There’s plenty of competition in the supermini market, but the VW Polo is proving up to the marque, says Matt Westcott.

IT seems incredible, but it’s more than 35 years since the first VW Polo reached these shores. The demands made of a small car have changed beyond recognition in three decades. Superminis in the 21st Century need to be every bit as luxurious and well-built as their larger cousins.

The fifth generation Polo is sharper, lighter and safer than ever before. VW reckons it’s good enough to set a new standard for the entire supermini class.

It will need to be.

The supermini class is under siege from premium marques looking for a slice of the small car action.

Once, the Polo could count itself as the “posh” option available to buyers otherwise considering a Fiesta, a Metro or a Nova.

These days, the Polo has to contend with the usual mass market fare, plus intense competition from the Mini, the Mercedes A Class, the Alfa Mito and the muchadmired Audi A1.

Styling-wise, the Polo has it nailed. Design boss Walter de Silva wisely opted for a “minime”

Golf look which gives the latest Polo more street cred than its predecessor ever possessed.

There’s more than a hint of the new Scirocco coupe, as well, particularly around the nose where the use of horizontal lines in the grille and lights makes the supermini look wider and lower than it really is.

It may be lighter, thanks to an extensive diet of lightweight materials, but it’s both longer (by 36mm) and wider (by 32mm) to the benefit of anyone sitting in the neatlytrimmed cabin. The perception of a car that’s lower isn’t just visual, either. All Polos sit 13mm closer to the road.

Inside, there’s extra head room, plus a bigger boot which has a 280-litre capacity, or 962 litres with the seats folded down.

VW interiors have always felt classy, but whereas once they seemed well built but spartan, the new Polo is dripping with kit.

The white backlit dials are set into a dash constructed from soft-feel plastics, there are neat slivers of aluminium dotted around and, for the first time on a Polo, drivers can specify a touchscreen sat nav system along with a multi-function steering wheel.

VW has carried over some of the 1.2 and 1.4-litre high efficiency engines, but there’s a new 1.2 turbo and the much-awaited 1.6 TDI which promises pace and parsimonious fuel consumption in equal measure.

Some models can be had with VW’s superb seven-speed DSG semi-automatic gearbox and a BlueMotion model will be added to the range shortly.

Thirty years after it was created, the Polo’s virtues – small size, refinement, build quality and low costs – are more relevant than ever. Here’s to the next three decades.