What is this little compartment for?

[Leif]

On the inside of the rear door there is a small door, which opens to reveal a small compartment. What is this for? It looks like it is made to hold a small item, maybe a small light for breakdowns, or some such.

Also, is it possible to configure the air con so that it does not automatically turn on when you turn on the recirculation? It somet8mes comes on when I turn in the blower. It really annoys me, as I have to turn it off which distracts me from the road.

[stevereeves]

Maybe it's just a handy storage area. Think the aircon is supposed to activate automatically when you select re-circulation, it annoys me at times too. On a Golf for cool, no air-conned air, one sets the temp knob to fully cold then moves it one click or up a tad, Golf control knobs click slightly dunno 'bout Polos....

[SRGTD]

In my 2016 Polo, I have a storage compartment for a high visibility vest behind the left side trim panel in the front passenger footwell (compulsory to carry these in some countries, I believe). There’s actually a heading for ‘high visibility vest’ in the index in my owners manual!

Maybe this storage compartment has now been relocated to the tailgate trim panel in the current Polo? Alternatively, it’s not like the flap in the tailgate trim panel in the Golf is it? If so, it’s for storing an emergency warning triangle like in the picture below.

If you have a quick look in your manual, maybe it’ll solve the mystery.

[Leif]

Aha, it could be for an emergency triangle, it does have clips to hold something that shape.

[Leif]

Just checked and the compartment looks exactly like that, with channels either side.

[barrywi]

Or for your Polo mints ?

[RUM4MO]

It would make sense to me to move the high vis vest storage area into the boot as there is no way that you could open that storage area on the passenger side and get the vest out without first leaving the car through the driver's side door.

BTW, SEAT seem to have the bonnet release on the LHS and the high vis vest storage in a slightly open framed storage area on the RHS of the car, it does mean that you do know what is in that storage area, whereas in the Polo as it is a closed frame door, it is a secret. Of course in UK first you need buy the high vis vest, which is crazy!

Edit:- warning triangle, I made a big boo boo and bought a VW branded safety kit for my wife's new Polo back in August 2015 as the first aid kit from her previous car was old and the warning triangle was a seriously heavy weight early model! The warning triangle was too long and maybe wide and deep for the new Polo, which was extremely annoying - but it did fit into the space in the tailgate of our older daughter's Ibiza SC, so not a complete waste of money. What is needed to fit that is the warning triangle from an Audi Q5 etc, that I managed to buy from ebay.