Photo: original photo edited by autoevolution
Volkswagen today revealed the 6th-generation Polo, a 5-door that's poised to re-conquer the supermini market. We think it's the bee's knees, but let's see how it compares to its sister car, the new SEAT Ibiza.
Leaving the Skoda Fabia in the dust, both Spanish-made cars are now 5-door only and built on top of the MQB A0 platform. It's not the same thing as what's beneath the Golf and Leon, but some of the engines are shared.
Both models have also grown significantly. The Polo is 4,053mm long while the Ibiza measures 4,059mm. Their heights are nearly identical: 1,446mm ±2mm, the tracks are identical (1,525mm front and 1,505mm rear) and so are the wheelbases (2,564mm).
Both models also witnessed a noticeable increase in trunk space by about a quarter: 351 liters in the Polo or 355 liters fro the Ibiza.
But what about the differences? Well, the big one for us is that the Polo gets a GTI version straight away. And it's quite... remarkable. Combine the 2.0-liter 200 horsepower engine, DSG gearbox, and digital dash, and you get exactly the tech-heavy car this segment wants. Meanwhile, the Ibiza will probably never have a Cupra version again, which is a shame.
Sooner or later, all the engines will be shared between the two sister cars: 1.0 MPI, 1.0 TSI, 1.6 TDI and 1.5 TSI. The gearboxes are the same too.
Some of the anchor points are the same on both cars, like the roof pillars, door sill heights and, of course, the firewall. However, the designs are different. The Ibiza is angular, exactly like the bigger Leon. Meanwhile, the Polo gets a sober face and slightly larger greenhouse.
While we prefer the Ibiza's triangular all-LED headlights, the Polo has a much nicer interior. They've angled the infotainment screen towards the driver and place it higher than in the SEAT. VW has predictably also made the first mainstream supermini with a digital dashboard. You'd be crazy not to get that option!
The German car also has more available tech, like the self-parking stuff and adaptive cruise control that works all the way to 210 km/h. But you have to pay for all that stuff.
Orders in Europe will open later this year, and the Polo is expected to begin deliveries by January 2018. Meanwhile, the Ibiza will be delivered in June 2017.
Both models have also grown significantly. The Polo is 4,053mm long while the Ibiza measures 4,059mm. Their heights are nearly identical: 1,446mm ±2mm, the tracks are identical (1,525mm front and 1,505mm rear) and so are the wheelbases (2,564mm).
Both models also witnessed a noticeable increase in trunk space by about a quarter: 351 liters in the Polo or 355 liters fro the Ibiza.
But what about the differences? Well, the big one for us is that the Polo gets a GTI version straight away. And it's quite... remarkable. Combine the 2.0-liter 200 horsepower engine, DSG gearbox, and digital dash, and you get exactly the tech-heavy car this segment wants. Meanwhile, the Ibiza will probably never have a Cupra version again, which is a shame.
Sooner or later, all the engines will be shared between the two sister cars: 1.0 MPI, 1.0 TSI, 1.6 TDI and 1.5 TSI. The gearboxes are the same too.
Some of the anchor points are the same on both cars, like the roof pillars, door sill heights and, of course, the firewall. However, the designs are different. The Ibiza is angular, exactly like the bigger Leon. Meanwhile, the Polo gets a sober face and slightly larger greenhouse.
While we prefer the Ibiza's triangular all-LED headlights, the Polo has a much nicer interior. They've angled the infotainment screen towards the driver and place it higher than in the SEAT. VW has predictably also made the first mainstream supermini with a digital dashboard. You'd be crazy not to get that option!
The German car also has more available tech, like the self-parking stuff and adaptive cruise control that works all the way to 210 km/h. But you have to pay for all that stuff.
Orders in Europe will open later this year, and the Polo is expected to begin deliveries by January 2018. Meanwhile, the Ibiza will be delivered in June 2017.
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