Volkswagen Cross Polo, VW’s Baby SUV

•Mark Musutu Cars are built to meet human needs and wants and are made with various classes of society in mind. As a result, cars reflect various sects of society.

Among cars, we can say there are babies, toddlers, adolescents, teens or adults. We can also say some are aged or some are in their golden years. We can also define cars by occupations and lifestyles such as white collar, sports, industrial or country occupations, to name a few.

Our test vehicle this week, the VW Cross Polo, can be likened to a baby because it’s the smallest in its family, and country baby to be precise because of its off-road orientation.

VW is well attuned to the current SUV frenzy and its answer to the smallest crop of SUVs is the Cross Polo. Other baby or mini SUV players include the Mercedes GLA, the Audi Q2 and BMW’s X1.

The Cross Polo is a derivative of the original Polo though standing taller, with roof racks, protective plastic panels and more ground clearance. It can be described as a Polo wearing hiking boots, shorts and a vest, and carrying a backpack. From the moment you see it, you it you will know it’s made for the outdoors.

The Cross Polo has a strong family resemblance, thanks to the new trend of design coherence, though it is not as tame-looking as its siblings. In general, its design description is that it has simple lines and curves, even as its name suggests – simplicity and modesty (as the Polo game is).

The Polo is designed to be a smaller alternative to the Golf and rides on this legacy. The hard work was already done decades ago by the Golf and Polo simply inherits its graces and looks. The VW Golf is the most successful hatchback of all time.

From opening the door alone, you can feel the VW spirit as it pops open with a feel of quality that is synonymous only to VWs. Entering the interior, I noticed that the outdoor theme is even more pronounced inside; the seats look like the material found on a mountain climber’s attire, a hiker’s boot or even a scuba diver’s gear. We can say it’s inspired by all manner of X gear.

As I got comfortable, I saw plenty storage space. It works well for the person who carries around a host of gadgets.

I was greeted by its interior black theme with a few aluminum traces, you are almost in Golf. For a small car, Polos have amazing space. I usually run away at the sight of a small car as I have had experiences where I have been crammed in the back seat of some small cars. The Cross Polo is a class above in terms of space, it’s as spacious as a Toyota Corolla. Moving to the rear from the driver’s seat, I didn’t even have to make a single adjustment and I fit in well. The Cross Polos cockpit is large and very ergonomic.

Infotainment is very plain and simple in appearance but awesome in when it plays. It’s a state-of-the-art infotainment system known as MIB2, this is the software and hardware system which is seen in the Golf. The MIB2 platform is equipped with a 6,5” inch colour display with touchscreen, six speakers (four front and two rear), CD drive mp3/wma, iPod compatibility, SD card slot, aux-in, connectivity package, Bluetooth and media USB.

Igniting the engine, I loved the growl I heard as the Cross Polo turned into a something from the cat family expressing a rugged and sporting nature. The Cross Polo has a conservative sound – just like Toyota’s Hilux and Land Cruiser will never lose their trademark sounds, small VWs such as Golfs and Polos have a distinct growl. Though unlike some of its siblings such as the VW Caravelle which have more of a hum, the Cross Polo has a knock which is even more pronounced, making it sound tough and seeming to say “bring it on!”

I took the Cross Polo on a long winding road and I saw its sporting intent. It takes off to an impressive

0 to 100 km/h in about eight seconds, being most explosive in second gear and is generally quiet until it hits about 120 km/h and runs to a limit of about 190 km/h.

Inside the engine bay, the Cross Polo is fit with a completely new engine based on the 1,4 TSI used in the Golf. With features like adjustable cam timing, exhaust manifold integrated into the head and electronically controlled turbo, the Polo now has an improved fuel economy to 4,7l per 100km.

Along with the improved fuel economy, the engine delivers a flat torque curve delivering maximum torque from 1 400 rpm through to 3 500rpm for the 66kw engine and 4 000 rpm for the Cross Polo 81kw engine. This power is channeled via a five-speed manual – I enjoyed engaging the closely spaced gears.

The handling is safe, solid, firm and very Golf-like once again and even fine tuned to accommodate the off-road. Experts say VW has best suspension settings and this evident in the Cross Polo.

Without a doubt, the Cross Polo is a fresh package. It has broad appeal and like all crossovers, it’s a cut above the rest. VWs are always a favuorite when it comes to maturity and the Cross Polo is not exempt – the least it will do is impress, but more often than that it will amaze, especially if one expects less of it. The Cross Polo is certainly a quality offering too good to bypass.

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