Is the Volkswagen Polo good for Families? Here's our verdict

By Ané Theron

 

South Africa is a Volkswagen Polo-loving country and the sales numbers reflect just that. With so many excellent family cars on the South African market, should you opt for the Polo?

The handsome Polo hatch has become synonymous with upmarket, reliable motoring, and value for money. It's also become very trendy, adding plenty of street-cred and even sex appeal to its proud owner's image. But is a hatchback the answer if you want to transport your family (and all of their luggage) on a regular basis?

Consider the Volkswagen Polo Sedan... 

Perhaps the Polo Sedan is the more sensible choice. Despite the fact that sedans are not as popular as they used to be, the Polo sedan remains a popular choice, especially if you need a large boot that will fit all of your family's paraphernalia. 

While the Polo Sedan is essentially an older car than the new Polo hatch, it is still a great buy, if you don't mind the fact that their engines are all naturally aspirated (you have a choice between a 1.4-litre petrol, 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine) and not turbocharged like the Polo hatches are. 

The Polo Sedan is also more affordable than the hatchback, with pricing for the entry-level 1.4 Trendline starting at R213 000, vs. the peppier Polo Hatch 1.0TSI Trendline, priced from R245 500. 

Sedan safety

On the safety front, however, the hatchback is equipped with six airbags while the sedan only gets four. The Polo sedan is equipped with ABS and EBD, but stability control is only standard on the 1.6 Comfortline derivative (R252 500) and upwards.

Sedan-like space?

The Polo sedan offers comfortable amounts of room on the back seat and the boot is 454 litres, which is ample for any family's needs.

An even cheaper option...

While the Polo Vivo sedans have been discontinued, you can still find them in our used cars section here. If budget, space and reliability are your most important keywords here, the Vivo sedan is your 'man'.

But what if you absolutely must have a Volkswagen Polo Hatch..?

The sexy new Polo is very practical too, beautifully designed, tech-rich and perfectly put together.

On the safety side, even the entry-level Polo Hatch 1.0TSI Trendline (from R245 500) is equipped with ABS with EBD, and brake assist is standard. So is stability control and Hill-start assist. There are six airbags.

Hatchback space

You can easily fit three adults in the back, but on longer journeys two adults plus a child on the rear sit will be much more comfortable. Room in the new Polo is almost on par with the latest-generation VW Golf and the boot can swallow an impressive 350 litres.

Other great family buys in the used-car market...

• Looking for a used car that's perfect for your family? Take a look at this article written in 2015 with our selection of kid-friendly cars. (Please note that these cars were all new at the time the article was published and that pricing will differ.)
• Another one of my favourite family cars under our used car section is the brilliant VW Golf SV 1.4 TSI Comfortline. Click here to read Family-Size Golf has Family-Size Features (2015) and click here to be redirected to the showroom(s).
• If your house is a home to a slighty larger number of people than the average nuclear family, take a look at this list of best cars for big families.
• No kids, but dogs instead? Read about the cars that fulfill your dog-owner needs.

Recommended reading: Top 5 VW Polo reviews on AutoTrader