Sneaking in just behind the Polo Vivo, the Volkswagen Polo remains one of the best-selling passenger cars in the South African market. It's easy to see why, though. Packed with quality equipment, striking good looks and as a model from a brand steeped in local history, the Volkswagen Polo is just the ticket to your freedom.
Over the years, the Polo has filled the shoes of the Volkswagen Golf as it grew in size and price. Thankfully, the Polo steps up to the plate and provides the answer for those who feel that the Golf is out of their price range.
Related: Is the Volkswagen Polo Vivo good for new drivers? Here’s our verdict.
Volkswagen South Africa pulled the wraps off of the facelifted and updated Polo hatch in December 2021, touting it as the most technologically advanced Polo ever. With driver assistance systems, IQ.LIGHT LED Matrix headlights and improved connectivity, the new Polo has grown up and is ideally suited for the young, modern individual. Volkswagen has managed to keep the price of the new Polo within reach, thanks to local manufacturing and assembly. This also means that parts availability should never be an issue, not that you should worry, it being a Volkswagen and whatnot.
In the new VW Polo hatch range, things have been thinned out and altered somewhat to align with the rest of the VW portfolio. Gone are the Comfortline, Trendline and Highline monikers and now you will be able to get the Polo, Polo Life, Polo R-Line and naturally, the sporty Polo GTI. You get a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine in most of the range, with the exception of the GTI, which has a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder.
The base Polo will yield 70 kW from the 1.0-litre TSI engine and is mated to a manual gearbox. The same goes for the manual Polo Life. The automatic DSG version of the Polo Life sees the engine produce 85 kW, which is the same combination that you will find in the Polo R-Line. The Polo GTI is packed with features and is fitted with the 147 kW 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and DSG gearbox.
Costs
Vehicle prices are adjusted on a regular basis, so our guide here is exactly that: just a guide. It's always better to confirm the current vehicle pricing you are interested in before signing an offer to purchase. The prices listed below are correct as of October 2023 and exclude optional extras. Thus, this guide only serves as a reference point, and the final monthly instalment will depend on various factors. To find out how much you need to earn to be able to afford a new car, click here.
In this exercise, we're consulting the AutoTrader Finance Calculator and basing our calculations on the following criteria. The base price of the vehicle (excluding options) is taken over the maximum period of 72-months without a balloon or residual payment. The interest rate is set at an estimated 13.75% (Prime plus 2), and a 10% deposit or trade-in is included.
Please note that your credit profile may vary and that you may qualify for a different interest rate based on your profile.
| Model | Price | Instalment |
| Volkswagen Polo hatch 1.0TSI 70 kW | R351 700 | R6 480 |
| Volkswagen Polo hatch 1.0TSI 70 kW Life | R395 000 | R7 278 |
| Volkswagen Polo hatch 1.0TSI 85 kW Life | R418 200 | R7 705 |
| Volkswagen Polo hatch 1.0TSI 85 kW R-Line | R468 300 | R8 628 |
| Volkswagen Polo GTI | R549 000 | R10 115 |
If you're interested in a new Volkswagen Polo hatch, click here to see all the offers listed on AutoTrader.
Alternatively, you could shop around for a quality, low-mileage, pre-owned example by clicking here.
