When it comes to the new VW Polo, the general consensus here at motoring is that we like it. We've now tried several models and we're chuffed with its finishes that are almost too posh for the category in which it competes.
It's even won the World Car of the Year title.
The latest version to grace our garage - a 1.6-litre petrol with an auto gearbox - is no different. Drive it on a daily basis and, unlike yesterday's Polo, there's hardly a feeling like you're driving a second-rate VW hatch. Think of it as a Golf Lite.
However, as we've so often found before, we're not entirely thrilled by such a small engine driving an automatic transmission. The motor's forced to labour up through the gears, of which there are only five in this case, and transitions aren't exactly inconspicuous.
The Polo gets where you're going but it just seems to fuss compared to a manual shifter for which you, the driver, can dictate shift points.
But perhaps we're just a little jaded by the cutting-edge double-clutchers with as many as eight gears we so often experience these days. The auto Polo is, after all, an almost entry-level car aimed at buyers who probably won't mind a whinging engine tone and less than slick gear shifts.
We understand the need for this combination of engine and transmission wrapped up in a small, semi-affordable car. Without sounding too hypocritical it's actually quite relaxing to drive, especially with today's traffic-jam rigamaroles.
I do, however, have to complain about VW's sneaky branding tactics and how the Polo's gearshifter is emblazoned with a DSG logo regardless of the fact that it has relatively dated Tiptronic technology. In my mind, DSG is defined by dual-clutch technology, as in the renowned Golf GTI and TT, and can certainly not be used to market a torque converter-equipped transmission just because it has a manual shift feature.
The Polo Tiptronic sells for R197 900, putting it squarely in contention with a relatively small segment that currently hosts only a small number of one-step-higher-than-entry-level auto hatchbacks.
In all honesty, it's probably one of the best. - INL Motoring