Volkswagen New Polo Sedan (2023) Review - You don't really need an SUV

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The 2023 Volkswagen Polo Sedan, continues the age-long tradition of the Polo Sedan accompanying the titular Polo hatchback. We had the vehicle over the 2022 festive period and put the vehicle through its paces.

Interior & Space

Practicality is a feature that’s top of mind when someone is shopping for a family vehicle. The general trend nowadays gravitates more towards SUVs and Crossovers as those vehicle types have become not only more affordable and attainable but also attractive to buy too. Bigger vehicles, to many people, give the perception of being safer as well as being more practical due to space. Some vehicles even have the added benefit of more ground clearance than the average sedan.

While the sedan/saloon market has reduced in popularity, there are still some models left that are a compelling counter-argument to SUVs amidst the sedan exodus. One of which is the latest Volkswagen Polo Sedan, which has a new model out to redefine how practical sedans can be. We had the Polo Sedan in 1.6 Life Auto trim, the top-of-the-line model.

Styling 

The Polo Sedan’s underpinnings are related to the Polo Hatchback. However, rather than a case of taking the hatchback and stapling on a boot as a separate entity to the Polo hatchback, the Polo Sedan is more bespoke in this respect. The silhouette is nice to look at from a few angles. The Polo Sedan’s body lines are sharp, angled and mostly straight. The sharp lines extend from the side leading onto the rear of the vehicle with darkened taillights and a subtle boot lid ducktail further adding to the bespoke look.

In front, the Polo Sedan shares a similar look to the Polo Hatchback but the front fascia has a different design. It’s more subtle compared to the Polo Hatchback. There’s a massive gloss-black lower grille surround accommodating the lower air dam and foglamps with their surrounds. The headlamp shape is slightly different, slightly rounded-off compared to the hatch. There’s also some chrome trim around the front and rear of the vehicle but it’s not overpowering. As a whole, the Polo sedan is easy on the eyes and it looks more mature compared to the more youthful-looking Polo hatchback.

Space & Interior 

Inside the Polo Sedan, the aesthetics are more or less the same as the Polo Hatchback, with the initial difference being the interior colour choice. You get gloss Piano black for the dash trim, grey plastic around the cabin and beige for the seats and door card inserts. We don’t exactly agree with a beige interior in this application. While colour choice is a subjective matter, we feel considering that this is a family vehicle first and foremost, the beige colour is going to attract dirt quickly in those key areas, especially when children are in the mix. You can however have the seats in Soul London Grey as of the writing of this article according to the ‘Configure your Volkswagen’ option on the local Volkswagen Website.

Where the Polo Sedan shines though is the sheer amount of space. Seating adults and children in the vehicle is no stress at all for the Polo Sedan. Storage pockets are aplenty and you honestly wouldn’t suffer with space in this vehicle. The crown jewel however goes to the boot area. Boot space is rated at 521 litres and the form factor of the boot area is absolutely sublime. It’s easy to shove everything into Polo Sedan’s boot and still have some space left over. Arguably, the boot area for the Polo Sedan is even better than that of some crossovers and SUVs.

Volkswagen Polo sedan vs Toyota Corolla Quest vs Honda Ballade: Which has the lowest running costs?

Comfort & Convenience 

The more mature styling of the Polo Sedan stretches to the comfort and convenience of the vehicle too. Starting with opening the car, you have true keyless entry and seating yourself in some rather cushy seats as far as Polos go. Ergonomically, the Polo Sedan is geared for both longer open road journeys and city driving. The driving position is situated higher up with easy reach of the pedals and steering wheel as well as resting areas for your left leg and arms. The Polo Sedan has air conditioning and the controls are touch activated. Analogue buttons and dials would have been preferred here as adjusting the fan speed and temperature can be a bit of a faff at times. The air conditioning controls are finished in gloss black which can be a fingerprint magnet.

