Volkswagen Polo vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

The Volkswagen Polo is about to turn 30 in Australia but, by 1996, it was already 21-years and three generations old in Europe.

As the least-expensive jumping-on point for the brand here today (RIP VW Up!), the Polo has deftly juggled affordability with the premium pricing that its German engineering demands.

But, at nine-years old, and in an era of newer, hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) and often cheaper alternatives from China and elsewhere, is the ageing Polo as convincing?

We test the mid-spec CityLife to find out.

Eight generations over more than half a century qualifies the Volkswagen Golf as an automotive icon, standing on the shoulders of its original beetle-shaped ancestor.

It remains one of the world’s favourite cars and this 110TSI Life version is the entry-point to the local model line-up, the latest ‘8.5’ version of which arrived here just over 12 months ago.

It sits in a hotly contested small-car category, appealing to those with a preference for a conventional hatch and pure internal-combustion power.

In an automotive world now dominated by increasingly electrified SUVs, we spent a week behind the wheel to see how it shapes up as an urban specialist with occasional open road ability.