2014 Volkswagen Polo facelift, new engines and new tech

The 2014 VW Polo (pictured) gets a raft of updates

If you want a premium feeling supermini, the VW Polo is hard to beat. And with a mid-cycle facelift, new engines and new technology it’s now even more impressive for 2014. Cosmetically, the facelift is a minor one, with tweaked bumpers and grill, new optional LED headlights, a chrome strip between the fog lights, new alloys, new instruments and steering wheel and a tweaked centre console with HVAC controls.

The interior also gets the new modular Infotainment system from the new Golf with a proximity sensitive screen that reacts to swiping motions (just like your smartphone).

All Polos now get Automatic Post-Collision Braking, the option of Driver Alert and Front Assist and a new optional Sports Select suspension that uses electronic dampers to switch suspension settings and new electro-mechanical steering.

But it’s under the bonnet the big changes come for the 2014 Polo with a new range of engines offering up to 21 per cent improvement in efficiency.

And it’s new 3-cylinder engines that lead the changes with two new 1.0 litre MPI units with 60 or 75 PS and a pair of 1.2 litre TSI engines with 90 or 110 PS and an increase in power of 10PS for the 1.4 litre TSI with cylinder deactivation.

VW are also dropping the diesel Polo BlueMotion and replacing it with a petrol BlueMotion that offers 68.9mpg and just 94g/km from its 90 PS 1.0 litre engine and there’s a pair of 1.4 litre 3-cylinder TDI engines with 75 and 90 PS replacing the old 1.2 and 1.6 units.

It may not be a comprehensive cosmetic makeover for the 2014 VW Polo, but the mechanical and technology tweaks make the Polo even more appealing.

The 2014 Polo will debut at Geneva in March and go on sale in the UK in April.

By Cars UK