AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - Volkswagen takes the best Supermini with the Polo, the second year running for the model.

The all-conquering Volkswagen Polo is once again Britain’s best supermini buy according to the experts at respected automotive consumer title Auto Express.

Britain’s biggest-selling weekly car magazine puts the Polo, Volkswagen’s second-best seller in the UK behind the Golf, top of the supermini stack for the second year running.  

Announcing the Volkswagen’s victory in the 2016 Awards’ hotly contested supermini class Auto Express Editor-in-chief Steve Fowler said: “A 2015 facelift kept the Volkswagen Polo looking fresh and boosted its charm, and this year the German brand has added even more efficient engine options that see the supermini once again edge ahead of its rivals.

“The Polo now shares Volkswagen’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with the smaller up! city car, but there’s also a more potent turbo version available. Even the lower-powered model is sufficient, thrumming along at motorway speeds with plenty of refinement.  However, if you need a bit more oomph, the punchy and efficient 1.2 TSI engine is the one to go for.

“Volkswagen released a sporty new R-Line model this year to address one of the Polo’s biggest downfalls, which ensured the supermini can no longer be accused of looking a little safe or lacking style.  The R-Line bodykit and bigger wheels add some extra interest to the car’s solid surfaces and sharp creases.  It looks like a smaller Golf – which is no bad thing – and that’s reinforced from the moment you shut the door with a solid thunk.  The cabin is very well built and feels genuinely upmarket.”

He added: “There’s a wider range of petrol and diesel engines with a larger, more powerful 1.4 TSI available. Not only is this hotter, but it also features clever tech like cylinder deactivation to improve efficiency when cruising.  It shows how big-car innovations have filtered down to make superminis even easier to live with, and VW is at the head of the class.  There’s a 1.4 TDI with two different outputs for those covering big miles, too.

“If you’re after an eco champion, VW’s high-efficiency BlueMotion technology has been applied to the already frugal 1.0 TSI, with impressive claimed fuel economy of 68.9mpg and 94g/km CO₂ emissions.

“With plenty of trim levels to match the line-up under the bonnet, there’s an equipment spec to suit all budgets.”

Welcoming the award win newly appointed Director of Volkswagen UK, Alison Jones, said: “The Polo neatly typifies all the positives of the Volkswagen offering in the UK.  It has a huge breadth of appeal thanks to a broad choice of models and engines, great styling and that class-leading quality for which Volkswagen is rightly renowned.”