The new starlet from VW

The fifth generation of the Polo has proved so popular that it is crowding out the small car market. Its two major competitors, the Opel Corsa and the Ford Fiesta, have also had recent makeovers, but they are going to have a tough time against this rising star. Because this 'miniature Golf' makes all the merits of its bigger brother available to the purchaser on a reduced budget. In terms of design, it may not be quite as thrilling, but it is just as timeless; the quality of finishing is as good as anything in the pricier mid-range; they have at last come up with decent safety specification and are offering a choice of no fewer than half a dozen engines. Plus it is a bit roomier this time round.

This latest reincarnation has spread out in two of three dimensions without having got any heavier. On the contrary, those clever carmakers in Wolfsburg have managed to improve the crash structure whilst trimming up to 7.5 percent off the overall weight. Lengthwise, the newcomer has grown by four centimetres, but still stays 5cm within the four-metre mark. And it has got wider too. Three extra centimetres of track width not only make it more stable on the road but also improve the overall looks and give everyone inside just a little more elbow room. In the third dimension – headroom – it has shrunk ever so slightly.