- Major accolade for Volkswagen’s ever-popular supermini
- This year the Polo celebrates its 50th anniversary
- With 20 million sales over the course of six generations, the Polo is one of the world’s most successful small cars
The Polo is one of many cars taking centre stage at this year’s British Motor Show, which starts on Friday 15 August at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre. The judging panel for the award comprised independent world-renowned car designers, engineers, auto industry figureheads, motorsport personalities, journalists, broadcasters, media professionals, vehicle retailers, automotive consultants, motor club chiefs and motoring event organisers.
Among them was automotive journalist Mike Rutherford, founder of the Best Cars of the Year – The New Car World Championships. “The 20 million motorists who have been buying Volkswagen Polos since 1975 cannot be wrong,” said Mike. “It’s the most consistently credible supermini of the past 50 years and has repeatedly hit the sweet spot in terms of understated design, overall dimensions, build quality, competitive retail pricing, efficiency and low standing and running costs. It's super strong on overall affordability, durability and longevity.
“And it’s fair to say that since the birth of the MK1 version in 1975, it has grown in size, stature, quality and market relevance. No longer is the Polo a basic supermini to be driven on tight, slow streets in busy towns and cities across the world. At more than four metres long in its current Mk6 guise, it’s more of a small, credible, borderline premium family hatchback.
"No wonder it remained one of the top 20 best-selling cars in Europe last year."
With more than 20 million sales worldwide, the Polo is one of Volkswagen’s most successful cars to date, and it continues to stand for affordable mobility – a car for everyone. ‘Small but mighty’ is the perfect way to sum up the Polo, not just in terms of looks but also in its sporty credentials. In the World Rally Championship, the Polo R WRC has won an impressive four world titles. For everyday driving, the GT and G40 series have added excitement, while the GTI continues to deliver thrilling performance today.
About the Volkswagen brand:
A total of 166,304 new Volkswagen passenger vehicles were registered in the UK in 2024, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This equated to a market share of 8.52 per cent, matching the brand’s market share in 2023, and made Volkswagen the UK’s best-selling new-car brand for the fourth year running.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has a global presence, producing vehicles at 29 locations in 12 countries, and employs 170,000 people. In 2024, Volkswagen delivered around 4.80 million vehicles worldwide. These included bestsellers such as the Polo, T-Roc, T-Cross, Golf, Tiguan and Passat, as well as the successful all-electric ID. models. Volkswagen handed over about 383,000 all-electric vehicles to customers worldwide in 2024 and, with its ACCELERATE strategy, is consistently advancing its ambition to become the most desirable brand for sustainable mobility.
