Volkswagen ID 4 GTX 2022 long term test

It ended up staying at the Volkswagen workshop longer than expected, but it’s not all bad news – it meant I had the opportunity to spend a week in a brand spanking new Volkswagen Polo, in range-topping R-Line specification no less.

The Polo you see pictured here is driven by a 1.0-litre turbocharged engine, producing 110bhp with help from a seven-speed DSG. It’s a hearty little engine, quite obviously lacking the punch of the ID 4 but with a little more character.

But the engine isn’t the only thing I want to talk about in regards to the Polo – what stood out to me was the interior, which is a world away from the ID 4, and not in the ways you might think.

To be honest, the Polo is a much nicer place to be. In R-Line guise, it’s awash with soft-touch materials from the top of the cabin to the bottom, while the in-car tech surpasses the ID 4 quite significantly. 

Our car was fitted with the 10.25in digital cockpit pro system, which is customisable, displays music data from Apple CarPlay and plenty of other titbits aside. It’s miles away from the tiny little display you get in all models of the ID range, which I don’t quite understand.

The central infotainment system, Volkswagen’s Discover Media system with sat-nav, is far more responsive, crisp and lag-free compared to the larger, 12in Discover Max system in the ID 4. 

And it doesn’t end there – the Polo also has vastly improved climate controls over the ID 4. It’s those zany touchpads once again, but they’re far more responsive and they’re actually back-lit, so they can reliably be used at night. 

All of this does come at a bit of a premium, though. With the more powerful engine in this car and a £635 Reef Metallic Blue paint, an R-Line Polo comes in at £25,310 – about the same as today’s entry-level Golf. 

Everything just feels much higher quality than in VW’s electric model range, and should that really be the case? The prices for the German car maker’s EVs aren’t exactly ‘affordable’ for many buyers, and I can’t help feeling they should feel a bit more special inside. The Polo has a few physical buttons lying around too, and its steering wheel is jam-packed with them, which is another big plus. 

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Viewer Automotive Questions ~ Podcast Episode 191 – Humble Mechanic

Mon Jun 17 , 2024
Today I will be taking viewer automotive questions. The topics we cover are, car repair, DIYs on cars, Volkswagen, mechanic’s tools, and anything car related. To ask a car question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)Humblemechanic(DOT)com. Be sure to put the phrase “Question for Charles” in the subject. That is the […]
Viewer Automotive Questions ~ Podcast Episode 191 – Humble Mechanic

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