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Volkswagen Polo vs Volvo V40

What's the difference?

VS
Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo

$22,490 - $43,880

2022 price

Volvo V40
Volvo V40

$26,990 - $26,990

2018 price

Summary

2022 Volkswagen Polo
2018 Volvo V40
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
6.5L/100km (combined)

5.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Solid service pricing
  • No rear centre armrest
  • No adjustable rear air vents

  • Small boot
  • Limited rear legroom
  • No Apple CarPlay
2022 Volkswagen Polo Summary

The hot hatch wars, an on-going automotive conflict, fired up when Volkswagen lobbed a massive, Golf GTI-shaped salvo into an unsuspecting global car market in the middle of 1976.

Peugeot may have run a bold out-flanking manoeuvre with deployment of the 205GTi from the mid-1980s, and other skirmishes broke out soon after with the likes of Suzuki’s Swift GTi, but so far the German maker has retained majority ownership of those three little letters that mean so much.

Fast forward to 1995 and application of the GTI tag spread to the compact VW Polo, which close to three decades later brings us to the current, sixth-generation version.

It arrived in Australia in 2018, and four years down the track it’s time for an update, with subtle cosmetic tweaks and a significant safety upgrade included.

Volkswagen Australia invited us to the car’s local launch including a varied drive program, topped off with a hot-lap track session, to get a first taste of how it shapes up.

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2018 Volvo V40 Summary

I miss my old phone. Sure, my new phone has a bigger screen and it’s smarter and faster, but my previous phone was smaller and easier to use, and now when I go to do a screen shot I accidentally hit the volume button every time. 

What I really want in a phone is a new version of the old one – and I have a feeling people may feel the same way about the 2018 Volvo V40

Some time next year the completely new generation V40 is expected to arrive and there will be some things I’ll miss about the old one. So, this really is your last chance to buy a new ‘old’ Volvo V40.

In a last-hurrah review, I road tested the V40 in the Inscription grade with the T4 petrol engine. What’s so 'missable' about it? Read on to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2022 Volkswagen Polo 2018 Volvo V40

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