The light car class under $25,000 is fought out between 15 models – the Hyundai Accent the big seller followed by the Mazda 2 with the Volkswagen Polo 7th. You’ll pay more for the Polo five door hatch but it’s a class above in many ways and very highly equipped. I’ve just tested the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol 85TSI seven-speed automatic in the higher grade Comfortline. $22,990 drive-away. The latest six-generation VW Polo has grown in size, larger in fact to the Mark 4 Golf of 1998. The entry Polo, the 1.0-litre manual 70 TSI Trendline, kicks off at $17,990 drive-away and its well spec’d with a rear view camera, autonomous emergency braking, cruise control, driver fatigue detection, stability control and much more.
The Polo Comfortline is the one to own however adding 15-inch alloy wheels, better cloth trim, rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is a high point and gives the Polo a degree of class.
The automatic gearbox is Volkswagen’s dual-clutch DSG a smooth shifter that works well with the engines 200Nm of torque but it can get a little twitchy at times on take-off. The 1.0-litre turbo does require 95RON petrol but it did return 5.4L/100 with a mix of city and country driving. I guess what surprised me most with this latest Polo was the amount of room it now offers – sitting on a 78mm longer wheelbase to the previous model has produced a light car with small car dimensions. I’m David Berthon

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