The History of the Volkswagen Polo

Added: 08 September 2021

Green Polo I

With the launch of the new Polo Facelift coming later this year, let’s take a trip down memory lane and discover how the Polo has evolved over the years.

Polo I: 1975 -1981

The first Polo was unveiled in 1975, shortly after the successful launch of the Mark I Golf. With a wheelbase of 2,335 mm, it was smaller than today’s Volkswagen up!

It shared the same design as the Audi 50 and in 1978 when Audi pulled its 50 model the Polo began its unstoppable rise around the world selling 500,000 units.

A brown Polo II

Polo II: 1981-1994

The Polo II continued the success of the original model while featuring new body styles, a wider range of engines and a more premium feeling interior. Its iconic steep rear window gave it a boxy wagon shape and increased practicality.

A facelift in 1990 ensure the Polo continued feeling modern with trending features of the time.

a Green Polo III

Polo III: 1994-2001

This was a completely new model the body, chassis and engine were all completely new and for the first time you could now have a Polo with five doors and as an estate. It shared its platform with the SEAT Ibiza and the floorplan was based on that of the Volkswagen Golf.

The Polo III also saw the first GTI version. A facelift in 2000 gave it breakthrough technologies for its class such as sat-nav and xenon headlights. The Volkswagen Caddy van shared the same platform and front style edging.

A silver Polo IV

Polo IV: 2001-2009

The Polo IV continued to share its platform with the SEAT Ibiza along with the ŠKODA Fabia. It bore a structural resemblance to the Volkswagen Golf and the distinctive quad headlights were similar to the Volkswagen Lupo.

The body grew by more than 15 centimetres which not only meant more space for passengers but also an even more spacious boot area.

It has a versatile engine range from a 1.2 litre three cylinder petrol to a 1.9 litre TDI. The GTI models took things one step further with a turbocharged 1.8 litre engine producing 150PS.

A red Polo V

Polo V: 2009-2017

The fifth generation Polo was larger in nearly every dimension than the fourth, yet the car was 7.5 per cent lighter. The clean lines and angles gave the small car a functional yet sporty look and it continued to mature with technologies including seven-speed DSG gearbox and touch screen sat nav.

The fifth generation Polo was recognised globally winning World Car of the Year in 2010.

An orange Polo VI

Polo VI: 2017-2021

The sixth generation Polo was introduced on the MQB A0 platform, with vastly improved interior space, quality, boot space and best-in-class refinement. Customisable with a huge amount of paint colours and interior trims, this little car has matured into an impressive specimen.

The sixth generation Polo came with an army of safety features such as frontal collision detection, blind spot assistance and lane change assist. Engines focused on efficient TSI models and one TDI, with the GTI now sharing the same 2.0 litre turbocharged engine as the famous Golf GTI, tuned to 200PS.

New Polo Facelift: 2021-

Continuing on from Polo VI the new facelift incorporates more innovations, digitalisation and fresher design cues than ever before.

Breakthrough technologies for the class such as the IQ.LIGHT matrix LED headlights and IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist set the new Polo firmly as the class leader with features usually reserved for far larger and more expensive vehicles. The styling is more expressive than ever with a signature LED front light bar, animated indicator lights, a refreshed front and rear bumper design, a newly designed interior and four new exterior colours.

With more than 18 million units already sold across the globe, the Polo is one of the most successful vehicles of its kind and it looks to continue this success into the future.

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