2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Chat about your 2018+ AW/BZ model Polos here!
SRGTD
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by SRGTD »

You make some very good points in your post Wolfi, and it’s good to get a range of views from forum members to generate some healthy debate. I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to buy a Hyundai any time soon; If I’m satisfied with the product and service I get, I tend to be very brand loyal. I’ve owned VW’s for the last 15-16 years so the likely replacement for my current Polo will be another VW and in all probability, a Polo.

From what I’ve read and from the videos I’ve watched on the new Polo, it seems to be a very accomplished car that gets good reviews. IMO, i think it’s human nature to criticise the negative points and just accept the good points. From what I’ve seen and read, I think the only thing I’m a little disappointed with is the perceived downgrade in quality of the door cards compared to my 6c Polo, but as you point out, there are lots of aspects of the new model that are an big improvement over the outgoing model.

I’ve not seen a new Polo in the metal yet. My car goes in for it’s service in just over a month’s time, so hopefully, there’ll have one in the showroom and a demonstrator that I can have a good look at, and I’ll share my observations at that time.
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Wolfi
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by Wolfi »

That's good to hear. Like all VW's, they sure do feel and look better in the flesh - when you stand next to one you can really appreciate the new sharper lines that make it stand out a little bit more. The UK press drive has taken place today at Woburn so there will be some reviews on their way in the coming days about what the new Polo feels like on UK roads....
lancslad1985
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by lancslad1985 »

Don't get me wrong Wolfi, I'm not suggesting that everyone buys a Hyundai. I think I just expected more of the polo and less of the Hyundai. I'm sure many people will be happy with the interior of the new polo. I also think the colour combination of the interior didn't help as it looked horrendous with a dark top, red flash and then cream trim below the flash!

I would like to point out I did think the layout of the dials, touchscreen etc was very nice but I'm reserving further judgement until the cars we are really interested in come out - the SEL, R-line and GTI.
GolfDriver
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by GolfDriver »

I noted some comments about the door pockets and the cheaper materials used. Sat in a T-ROC in a showroom and was very surprised to find the top of the dashboard is all made of hard plastic! Not nice to look at or touch.

Was somewhat relieved to find soft materials on the Polo. Whilst there I asked a salesman about the 1.5 engine which interests me. He said they weren't coming until next year! Went on to say smaller engines would be the ones in demand. Was surprised to see around 15 Polo's on their forecourt. Does that mean they're not selling as well as expected.
SRGTD
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by SRGTD »

GolfDriver wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:55 pm I noted some comments about the door pockets and the cheaper materials used. Sat in a T-ROC in a showroom and was very surprised to find the top of the dashboard is all made of hard plastic! Not nice to look at or touch.
I’ve read some reviews and watched some YouTube video reviews of the T-Roc and most have commented on the hard plastic trim. Because it’s hard plastic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any less durable than soft touch plastic, but customer perception will pretty much always associate hard plastic interior trim with lower quality. My preference is for there to be soft touch, tactile surfaces in those areas that you’re likely to have contact with. As you’ve said, fortunately, the Polo has soft touch materials - on the dashboard anyway; the door cards are hard plastic.

I’m sure the VW ‘bean counters’ looked at the cost savings of using hard plastic interior trim in the T-Roc and convinced the decision makers within the VW empire that it was worth doing.
GolfDriver wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:55 pm I noted some comments about the door pockets and the cheaper materials used. Sat in a T-ROC in a showroom and was very surprised to find the top of the dashboard is all made of hard plastic! Not nice to look at or touch.

Whilst there I asked a salesman about the 1.5 engine which interests me. He said they weren't coming until next year! Went on to say smaller engines would be the ones in demand. Was surprised to see around 15 Polo's on their forecourt. Does that mean they're not selling as well as expected.
It’s interesting that the 1.5 Evo engine seems to have been delayed in the Polo when it’s available in the new Seat Ibiza FR. In the Seat, the 1.5 engine is available with a manual gearbox (no DSG option) and has a power output of 150 ps. The 1.5 Evo is also available in the current Golf with power output of 130 and 150 with both Manual and DSG gearbox options. So, as this engine is being used within the VW group with both Manual and DSG options, it does beg the question why it isn’t available in the Polo until next year.

