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New 2018 Volkswagen Polo Revealed, Has Coolest Dash Ever and 200 HP GTI

It's unanimous; Volkswagen got off its high horse and produced an all-new Polo supermini that thinks outside its own boxy design. The 6th generation model has plenty of impressive features. However, we're most impressed with the styling of the dashboard and the Polo GTI's powertrain.
New 2018 Volkswagen Polo Revealed, Has Coolest Dash Ever and 200 HP GTI 79 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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With the previous GTI upsizing to a 1.8-liter, people started comparing it to the MINI Cooper S, which is another expensive small car. But that comparison will stick for good, as both cars now feature 2.0-liter turbocharged engines. The Polo's is a TSI unit with 200 PS. But we have a feeling that the Polo GTI is going to get another story pretty soon because VW didn't reveal the all-important torque number and what kind of DSG they use.

You guys can make up your own minds about the Polo's design. We think it's a little to busy around the front, but the proportions are fantastically sporty: lower, wider and much longer in wheelbase than the Polo 5.

From the back, it looks like an evolution of the old car, while the front kind of does its own thing with a Golf-like hood and new headlights.

But the interior is the bit that blows us away. Not only are there a bunch of colors available for the dashboard, but they've angled a huge infotainment system towards the driver and also given him a digital dash with the familiar 12.3-inch configurable setup. The combo looks like a combination between the Mercedes S-Class and a SEAT Leon.

We'd call it the best interior in a non-premium supermini, but you're welcome to disagree in the comments section.

The engine range is pretty much what we expected, kicking off with the 1.0-liter base units packing 65 PS. You want to avoid that and go for the 1.0 TSI, which has a lot more torque. Four-cylinder options include the 1.5 TSI Evo with 150 PS and cylinder deactivation, plus 80 or 95 PS versions of the 1.6 TDI. Every engine that has over 95 PS is available with a DSG gearbox, the 7-speed one.

A large range of new colors (a total of 14 exterior tones are available) and twelve wheels (14- to 18-inch, some with a two-tone finish), and eleven different seat covers make the Polo more customizable and less "German" than its predecessor. And did we mention the trunk is the same size as the Golf 6's?

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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