Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Polio gives a nice, economy ride.

The Germans do things differently. They actually think about the products they put out, whether it be aircraft or automobiles. Other automakers may have more passion about what they do, but passion does not always solve problems in any field of endeavour, and sometimes gets in the way of effective engineering.

When it comes to cars, we all like something with a little zip, a little pizzazz. But again, our passion for driving doesn't always pay off, as spirited driving means more frequent and expensive trips to a station. And two seaters, while fun to drive, don't have space for a family of five. Let's say you're just starting out in life, married with a mortgage and the statistically correct two point two kids. A first car is in order. What do you buy?

girl-power mobile

Well, if you have 35 grand of disposable income and the near US$200 grand deposit lying around, you could look at the Honda Fit. But that's not really a unisex car. Hubby would feel a bit emasculated driving around in the girl-power mobile. Or you could buy the Polo.

The Polo is one of those 'econo-boxes' that people tended to look over in Jamaica because it is German, and hence expensive. But it would be a mistake to dismiss it. For the price is $1.675 million. And the option list is to die for. Polo first of all has a class leading engine; its 1.4-litre four cylinder sips gas to the tune of 41 mpg city, which it ups to 56 on a run; V W claims it does 410 miles on one 45-litre tank ! It has a boasy CVT transmission with a six speed manual programme and decent interior space. Polo has five three-point seat belts, steering with rake an adjustment, VW's ESP (Electronic Stability Programme). There is also a headlight levelling feature, which allows the driver to focus headlights on the potholes immediately in front of him, or illuminate craters down the road by rolling a small wheel on the dash, rather like rolling the scroll wheel on a mouse.

many layers

There are fog lamps front and rear, and all controllable by one rotary dial; like Shrek, this dial has many layers! Polo comes with a full size 14" spare and 14" alloys. The trunk is large and the car has the capacity to fold down the rear seats and so make it huge. Passenger side front airbags can be turned off, which is a worthy feature if you are carrying any portion of those two point two kids upfront. Tools, however, are put in a moulded Styrofoam block, which Automotives didn't quite like.

Polo's front suspension is strut with a lower control arm, while the rear has a torsion beam variant with an integral anti-roll bar. The car is stopped by vented discs upfront and self-adjusting drums on the back-end. The car rolls noticeably in corners, but that's the price paid for a decent ride. Steering is uninvolving, but not so much so that the car wasn't fun to drive.

effortless lane-changing

Its small size makes lane changing effortless, and should be easy to park. Like any small engine, the engine has to be squeezed hard to get anything out of it, but rowing the tiptronic selector makes it seems worthwhile. Polo understeers at the limit, and while its bigger brother the Golf has a more confidence inspiring chassis, 'bahn' burning is not what his car is about. It is an economy car, after all.

Polo is not so forgettable this time around. With features that are found on more expensive vehicles, its greatest testament to its reason for being is probably this: Automotives covered 70-odd miles on varying stretches of road, both in the city and on the free way, including some panic stops and several 11 second zero to 60 runs. We were given Polo with a full tank. When we handed it back to Motor Sales, the gas gauge needle hadn't moved.

Its small size makes lane changing effortless, and it should be easy to park.

Polo's class leading engine. - Photos by Mario James

Mario.james@gleanerjm.com