Ambient Lighting and other new Polo queries

[vc-10]

Hi guys, I'm trying to decide between an Ibiza and a Polo. I want the more powerful 115PS engine, active cruise, parking sensors, and a nice interior. Seat do a version of the Ibiza called the Xcellence Lux, which is basically fully loaded, with alcantara ("microsuede") seats, active cruise, 17" wheels, digital dash, LED lights, the works. There are some things I'm not fussed about, like the front sensors, keyless entry, and rear parking camera, but the price is excellent (with pretty decent discounts available too).

One of the things I really love about the Ibiza is the ambient lighting in the door trims, and the leatherette trim in the door cards, not just on the armrest portion. I haven't been able to test drive either an SEL or R-Line Polo, so I haven't been able to see what the trim is like. Do the upper trim Polos get the nicer door cards? Apart from the grey portion around the door release handle, the SE I test drove didn't feel like it was any nicer than my current Skoda Fabia. Ambient lighting is mentioned in the price list for the SEL and above, but I haven't been able to find any pictures of it. What's it like?

It seems ridiculous that VW charge £600 for ACC, given that Skoda charge £380 for it in the Fabia SE (which likewise has a Front Assist sensor and standard speed limiter), and in the previous Polo, which didn't have the Front Assist at all, charged £400 for it IIRC. And it's €255 in Germany....

[RUM4MO]

VW UK pricing on options is a bit of a laugh when you compare what VW charge for these options in Germany and Holland, just VW UK generating more cash I suppose, no other reason. I don't know how the previous importer of VW into UK behaved, ie Tiny Rolland as I was not a VW buyer at that time.

A couple of things that I do like about SEAT versions of these cars is that they do tend to fit sports ie shaped seats where VW kept sticking to the normal shaped seats, probably due to the different assumed customer base.

Alcantara I do like, I've had that on my past 2 cars, but for my wife's current Polo I baulked at paying VW UK what they asked for leatherette/Alcantara when I spec'd up her 2015 SEL.

[monkeyhanger]

As far as I can tell, higher trim Polos don't get better door card trimmings (my GTI+ doesn't), save for the coloured door opener surround inserts.

There are a lot of price discrepancies across the VAG spectrum - the Audi A1 gets the cheapest metallic paint on the supermini platform (£390 vs £565 On the Polo), the Golf rear camera costs £100 more than the Polo's even though it's the same unit (perhaps the Polo head unit has some control module in it already to justify the lower cost, or maybe Golf owners are expected to pay £100 more for the hell of it?). There are plenty of other examples.

That Ibiza sounds a great option vs the Polo SEL/R-Line.

[vc-10]

The value-for-money proposition with the Ibiza is certainly very strong. Spec an SEL up to the level of an Xcellence Lux and the price difference is huge. The Seat (with the spare tyre, a £100 option) is £19,525 at list price. The Polo SEL with all the extras the Seat has is £23,655. The Polo has an adjustable boot floor and heated seats (comes with the alcantara, not available in the Ibiza for the UK) but otherwise the same spec. Of course I wouldn't be looking at matching the spec, as there are plenty of expensive things the Seat gets which I'm not too fussed about (like the reversing camera- it's a supermini, FFS!) but the overall package is very compelling.

But then the VW is a very, very, nice little car....

Decisions decisions!

[Cadwest]

I’ve got the Polo GTi plus and the Mrs had a Seat Ibiza Excellence up to October when she switched to a new Seat Arona Excellence Lux. Quality wise inside I would say that there’s hardly any noticeable difference between the two but the Arona comes with comfort seats which are definitely more comfortable of the two. The Adaptive cruise control on the Polo is positioned on the steering wheel which makes it easier to use than the Seat option and I also prefer the front sensor being higher on the Polo. Also the Polo 8 inch screen is higher up the dash than on the Seat which makes using the Sat nav easier. Out of the two digital dash’s we prefer the look of the Seat with the speed and rev counter running up the sides of the screen.The LED headlights on the Seat are also much better than the ones fitted to the Polo and seem to give a better light pattern, I would say that they seem to be at least 30% better. I find the 115 bhp DSG to be more than suitable and surprising quick but would be unfair to compare with the GTI.

