Volkswagen Polo at 50: A look back at five decades of VW’s posh small car
January 03, 2025 by Tom Wiltshire
Car changing is a big deal
First launched in March 1975 and now in its sixth generation, the VW Polo has become a byword for solidity and premium feel in a small package. We take a look at the history of VW’s second best-known hatchback
The 2020s have so far seen two iconic Volkswagen models celebrating their 50th birthdays – the Passat in 2023, followed a year later by the mighty Golf. In 2025, though, it’s the turn of one of VW’s smallest cars – the mighty Polo.
Like the well-known round mints, the Polo is an enduring symbol of the brand, established and accessible. But like the sport played on horseback, it’s also mighty posh – the last few generations in particular have been notable for bringing a real big-car feel to the small hatchback market.
Funnily enough, though, the Polo wasn’t named for either of those – like many Volkswagens, it takes its name from a great wind, in this case the freezing polar winds. More in common with spearmint breath than tired horses, then…
As the Polo celebrates its golden jubilee, here’s a look back at all six generations – and what made each one great.
Volkswagen Polo Mk1 (1975-1981)
For years, the Beetle had been Volkswagen’s everycar – between that and the Type 2 microbus, it had just about everything covered. But the two rapidly aging vehicles couldn’t keep up forever, so a new generation of cars was launched to replace them – the Passat in 1973, the iconic Golf in 1974, and the Polo in 1975.
The Mk1 Polo was not originally a Volkswagen design – it was a rebadged version of the Audi 50, which had been introduced in 1974. Abandoned in 1978 as Audi moved further upmarket, the Mk1 endured for a few more years.
The Polo was cheaper and more basic than the Audi 50 and was offered with an array of four-cylinder petrol engines mated to a four-speed manual gearbox – even the most powerful only made 60hp, in the wishfully-named ‘GT’. A three-door hatch or two-door saloon (named the ‘Derby’) were offered, while a mid-life facelift in 1979 added plastic bumpers and a revised dash for a nod to modernity. Over 500,000 of these Polos were produced worldwide.
Volkswagen Polo Mk2 (1981-1994)
Very clearly an evolution in styling terms but the Mk2 Polo introduced several interesting upgrades. A new bodystyle with a distinctive upright tailgate quickly became known as the ‘Breadvan’ and remains popular in VW scenes to this day, but there was also a ‘Coupe’ with a more sloped roofline and the two-door ‘Derby’ saloon.
The Polo’s longevity was due in part to an enviable reputation for quality and solidity – one it still carries to this day. Well-needed, considering that the 80s saw the arrival on the UK market of the second-generation Ford Fiesta, the Vauxhall Nova, the Fiat Uno, Nissan Micra and Peugeot 205, among others.
Volkswagen Polo Mk3 (1994-2001)
A big styling update gave the Polo its first properly modern look – the Mk3 Polo still looks tidy today. A platform shared with the SEAT Ibiza helped cut costs, and for the first time Volkswagen now offered the Polo with five doors – finally catching up to all its major European supermini alternatives.
The introduction of the smaller Lupo in 1998 meant that the Polo no longer operated as the entry point to the VW range. This gave the brand freedom to really push upmarket with the Polo’s 1999 facelift – it had the option of big-car kit such as air-con, xenon headlights and sat-nav.
There was a huge array of engines ranging from basic 1.0-litre petrols right up to the GTI hot hatch with its 125hp 1.6-litre lump – plus, a range of diesels for the real penny-pinchers. 1995 also saw the launch of the limited-edition Polo ‘Harlequin’ which had multi-coloured body panels and has become something of a cult classic.
Volkswagen Polo Mk4 (2002-2010)
The all-new Polo for the new millennium saw an even further push upmarket, following the Golf with its sturdy, rounded-edge design, cool blue interior lighting and soft-touch plastics. The four round headlights gave it ties to the smaller Lupo, too.
Once again a huge range of engines were available with 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrols, plus a few diesels. All models came standard with power steering, front and side airbags, and ABS, giving the Polo impressive credentials for refinement and safety.
You could get a sporty GTI or even a faux-offroader named the Dune, while in 2005 the Mk4 was facelifted with a new front matching the latest VW models – namely the Mk5 Golf, the Mk6 Passat and the Phaeton.
Volkswagen Polo Mk5 (2009-2017)
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009, the Polo won in fairly rapid succession the European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year gongs. Longer, wider and yet lighter than its predecessor, the new Polo could never be accused of being exciting, but it remained just about the most mature small car you could buy – even moreso than the Audi A1 launched in 2010 which shared its mechanicals.
Engines were familiar from across the Volkswagen range, with 1.0-litre petrols at the bottom shared with the Up! and the Polo GTI’s clever twin-charged 1.4-litre shared with the Skoda Fabia vRS. This model of Polo is still produced for the South African market, showing how enduring the basic design was.
Volkswagen Polo Mk6 (2017-present)
Once again, the Polo grew between generations and the Mk6 model currently on sale is the biggest of the lot. It’s also the most upmarket, with options like a fully digital dashboard, a huge array of paint colours and trims, and the powerful 200hp GTI model acting as the range’s halo model.
A 2021 facelift made things even posher thanks to the front light bar, adaptive LED headlights and the semi-autonomous ‘Travel Assist’ features.
However, the Polo’s days in Europe could well be numbered. Already, the plant where it has been built since 1984 in Pamplona, Spain is being refitted to produce electric cars from 2026 including the Polo-sized VW ID.2all. European Polos will be built in South Africa instead.
VW execs have hinted that the Polo will receive a big update in 2025, but plans for an all-new generation in the future? We’ll have to wait and see.
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