2014 VW Polo facelift revealed

Volkswagen has revealed its mid-cycle facelift for the Polo light hatch range, with subtle styling tweaks, new features and updated drivetrains to bring the popular light hatch in line with the MkVII Golf.

DESIGN

Five years after the popular fifth-generation Polo first appeared, the new 2014 model’s styling tweaks are typically Volkswagen subtle, with new head and taillights, grille, front and rear bumpers and six new wheel designs that evolve the 6R Polo design to match VW’s more recent offerings.

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New LED headlights and adaptive sports suspension will also be available for the first time, while the electric power steering system has been updated for improved steering feel.

On the inside, a new centre console, the MkVII Golf’s steering wheel, and instrument and centre-stack layouts are the key changes, along with revised materials.

The new Polo also brings the availability of the MkVII Golf’s MIB multimedia system, with varying degrees of functionality that include satnav, Bluetooth phone and audio, DAB+ digital radio, MirrorLink smartphone app integration, a proximity touchscreen, and two-finger map zooming. Mobile phone reception can also be expanded by connecting with the radio antenna via inductive coupling.

ENGINES/ECONOMY

The 2014 Polo’s revised engine lineup now meet Euro-6 emissions regulations, and Volkswagen is boasting efficiency gains of up to 21 per cent with Bluemotion stop-start system and regenerative braking now available on all versions. 

The new European lineup kicks off with 44kW and 55kW versions of the 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol found in the Up, and will soon be joined by a 66kW turbocharged 1.0-litre Bluemotion TSI that consumes just 4.1L/100km on the European cycle.

Turbocharged petrol fours in 66kW and 81kW will also be available, and the Polo BlueGT available in Europe jumps from 103kW to 110kW. The flagship Polo GTI hot hatch will also boost power from its twin-charged TSFI 1.4 from 132-141kW to combat the Peugeot 208 GTi, Ford Fiesta ST, and Renault Clio RS. 

Three new 1.4-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel engines will replace the previous 1.2 and 1.4-litre TDI units, but match the outgoing engines’ power levels of 55kW, 66kW and 77kW. Power and torque curves have been flattened to improve driveability however, along with significant efforts to improve diesel clatter and vibration.

The efficiency leader will once again be the specific Bluemotion TDI model, which sees its combined fuel figure drop to 3.2L/100km on the European cycle. Volkswagen boasts that the new 66kW TDI with DSG auto matches the old Bluemotion’s 3.4L/100km Euro figure, and represents a 21 percent gain over the previous 66kW TDI with DSG.

SAFETY

Volkswagen’s Automatic Post-Collision Braking System is now standard for European models, and the Driver Alert System, Front Assist traffic monitoring system with City Emergency Braking, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera will be available for the first time.

The updated 2014 Polo range will likely appear in Australian showrooms after mid-year.

This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn