Range Rover vs Volkswagen Polo

What's the difference?

The Range Rover Autobiography long wheelbase is an outstanding SUV that is not just beautiful to drive but makes family practicality a priority, too, 

The price is reasonable relative to the competition, the features list is long and complementary servicing offers peace of mind.

If you don’t need the third row, I’d consider the standard wheelbase Autobiography even if it does reduce legroom, there’s still plenty of space.

My son stopped short of giving the Range Rover Autobiography full marks "because there are no massaging seats in the second row".     

The Polo GTI faces tough competition in the form of Hyundai’s recently arrived, very good, and well-equipped i20 N, as well as Ford’s sleek and super-capable Fiesta ST. But as mentioned at the start, VW occupies the hot-hatch high ground with the GTI badge, and this upgraded Polo is loaded with features, dynamically outstanding and on the leading edge in terms of safety. Time will tell if the higher price, higher spec strategy is the right one, but there’s no doubting this updated Polo GTI is a compelling package.  

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

This fifth-generation Range Rover debuted in 2021 and despite its smooth, modern styling this SUV retains the familiar traditional Range Rover look with the short squared bonnet, flat roofline and tall windows.  

Let’s talk about the wheelbase, because it has a huge impact on passenger space.

We had the long wheelbase which is 3197mm between the front and rear wheels - that’s 200mm more than the standard wheelbase. 

Just look at those stretched rear doors in the photos - this is a go-anywhere limousine, or go-anywhere daycare centre in my case.

The overall length of the long wheelbase Range Rover is 5252mm. That’s big, but the design of this SUV doesn’t make it appear enormous.

What I don't like are the retractable door handles. They take a while to pop out and they look and feel cheap. Land Rover has used these on its other SUVs and if I had time I’d pen a letter asking the company to please stop. I’m sincerely hoping this review will do the same thing. I await your response JLR.

I think the tail-lights are pure genius. The pencil thin design is such a brave move away from the norm where brands are going over the top with LED lighting, and the simplicity is refreshing.

Inside, a traditional-looking Range Rover cabin awaits you with the flat dashboard, the low window sills contrasted by super modern touches like the displays and fully digital dials.

It’s sumptuous, luxurious, but not over the top. Again some people are looking for bling and gimmicks, but you won’t find them here - and I like that. This interior feels solid and substantial, but plush. 

Not exactly a massive change to the exterior of the Polo GTI with this mid-life refresh, but sharp-eyed car spotters will notice a new front bumper treatment including a revised lower grille, defined by a body-coloured border and flanked by LED driving lights.

The headlights have also been reshaped to mark the arrival of standard matrix LED beams, with the signature horizontal red keyline moves from the centre to the bottom edge of the upper grille. A continuous LED strip across the nose stands the car apart after dark.

Previously part of the GTI’s ‘Luxury Pack’, the ‘Faro’ design 18-inch alloys fill the wheel arches nicely, and overall the car’s compact, tightly wrapped body and finely chiselled lines are familiar.

At the back, the LED tail-light clusters have been extended laterally into the hatch door, but the car’s fundamental shape is unchanged. 

Inside the dash layout is the same, although the centre of the sports steering wheel has been massaged into a more organic shape with the airbag/horn now an oval rather than a circle.

The rest of the interior is relatively understated in typical VW fashion, the neatly sculpted sports seats trimmed with traditional ‘Clark’ tartan cloth on the cushion and backrest centres. And ‘Kings Red’ inlays in the dash, centre console and front door trims, are a reminder of the car’s heritage and sporty intent.

Range Rovers have been a family favourite for decades and they’ve been doing school runs and trips away long before other brands even thought about producing SUVs for families.

So what you’re buying is Land Rover’s decades of knowing how to make a family SUV and you can tell by little things such as, how wide the doors open, how easy it is to get in and out of (even for little kids), the flat floor, the good visibility (thanks to low window sills), and then there’s the space and cabin storage. Stuff other brands seem to be still working out.

The second row seats in the Autobiography have electric sun shades, dual-zone climate control and the window seats are power adjustable and heated.

My eight-year old couldn’t resist playing with his electric sunshade and the seat adjustment, but fortunately the driver has an override switch which let me turn off his 'seat privileges’ as he called it. 

Being the long wheelbase means the rear doors are long and heavy. So while the eight-year old could open them, he had trouble closing them. 

The long wheelbase offers unrivalled legroom in the back and that meant my wife and I could put our own seats back further for our own comfort -even with a baby seat behind us.

Enormous door pockets, a giant centre console storage area, cupholders in all three rows, USB ports, wireless phone charging and in our case an optional domestic power outlet ($130) made this a comfortable, roomy, well equipped cabin.

Sure, the third row isn’t exactly spacious, but I’ve never met one that is. 

The intelligent seat folding system is remarkable. From the boot or side doors you can electronically adjust the second and third rows - either to raise them or lower them so they are flat for storage.

With all seats in place there is 229 litres of cargo space still left in the boot, but with those back seats folded flat you have 713 litres of capacity - and that’s just up to the cargo cover. 

The Range Rover Autobiography has air suspension and this means the SUV can lower itself to an 'Access' height to make it even easier to get in and out.

At just under 4.1 metres long the Polo GTI is a decidedly compact hot hatch, but thanks in no small part to a relatively lengthy (2.6m) wheelbase, interior space is impressive.

The driver and front passenger have plenty of breathing room, and the rear is remarkable. At 183cm, sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position, I enjoyed ample legroom, and more than enough headroom.

Width is another story, because while two adults will be fine in the back, there isn’t enough space for three to sit in comfort for any length of time. 

Storage options in the front include a small lidded box between the seats (which doubles as an adjustable armrest), two cupholders and various oddments spaces in the centre console, as well as the wireless charging bay in front of the gearshift. 

There are also pockets in the doors with room for (medium) bottles, a decent glove box, a shallow drawer under the passenger seat, and an overhead drop-down tray for glasses.

Map pockets on the front seat backrests, and small bins in the doors add extra practicality, but there’s no fold-down centre armrest or individual ventilation control for rear seaters. 

For connectivity and power, there are two USB-C ports in the front, plus another two in the rear, as well as a 12-volt socket in the front centre console.

Boot space is a healthy 305 litres (VDA) with the 60/40 split-folding rear seats upright, that number growing to 1079L with them folded down. 

Tie down anchors are handy for strapping loose loads, while shopping bag hooks help keep smaller bundles under control. And be aware, the spare is a space-saver.

Headline news is the Polo GTI’s before on-road costs price has gone up by close to 18 per cent, from $32,890 to $38,750. 

Why? More standard equipment; some new things and other previously optional features now included in the base price.

The aim is to bring the car into line with the specification the majority of customers are ordering, because Volkswagen believes the days of a ‘price leader’ Polo GTI are behind it. That is, pique a buyer’s interest with a keenly priced but relatively sparse base model, and they invariably add options once engaged in the process.

So, the Polo GTI has put a price gap on its two key competitors, the Ford Fiesta ST ($32,290) and Hyundai i20N ($32,990), but it’s now loaded with a whole lot of fruit for the money.

The new bits are ‘Matrix’ LED headlights, a centre airbag, and 18-inch alloy rims (up from 17s), while the elements moved from the options list to the standard equipment column are assistance features bundled under the ‘IQ.Drive’ umbrella including, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front parking sensors (joining those in the rear), ‘Park Assist’, adaptive cruise control, and auto-folding exterior mirrors.

Also included in the GTI’s base price are the ‘IQ.Light’ matrix LED headlights, ‘Dynamic Light Assist’ (auto low to main beam switch with light profile adjusted to avoid dazzling cars ahead or oncoming), ‘Premium’ LED tail-lights (with dynamic indicators), metallic paint ($600 on the Polo Life and Style), LED driving lights, dual-zone climate-control, front and rear carpet mats, ‘Digital Cockpit Pro’ (incorporating nav and phone functions), ambient interior lighting, wireless device charging, and sports front seats.

