine in two states of tune, a 70 kW and 82 kW. The 70 kW Polo can be had with an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the latter comes fitted as standard. 

The German marque is also revamping its trim structure and now consists of the Polo, Life, and R-Line. In short, we bid farewell to the Trendline, Comfortline, and Highline trim levels.

According to reports, the refreshed Volkswagen Polo is slated to arrive in Mzansi in the first quarter of 2022.