The face-lifted Volkswagen Polo Life 1.0 TSI entered the South African market in 2022 – so read all about its review below.1
The engine
The test-driver drove a Polo Life from the middle of the Life range. Its 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine generates 70 kW of power and is mated with a five-speed manual transmission. The power output may not be much, but a torque of 175 Nm at 2000 rpm is massive and unaffected by altitude. As a result, the Polo TSI is nippy in city traffic, while the highway poses no challenge. But you may have to shift down a gear on an incline if the car is full of passengers. 1
What’s the transmission like?
It’s smooth to operate, and the five forward cogs exhibit well-spaced ratios. 1
Good fuel consumption
The onboard information displayed a reading of a striking 5.4 litres/100 km during a highway drive, but this amount could likely increase with city driving. 1
What about its performance?
On the highway, the Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI glides along and gives you an impressive feeling. Direct steering and excellent solid road holding make the ride comfortable. 1
The Polo life’s exterior
The Polo has 15-inch Essex alloy wheels, but for an extra R4,800, you can get the larger 16-inch wheels. For an additional R15,500, you can have IQ. Light matrix LED headlights. Despite its new facelift, you can still recognise it’s a Polo, with its striking new headlights, grille and bumper design. The car’s rear has changed considerably, with new split taillights merging with the tailgate, giving it that Golf 8 look. 1
The Polo’s interior is great
The spacious interior has a good ergonomic design and comfortable legroom – something that is impressive for this B-segment. A boot space of 352 litres is adequate for most journeys. 1
Details on the instrument cluster
The 2022 model has a standard digital instrument cluster, with an infotainment system consisting of a 6.6-inch Composition Colour media system. 1
Paying for some additional items
For an extra R2,000, you can choose a more sophisticated multicolour, multi-view instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch Composition Media infotainment system. The latter comes with inductive phone charging (R9,300) or a Radio Discover Media system (R20,600), with built-in navigation. 1
Other Polo life features
These include standard cruise control, park distance control, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Besides the central armrest, a USB-C port is located in the interior’s middle. Upgraded ‘Slash’ seat upholstery and a Lava Stone Black interior complete the picture. 1
Other extra expensive options
These are keyless locking and start (R5,900), a tilting and a sliding panoramic sunroof (R14,500), and a Comfort Park Package (R15,500). 1
The Polo life has great safety features
A safety package at R12,700 is available, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and Lane Assist. 1
What’s the price?
As on April 2022, the price of the Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI 70 kW Life was R353,600.
Disclaimer
The article reviews the Volkswagen Polo Life 1.0 TSI for sale in South Africa in 2023. 1
You are legally required to buy comprehensive car insurance when buying a new Polo Life with bank finance. Benefit from our world-class client service while we reveal to you our affordable car insurance products. They comprise comprehensive and customised car insurance with fixed premiums* and reducing excess*. You may buy comprehensive or customised car insurance for cars not older than 15 years, but there’s no age restriction on our third-party PLUS car insurance. Ts and Cs apply.
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