Then you can add ‘Discover’ nav in the 8.0-inch media touchscreen set-up, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, ‘Manoeuvre Braking’ (low-speed rear AEB), an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather trim on the sports steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake lever, and six-speaker audio.

A ‘Sound & Tech Package’ is available for the GTI ($1500) incorporating a 9.2-inch multimedia screen, and a Beats branded premium audio system (digital eight-channel amp, 300 watts).

A Panoramic glass sunroof ($1500) is also offered, and premium metallic paint adds $300.

The 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 is a perfect match for the Range Rover Autobiography.

There’s enormous power at 390kW and a colossal 750Nm of torque, but it’s delivered so smoothly and without sounding like Armageddon is beginning.

You might here the engine referred to as the P530. That signifies it’s petrol and makes about 530 horsepower. 

All that grunt means that despite weighing more than 2.7 tonnes, this SUV can hurl itself from a stand still to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds. 

An eight-speed automatic sends the drive to all four wheels. And making this SUV incredibly capable off-road is an excellent four-wheel drive system with a low range gear, plus a maximum ground clearance (thanks to the adjustable air suspension) of 283mm and a wading depth of up to 900mm.

There is a six-cylinder diesel, but if you decide on that instead of the V8 then it's all over between you and me. That’s how good this V8 is.

The Polo GTI is powered by a version of Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre (EA888) four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

The iron block/alloy head unit uses direct- and port-injection, variable valve lift on the intake side, and variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust sides to produce maximum torque of 320Nm from 1450 to 4390rpm, at which point peak power of 147kW takes over from 4390-6000rpm.

Now, you’re going to use a lot of fuel. But that’s okay because this will probably be your last petrol car and the next one will be electric so let’s go out with a bang - last drinks at the petrol bar! Land Rover says you’ll use 11.8L/100km.

After a week of punishing my Range Rover with school drop offs, shopping centre car parks, hilly suburbs, motorways and rural roads the petrol pump told me we’d used 19.8L/100km.

I’m not shocked by that consumption. This is a 2.7 tonne all-wheel drive twin-turbo V8 SUV that was almost always ferrying around four people with a pram, garden supplies and shopping in bumper to bumper traffic. A real world fuel test. 

There is that six-cylinder diesel and a hybrid version of the Range Rover, but this V8 engine suits the character of the SUV perfectly - anything else and it’s like eating reduced fat ice cream.

VW’s official fuel economy figure for the Polo GTI on the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 6.5L/100km, the 2.0-litre turbo four emitting 150g/km of CO2 in the process. Not bad for hot-hatch with this kind of performance. 

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you’ll need 40 litres of it to fill the tank. Using the official consumption figure that translates to a range of 615km.

Driving the V8-powered, long-wheelbase, 2.7-tonne, Range Rover Autobiography is a lot easier than it sounds. Really, it’s the Range Rover’s height above sea level which will strike you first.

You’ll lord it over other cars. The length doesn’t come into it - even for parking because the visibility is so good, the steering is so light and the engine is civilised and smooth.  

This is truly an easy and enjoyable SUV to drive, with power and performance whenever you need it. 

There are several drive modes from a 'Dynamic' sporty one, which makes the engine more responsive and suspension firmer, to off-road settings.

Most of the time I left the Range Rover in 'Comfort' mode for the softest ride, but with 530 horsepower lurking in the background ready to jump out and eat up hills and overtaking.

The front seats are wide, comfortable and supportive even after hours of driving. 

The Polo launch drive program covered around 150km of city, suburban and freeway running from inner Sydney, through twisting B-roads to the city’s south, and sprawling semi-rural areas further west, topped off with a closed track session at the Luddenham Raceway.

Weighing in at a fraction over 1.3 tonnes, with 147kW/320Nm sent to the front wheels, the Polo GTI is capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds, which is satisfyingly quick.

