UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Just a quick question, does anyone know if it's independent rear suspension or a torsion beam?

torsion beam

Dark_cze wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:18 pm torsion beam

Thought so, ta.

Even on the GTI, early rumours suggested it was going to be independent multilink rear suspension.

Handling is excellent on GTI so nothing lost for not having multilink.

monkeyhanger wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 1:25 pm Even on the GTI, early rumours suggested it was going to be independent multilink rear suspension.

Handling is excellent on GTI so nothing lost for not having multilink.

There's always a loss when the wheels are linked and a bump on one wheel directly affects the other one.
Doesn't mean it can't still be a good handling car,of course it can, especially on a smooth surface where the 'link' doesn't matter, but independent suspension is always going to be better.
Irrelevant to me seeing as I'm more concerned about getting the thing to give me decent MPG though, I was just curious.

^ Outside of being on a track or flinging your car around on the road in a way that would draw the Police's attention (which I don't do), I don't feel that the comfort or handling is compromised vs my Golf R which has a sophisticated multilink rear suspension.

It's only extreme circumstances that'll really show the difference. The Polo handles much sharper than I was expecting it to.

monkeyhanger wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:29 pm ^ Outside of being on a track or flinging your car around on the road in a way that would draw the Police's attention (which I don't do), I don't feel that the comfort or handling is compromised vs my Golf R which has a sophisticated multilink rear suspension.

It's only extreme circumstances that'll really show the difference. The Polo handles much sharper than I was expecting it to.

It's not 'just' the handling, torsion beam suspension does give a more jittery ride than independent suspension.
But it's cheap and creates more room inside the car, so I can see why they do it.
I wish they didn't, but I can see why.

Andy Beats wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:48 pm

monkeyhanger wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:29 pm ^ Outside of being on a track or flinging your car around on the road in a way that would draw the Police's attention (which I don't do), I don't feel that the comfort or handling is compromised vs my Golf R which has a sophisticated multilink rear suspension.

It's only extreme circumstances that'll really show the difference. The Polo handles much sharper than I was expecting it to.

It's not 'just' the handling, torsion beam suspension does give a more jittery ride than independent suspension.
But it's cheap and creates more room inside the car, so I can see why they do it.
I wish they didn't, but I can see why.

They have to leave some space on market otherwise nobody would buy golf gti

Next to the Golf GTI considering the price gap vs marginal performance differences, tiny size differences and equivalent level of spec and newer tech, the Polo GTI+ looks a relative bargain and the Golf GTI looks overpriced - that'll be those €30 an hour German assembly worker wages!

My Polo seems better built than my Golf R. Apart from VW cheaping out on the top layer of door card and not covering the bit of interior bodywork at the back of the rear doors, it feels plusher. The dashboard and infotainment screen of my Golf R seems positively prehistoric.

The only thing I really miss from the Golf is the electronic handbrake.

monkeyhanger wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:11 pm The only thing I really miss from the Golf is the electronic handbrake.

Where possible, I go for a car with a normal handbrake, I try and avoid those awful things as much as possible.
When Nissan upgraded the Leaf from first gen to second gen, they went from E-handbrake to a manual one (albeit foot operated), the E-brake was just an unreliable pain.
I like normal handbrakes for snow driving.
If the front is just understeering away with the ABS rendering the front wheels useless, a dab of the handbrake will kick the arse out and bail you out.

Andy Beats wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:15 pm

monkeyhanger wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:11 pm The only thing I really miss from the Golf is the electronic handbrake.

Where possible, I go for a car with a normal handbrake, I try and avoid those awful things as much as possible.
When Nissan upgraded the Leaf from first gen to second gen, they went from E-handbrake to a manual one (albeit foot operated), the E-brake was just an unreliable pain.
I like normal handbrakes for snow driving.
If the front is just understeering away with the ABS rendering the front wheels useless, a dab of the handbrake will kick the arse out and bail you out.

The Golf one has been faultless on both my GTD and then the R. You never have to touch it, it holds on hillhold all the time until you park up and it winds on the rear calipers, unwinding again when you first set off.

My biggest fear is being out in the Golf and then going out in the Polo, and forgetting to put the handbrake on. I have almost done it a few times.

The electric handbrake will be here to stay, it makes the RHS/LHS changes one step easier, though I am also someone that does not necessary rather it over the normal cable handbrake, we have one of each in our household. Some people would say that HillHold or what other name it gets, was partially introduced to extend the natural life of the electric handbrake! After reading that, I immediately started using the HHA on my Audi S4 - I had never ever used HHA prior to this!

The Polo, or at least the previous Polo in 6C form does tend to skip a bit when cornering and encountering a hole/bump at one rear wheel, but you get used to it.


I also do remember reading the VW Group blurb that said top end Polo would get the same rear suspension as mid range Golf,ie multi link and as it was so easy to share pares across models, bottom end Golfs would all get the torsion beam that the mid range Polo gets fitted with, ah well, good idea but another VW Group marketing myth, like the 9N Polo getting HID as an option - no, that one did not happen either!

RUM4MO wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:58 pm The electric handbrake will be here to stay,

I'm sure it is, but (thankfully) plenty of makers still go for a normal handbrake and I will continue to seek out cars that have it over e-brakes.

Andy Beats wrote: Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:09 am

RUM4MO wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:58 pm The electric handbrake will be here to stay,

I'm sure it is, but (thankfully) plenty of makers still go for a normal handbrake and I will continue to seek out cars that have it over e-brakes.

I had Audi A4 (B8) with e-brake and A4 (B6) with normal handbrake. Honestly I feel more confident in B6 handbrake. Also Iam not saiyng that B8 ebrake was bad. I just felt it different.

I've just remembered one other thing, electric handbrake works better than having a cable handbrake if you like having an armrest!

I preferred the cable handbrake on my B5 Passat to the electric handbrake on my B8 S4, cable handbrakes lets you stay in control, electric handbrake is vicious and it is either OFF or ON and when its on nothing much will move that car.