UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Just noticed that on the underside of the rear bumper, in the centre, there is a large aperture (hole).
This looks like a mud/dirt drap. When I queried it with the dealer, they said it was to allow a towbar fitment.
I looked at another Polo in the showroom, and this had exactly the same "hole". Surely there should be a detachable
panel to fill this hole and stop mud/dirt entering and causing future rust problems? Anyone else worried about this, or
know of a solution?

I’m pretty certain the current Golf has a similar rectangular shaped aperture on the underside of the rear bumper, so it may be the current VW practice to produce rear bumpers with this cut out for ease of fitting a tow bar. Having said that, I’d have thought Polo owners with tow bars will be in the minority. It would have been much better if the bumper had been manufactured with a removable panel installed. I doubt it would have cost more than a few pounds extra. Might be worth checking with your dealer to see if there is a VW filler panel that can be fitted to cover the aperture.

If dirt is likely to get sucked up into the aperture, then hopefully there’s sufficient paint and anti corrosion protection applied to panels behind the bumper.