And the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine’s dyno sheet must be a thing of beauty with maximum torque available from from 1450 to 4390rpm, and peak power picking things up at precisely the end of that plateau, remaining on tap all the way to 6000rpm.

So, mid-range punch is always there, and the six-speed ‘DSG’ dual-clutch auto delivers rapid, precise shifts, with wheel-mounted paddles dialling up the fun factor when you want to shift ratios yourself.

Combined engine and exhaust noise is agreeably rorty without tipping over the annoyance threshold, although the high-performance 215/40 Continental ContiSportContact rubber transfers a fair amount of rumble on coarser surfaces.  

The base suspension set-up is strut front/torsion beam rear, with the standard ‘Sport Select’ system built around switchable dampers, offering the choice of ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes. 

Normal is nicely composed with comfy compliance over longer undulations as well as higher frequency bumps and dips. But if the red mist descends and you’re ready for some fun the (noticeably firmer) Sport setting buttons everything down that bit more. 

As well as the damping, throttle response is faster, the DSG picks up the pace as does the steering. Even the exhaust is enhanced, although it’s via the synthetic ‘Sound Actuator.’ Boo!

Balanced and predictable in quick cornering, the Polo GTI’s electro-mechanically assisted steering is precise and beautifully weighted, with great road feel. And the car’s ‘Extended Differential Lock’ uses the traction control and braking systems to minimise wheel spin, maximise traction, and help limit understeer.

On top of all that, the carefully sculpted sports seats deliver secure location without compromising comfort, and the grippy sports wheel feels great.

Braking is by ventilated discs at the front with solid rotors at the rear, and even under the pressure of a flat-out track session (moderated with the help of some admirably patient tame racing drivers) they remained progressive and firm.

In more civilised surroundings the Polo’s size and excellent all-around vision (not to mention a clear reversing camera) make it a cinch to park. The combination of on-screen touch controls, and physical dials for the multimedia system is welcome. And the connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is wired or wireless which is handy for those who prefer the surety of a wired connection or the flexibility of one less cable in their life.

The current Polo scored a maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it launched in 2018, and it must have been tempting for VW to save more than a few euros by side-stepping active and passive safety upgrades in this refresh.

But, bravo, it didn’t, the German giant re-submitting this updated version for assessment against more challenging 2022 criteria.

The GTI is loaded with a raft of crash-avoidance tech under the umbrella of ‘IQ.Drive’, including AEB (with cyclist and pedestrian detection), lane-keeping assist (with lane departure warning), ‘Multi-Collision Brake’ (automatically slows the car after a collision, reducing the chance of a secondary impact), driver fatigue detection, ‘Park Assist’ (perpendicular and parallel), front and rear parking distance sensors, rear AEB (low-speed), a reversing camera (with static and dynamic guidelines), adaptive cruise control (with speed limiter and distance warning display), and tyre pressure monitoring.

If, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are seven airbags on-board - driver and front passenger (front and side), front centre, and full-length side curtain.

A front centre airbag is the solution many manufacturers are using to meet ANCAP’s recently introduced, tougher criteria around head clash injuries. 

There are three top tether points across the rear seat for child seats and/or baby capsules, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

The warranty is good with five-years and unlimited kilometre coverage.

There’s also five years roadside assistance and a complimentary five-year/130,000km service plan.

Yep, that's complimentary, as in free servicing for five years. I didn’t believe it myself and called Land Rover to check and was told that it does indeed mean free-of-charge.

Volkswagen Australia covers the Polo GTI with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is now the volume market standard.

The paint is warranted for three years/unlimited kilometres, “Through Corrosion” is covered for 12 years/unlimited kilometres, and 12 months roadside assistance is included.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, with prices over the first five years ranging from a low of $455 to a high of $1498, the average per service coming out at $701, which is a pretty solid number.

Capped price servicing is available, however, over five- and three-year plans. Paying up-front for five years results in a $765 saving over pay-as-you-go.

A nice side benefit is the ability to fold servicing costs into the vehicle’s financing at the time of purchase, and the plan is transferable if you decide to sell the car before the five or three years is up.