The interior is quite a different story from the exterior, presenting an odd combination of both good and bad qualities, depending on the point of view. Let's get on with the bad news first, since otherwise you might get a bad overall impression. Well, the main downside of the new Polo cockpit is obviously its hardcore Teutonic feeling of darkness, which isn't exactly the most inviting type of interior in the world. For most people, that is.
The choice in color combos for the trimming on the seats is both poor and a bit more Germanic than necessary. Basically, you can color your new Polo's interior just about any way you like, as long as it's some shade of black or grey. For now, at least. Also, the overall interior space is probably not the best in its class, especially in the front, where the driver's right foot will constantly bang against the lower part of the somewhat wide center console.
Now, let's see the good sides. For starters, at least in the top Highline trim level we tested, the new Polo's interior is among the best built in its class, if not the actual best. The fit and finish is top notch, and the quality of the plastics on the dash are quite a bit better than average. The center console and door trimmings have their fair share of hard plastics but the rest is pretty touch-friendly.
The driving position can be adjusted very easily and the ergonomics of the controls are just the way they should be, with a few minor downsides. First is the position of the driver hand-rest, which kind of makes using the hand brake a bit harder then it should be. Considering not everyone uses the hand brake when driving, this is not so bad. A worse part of not completely thought out ergonomic is the position of the side rearview mirrors controls, which have a front to back instead of the usual left/right switch.
Apart from everything we mentioned, there's a more than decent amount of storage spaces everywhere in the car. The Highline trim we tested was also equipped with under-seat storage trays in the front and a refrigerated glove compartment. The 280 liters (9.9 cu ft) of luggage space makes the new Polo's trunk one of the most spacious in its class. It also has a small underfloor storage space where you can probably deposit smellier or contraband items.
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