Overall we are very happy with both vehicles in build quality and so far in reliability but one word of warning is that you don’t always get what is promised in the brochure and both cars had items missing on delivery. The Polo came with half the winter pack and puddle lights missing and we had to fight for compensation. The Seat had the alcantara and folding mirrors missing, but at least they had put in the full winter pack, beats sound system and space saver wheel as compensation. Both VW and Seat change specks on the production line and do not inform the dealers so whichever you go for please check the speck on arrival.

[vc-10]

That's really interesting to hear! Seat have been doing a lot of chopping and changing of specs lately for certain, bringing in the 'EZ' idea of basically not having options. I've test driven an Ibiza with the alcantara interior. Given your location in Lancashire... could well have been your car! The dealer (Preston Seat) said that the previous owner had changed it for a DSG Arona It was a 'Mystic Magenta' 95PS 1.0 TSI. Certainly not my favourite colour in the world, but the car otherwise was lovely.

If they forget the parking camera and instead give me the winter pack I would be a very happy customer but the standard seats in the Ibiza Xcellence (not the alcantara in the Lux) are pretty odd, in terms of colour scheme. They should offer an option to go for the seats in the Arona Xcellence, which are black and grey, not black and beige.

[Cadwest]

Yes that was the wife’s old Ibiza, not my favourite colour either always felt it was more a ladies colour. The new Arona has the Eclipse Orange with dark grey roof and looks a lot better in my opinion, she also had the side steps put on as well which makes the car look bigger than it is.

[vc-10]

Small world

I'd be going for the Desire Red if I go Ibiza or Reef Blue if I go for a Polo. The Desire Red isn't available on the regular Xcellence, presumably they felt it would clash with the beige on the interior, but is allowed on the Lux. The orange is definitely a better choice than the Mystic Magenta!

[RUM4MO]

Ah, yes the other thing I like about Ibiza, or SEAT in general is the extra and less glum colour palates they offer!

One thing to watch out for in SEATs is that SEAT is a bit slower than VW as to the engine power output point where they change to the next size up of brakes, I can't comment on what they are up to now, but when I was looking at cars prior to ordering a Polo 1.2TSI 110PS SEL, most of the Ibizas had the 256mm discs at that level even in FR trim, which is being a bit mean, a bit like Skoda tend to be probably to keep costs down.

[vc-10]

Yeah, the Xcellence Lux, even with the 115PS engine, only gets drums on the back. My current 90PS Fabia has rear discs!

[Andy Beats]

The value-for-money proposition with the Ibiza is certainly very strong. Spec an SEL up to the level of an Xcellence Lux and the price difference is huge. The Seat (with the spare tyre, a £100 option) is £19,525 at list price. The Polo SEL with all the extras the Seat has is £23,655.

I'm sorry......how much........!?!?!?

[vc-10]

For the Seat or the Polo? There are also some pretty competitive pricing offers on the Seat, compared to the VW. The prices on Drive The Deal are more like £16k for the Seat, while for the Polo with the options it's still over £20k.

[Andy Beats]

For the Seat or the Polo? There are also some pretty competitive pricing offers on the Seat, compared to the VW. The prices on Drive The Deal are more like £16k for the Seat, while for the Polo with the options it's still over £20k.

Either!
Good grief, that's a pile of money for a small car...

[mike sel]

For the Seat or the Polo? There are also some pretty competitive pricing offers on the Seat, compared to the VW. The prices on Drive The Deal are more like £16k for the Seat, while for the Polo with the options it's still over £20k.

I personally would rather have the VW polo like for like than the Seat. For me cost is not an issue and the Polo IMHO is a nicer place to be more comfortable ride. JMHO.

[vc-10]

If they were the same price, then I'd agree with you Mike. But price is an issue for me. I can't afford to go crazy with options etc on a Polo, but the Ibiza offers all that tech for much less money (especially once discounts are taken into account). I have no need to get a larger car, being a single guy with no pets or hobbies that need lots of stuff. But I'm a bit of a techy nerd, so things like the digital dash, ACC, and LED lights really appeal.

And Andy- those are list prices. I'm not paying list It's worth pointing out that those sorts of prices are pretty standard if you want a decent small car. The Fiesta is similar money in Titanium trim with the 125PS Ecoboost engine (but with less discount available). The likes of the A1 and Mini are more, but are more 'premium' cars, and the A1 is going to be very difficult to get a discount on too due to its newness.