Don’t think that 15 new Polos on the forecourt necessarily equates to poor sales. Jan/Feb is traditionally a slow / quiet period for new car sales. Also, if the dealer you visited was a large dealer with a fleet sales department, those cars could’ve already been assigned to a fleet buyer.
RUM4MO
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by RUM4MO »

Just spotted my first new Polo while travelling back to the airport in Lisbon, it was a silver 5 door, I think that it might take some time to see the rear horizontal panel "crease" as a brilliant fashion statement! First sighting did not fill me with envy or excitement of what wife's next car might look like!
SRGTD
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by SRGTD »

RUM4MO wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:11 pm Just spotted my first new Polo while travelling back to the airport in Lisbon, it was a silver 5 door, I think that it might take some time to see the rear horizontal panel "crease" as a brilliant fashion statement! First sighting did not fill me with envy or excitement of what wife's next car might look like!
I stopped by my local VW dealer the other day as they had one parked out front, and I was curious enough to have a look at it (dealership was closed, so no risk of hassle from a salesman!).

I know what you mean by the horizontal crease in the tailgate, but I think that with most car model replacements, there are elements of the design that initially might be considered questionable. When the facelift version of the mk7 Golf was launched, the cosmetic design changes received more criticism than complements by members on one of the main Golf forums.

As the new Polo becomes a more common sight on the roads, we’ll have got used to the shape and and the creases, tucks and folds in the bodywork and they probably won’t warrant a second glance as they’ll seem quite normal.

I think the thing that struck me most about the new Polo was how much larger it is than my 6c Polo. There was a 6c Polo Beats model parked next to the new Polo and the 6c was dwarfed by the new model!
RUM4MO
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Re: 2018 Polo NEW SHAPE

Post by RUM4MO »

Actually, as it was my daughter that was in the front seat of the M-B transfer car, she said "oh yuk, I'm guessing that that is a model of VW that is not sold in UK?" when we made up with the new silver Polo ! I've noticed on the SEAT Ibiza forum that most owners of recent model Ibizas think that the new version of Ibiza looks terrible, a bit like a slightly smaller version of a Leon - to which I replied that I liked the changes and comparing it to a Leon was okay as that is one good looking car in my mind.

When I owned a B5 VW Passat, I thought that overall the changes internally and externally made during the face lift to B5.5 were not too good, only good bits for me were the change to some suspension mounting/pivoting points to improve the driving experience, proper front brakes and the new saloon tail light design, the changes to the front combined with the overall cheapening of the centre console area were terrible in my eyes, though VW had used the B5 Passat to claim that area of the market and so now needed to cheapen the next version to make it meet its profit margins - then binned that exAudi design to cheapen it seriously by using some Golf platform - closing the boot sounded like closing a biscuit tin - I was never interested in that car, Passat CC maybe but never new Passat, which is why I had to get a used Audi at car change time instead of a new factory order Passat - oh and I prefer petrol engines, biggish ones.

When my wife owned a 9N Polo, I thought that it looked okay with its almost SLK front lights, the face lift, gain, in my eyes turned it into a very ugly little car with out of scale front lights, rear lights was better looking though, as the engines never ever tried to appeal I just kept the 2002 9N Polo until it was ready for the bin, by which time VW had changed the engines etc by the 6C launch time, which was just in time for me or I would have needed to move back to Ford for wife's replacement car.

Generally speaking, in my car buying experiences, manufacturers need to take more care of their existing customers while drawing in new ones from other brands, my first Ford Orion Ghia 1.6 Injection had lots of XR3i parts, including front splitter and seats, my second Ford Orion, a next generation or face lift of the first one, lost that front splitter and just had comfy "mum and dad" seats - crappers!

It is quite easy to change car marques when you feel that your current one has pushed their luck once too often.
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