The VW Polo has always been a popular car but it is now more popular than ever. Car buyers looking to downsize and economise have moved over to the Polo not only because of the well known VW build quality but also because it is a very economical car to own and run.
In the latest car registration figures for August 2010 the Polo joined its big brother the Golf in the top ten shifting just under 1,200 units.
The Polo has been around since 1975 when it started life as a re-badged version of the old Audi 50 and has subsequently passed through 5 different incarnations and various “facelifts” along the way.
The current version is the MKV (“mark 5”) and in the UK VW provides the supermini car buyer with 40 different models to choose from, which breaks down as follows;
| Model | Doors | Engine | Output | Transmission | VW OTR price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | S | 3 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £9,790 |
| S | 5 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £10,390 |
| S | 3 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £10,445 |
| S | 5 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £11,045 |
 | S A/C | 3 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £10,490 |
| S A/C | 5 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £11,090 |
| S A/C | 3 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £11,145 |
| S A/C | 5 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £11,745 |
 | BlueMotion TDI | 3 | 1.2 | 75 | 5 speed manual | £14,445 |
| BlueMotion TDI | 5 | 1.2 | 75 | 5 speed manual | £15,045 |
 | Moda | 3 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £11,175 |
| Moda | 5 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £11,775 |
| Moda | 3 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £11,830 |
| Moda | 5 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £12,430 |
 | Moda A/C | 3 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £11,875 |
| Moda A/C | 5 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £12,475 |
| Moda A/C | 3 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £12,530 |
| Moda A/C | 5 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £13,130 |
 | SE | 3 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £11,175 |
| SE | 5 | 1.2 | 60 | 5 speed manual | £11,775 |
| SE | 3 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £11,830 |
| SE | 5 | 1.2 | 70 | 5 speed manual | £12,430 |
| SE | 3 | 1.4 | 85 | 5 speed manual | £12,420 |
| SE | 5 | 1.4 | 85 | 5 speed manual | £13,020 |
| SE | 3 | 1.4 | 85 | 7 speed auto DSG | £13,660 |
| SE | 5 | 1.4 | 85 | 7 speed auto DSG | £14,260 |
| SE TDI | 3 | 1.2 | 75 | 5 speed manual | £13,315 |
| SE TDI | 5 | 1.2 | 75 | 5 speed manual | £13,915 |
| SE TDI | 3 | 1.6 | 75 | 5 speed manual | £13,240 |
| SE TDI | 5 | 1.6 | 75 | 5 speed manual | £13,840 |
 | SEL | 3 | 1.4 | 85 | 5 speed manual | £13,720 |
| SEL | 5 | 1.4 | 85 | 5 speed manual | £14,320 |
| SEL | 3 | 1.4 | 85 | 7 speed auto DSG | £14,960 |
| SEL | 5 | 1.4 | 85 | 7 speed auto DSG | £15,560 |
| SEL TSI | 3 | 1.2 | 105 | 6 speed manual | £14,710 |
| SEL TSI | 5 | 1.2 | 105 | 6 speed manual | £15,310 |
| SEL TDI | 3 | 1.6 | 90 | 5 speed manual | £15,140 |
| SEL TDI | 5 | 1.6 | 90 | 5 speed manual | £15,740 |
 | GTI | 3 | 1.4 | 180 | 7 speed auto DS | £18,275 |
| GTI | 5 | 1.4 | 180 | 7 speed auto DS | £18,875 |
As you can see there is quite a spread in price, from the “S” 3 door “poverty model” that doesn’t even have air conditioning (really? Yes really!) at £9,790 to the range-topping 5 door GTI almost double the price at £18,875.
So what does the trade think?
There is no doubting that the new Polo has so far been a great success and apart from the fact that the base models don’t come with a/c and VW still want around £10,000 for one is perhaps the only negative.
Although relatively expensive the trade like the Polo because it has a following, is reasonably easy to sell and as it looks like the Golf’s kid brother. It is a car which anyone can drive.
Indeed many sales managers are so keen on the car they are taking advantage of staff discounts and buying them for their wives and that is an endorsement in itself.
In the trade the choice as a used car has been somewhat limited by the relative lack of supply with certain models, however any of the models with the DSG transmission are great news and the diesels continue to impress.
The re-sale value is very strong so far and even the little 1.2 60 PS unit is a great little car which is good because that is the only unit which is fairly easy to get hold of at present.
You can’t really miss with this car.
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