The infotainment system on the Polo Sedan in Life Auto trim is a good system. You have the 10-inch MIB Regio Radio touchscreen with 8 speakers to go with it. Tonally, the sound system is fairly neutral but with less emphasis on bass. Focus is placed on mids and trebles. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect wirelessly in this vehicle’s infotainment system but can connect via USB Type C. Speaking of which, there are USB-C charging ports in the front and rear of the vehicle and if your smart device is capable, there’s wireless charging too. The ride also is quite comfortable, even when the vehicle is loaded up with luggage and passengers. It’s a win here.

Everything that you need to know about the Volkswagen Polo Sedan

Performance 

Powering the Polo Sedan range is Volkswagen’s 1.6-litre MPI non-turbo petrol engine. This engine pushes out 81 kW of power and 152 Nm of torque. You can pair this with either a 5-speed manual or 6-Speed Tiptronic Auto gearbox sending power through to the front wheels. In our test unit, we had the 6-Speed Tiptronic gearbox. While this combo won’t suck you back into your seat on takeoff, we can confidently say that this vehicle’s engine and gearbox combo is how you do family car performance. The drivetrain is smooth, noticeably responsive and spritely on takeoff, especially when you find yourself at an intersection needing to turn right. Unfortunately, the engine can be quite buzzy and noisy in some instances, plus gearbox programming in a highway situation could be more refined. When you use cruise control at 120km/h, the Tiptronic Auto tends to hold gears at a higher RPM which can get a little noisy sometimes.

The Polo Sedan rolls on 16-inch wheels with suspension erring on the softer side of road-holding, but it doesn’t feel boaty when you take some bends with a little bit of confidence. This vehicle is incredibly easy to pilot.

Fuel Economy 

The manufacturer claimed fuel economy is at 6.5 l/100km. Oddly, however, during our test period, we were hovering around the 10 l/100km mark with the lowest we managed at 9.5 l/100km. It’s quite surprising how heavy the Polo Sedan was on fuel during our test period.

Safety 

You’ll find the following standout safety features in the Polo Sedan Life Auto.

• Driver and passenger front airbags
• ISOFIX anchorage for 2 child seats in the rear seats
• Keyless locking and ignition system and keyless access 
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Hill Start Assist
• Park Distance Control (rear)
• Rear View camera system
• First aid kit

Funny enough, in our test unit there was a button that looked to be something that would operate some active safety systems, but upon pressing it, you’re greeted with a message in the instrument cluster saying, “Button without purpose”. Perhaps a future safety accessory is in the works.

Price 

The Volkswagen Polo Sedan range comes with a 3-year/45 000km Service Plan, 3-year/120 000km Warranty and 12-year Anti-Corrosion Warranty.

*Prices correct at the time of publishing.

Competitors 

• Toyota Corolla Quest 1.8 Exclusive
• Honda Ballade 1.5 Comfort
• Fiat Tipo Sedan 1.4 City Life

Verdict 

The 2023 Volkswagen Polo Sedan holds the sedan torch high and mighty. It’s proof that you don’t necessarily have to aim only for an SUV/Crossover. The 3-box car design still has some relevancy in today’s car market and arguably, a sedan can be more affordable to run and maintain compared to the aforementioned. Doing family errands was a pleasure in this vehicle no matter if the cavernous boot was loaded to the brim or just running to the shops to buy the tomatoes I was meant to remember for that evening’s supper. Unfortunately, the occasionally buzzy-sounding engine and heavy fuel consumption were a turn-off but ultimately, this vehicle was a practicality dream.

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 Tayedza MbiriStarting his petrol-infused passion at a ripe young age playing a plethora of racing video games, Taye has been into the motoring industry for years. During his university years studying Law, he dipped his toes into motoring photography, videography, and exploring what Southern Africa has to offer for the motoring scene at large. Most recently, he presented a YouTube series for a famous Japanese manufacturer and now finds himself fresh on the AutoTrader content creation team. He hopes to own a 90s Subaru one day soon. View News & Reviews

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Keyword: Volkswagen New Polo Sedan (2023) Review - You don't really need an SUV