fascination

It’s one of VW’s all-time best-selling cars, so it may come as a surprise to many that its future is bleak or non-existent. But the past is quite rosy, which you can profit from quite cheaply.

It’s already one of those Fridays when people from the VW management stopped using common sense and started dogmatically heading towards a single goal. This is the electrification of the car company’s entire offer, regardless of its technical limits and minimal public interest in a similar change. The Polo model should also carry it, which will either end completely or it will be indirectly replaced by an electric car starting somewhere around 600,000 CZK. There is no point in discussing at length that it also puts an end to a successful story of this type.

But for today, let’s stick to history, which in the case of the Polo in the Czech Republic is not associated with as much popularity as the larger Golf or the even larger Passat. Small cars in the Czech Republic generally don’t work that well, the only exception being the traditionally hypertrophied Fabia. And if they work for them, they are, after all, better-off new car buyers. Those interested in used cars are usually looking for the most value for the least money, i.e. one car for everything. The Golf corresponds to this better, the Polo seems to be only for the city.

But it’s not that simple for a long time. Small cars stopped being downright small a good two decades ago, and the Polo manages to surprise even as a family car with a little modesty, especially in its latest generations. The limited interest in it here is somewhat irrational, which paves the way for an interesting purchase, whether you go for a used car from a car dealership or from a private person.

Today we will look at two really available versions. The 9N generation is already quite an old car, it was produced until 2009, so there are many problems associated with it. Electronics often break down – problems with opening windows, doors, the functionality of central locking or the sunroof are not uncommon. Trouble can also await you under the hood, however, the 1.0 and 1.4 aluminum units were notorious for freezing, which VW eventually had to fix with retrofits. For a change, the three-cylinder one-twos, known here as HTP, were prone to timing belt damage, while the turbo diesels suffered from blown turbos and cracked cylinder heads. In addition, the Pumpe-Düse system was leaking. The evaluation of the exhaust system is also below average.

It is interesting that the Polo before the facelift, i.e. the pieces produced before 2005, is rated better. After that, however, the chassis was stiffened, which in addition to everything mentioned brought about a worse driving behavior. The range of available cars will therefore need to be viewed with great caution, but at the same time it should be added that this is a very cheap car, which you can buy from around 8,000 CZK. If there is nothing to spare, why not, but for decent pieces it needs at least 30 thousand. Even so, it can be evaluated as a decent ratio of value and price, but it is a car for less than one average salary.

However, the next generation 6R/6C, which came on the market in 2009, appears to be a better way. With regard to the above, it had a lot to correct, but it succeeded perfectly. She headed into retirement in 2017 with a pretty clean slate, which is best reflected in the TÜV statistics. The Polo is above average reliable in most of the evaluated ages and ranks around 50th in key age categories. This is an above-standard result for a small car, but the Polo has one of the best balances among cars in its class.

What should you pay attention to anyway? It is necessary to go to the engine compartment again, where there are problems with the timing belts associated with the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI engines. So, if you hear a rattling noise after starting it that doesn’t stop after a while, keep your hands off it, otherwise you have a rather expensive repair ahead of you. Something similar applies in the case of a certain “not galloping” of the DSG automatic. It is also a good idea to check for oil leaks, taillights and springs. Corrosion can also appear on some cars, they started to be produced at the end of the decade before last.

The overall verdict is nevertheless positive. Even in the case of the penultimate generation of the Polo, prices still start low, around 50,000 crowns. And if you pay at least 90,000, you have a very promising car in front of you, which has no problem handling the needs of a smaller family. Considering what VW is up to, it’s a remarkably cheap route to a car that lasts. The decision of the Germans to end this model in one way or another can only be wondered at again, but the current Volkswagen is simply heading in one direction with blinders on. Fields 9N and 6R/6C are from a time when this was not the case.

The VW Polo 9N from 2001 to 2009 starts low and can also play the role of a family car. However, it cannot be said that it was problem-free. Photo: Volkswagen

The 6R/6C generation from 2009 to 2017 is even better in terms of space, the predecessor surpasses the engines and, above all, reliability. It is necessary to pay extra for it, but the prices are still moderate. Photo: Volkswagen

Source: TÜV

Petr Miler

All articles on Autoforum.cz are comments expressing the editor’s or author’s opinion. Except for articles marked as advertising, the content is not sponsored or similarly influenced by third parties.

If you thought that Volkswagen would let the Passat, at least as a station wagon, live peacefully in its conceptually traditional form, you were wrong. Also in his case, an electric version of the ID will arrive, which was foreshadowed by the ID Space Vizzion concept back in 2019.

Station wagons have not exactly been the most popular cars among customers in recent years. At one time, they were particularly popular in Europe, but gradually SUVs took over most of their market share. Today, there are only a few manufacturers that offer cars on which you can slowly cram the entire contents of a block of flats over the rear axle. One of them is Volkswagen, where you can buy the Golf Variant, Passat Variant and Arteon Shooting Brake.

As such, the Passat will see a new generation that will be unveiled later this year. And it will even be available only as a station wagon. It will still be the same designed car, which has not lost its popularity so much, but the price can break its neck. The existing version is already available from 1,001,900 CZK, which is a crazy amount – it’s practically certain that you won’t get the new one for less than 1.1 million crowns. VW is largely pushing electromobility to the fore. However, since even larger sums are associated with it, it basically has no other option than to bring both types of drive closer by increasing the price of the combustion one.

We have frowned upon this strategy many times. People cannot afford to live indefinitely on debt like the state. They simply have to pay their debts or lose their property. Most of them not only can’t, but especially don’t want to go into debt for a brand new car. The means of transport are no longer associated with such social credit as they used to be. So if you buy a used car that is a few years old today, no one will look at you as a poor person.

This is exactly what manufacturers like VW are forcing most customers to do, but it will get even worse. The new Passat Variant will essentially just be an extension of the current model’s life, the ID.7 electric model, which was presented this week, can be considered the real successor. And as much as we expected it to be available only as a liftback, the reality will be different. The product manager of the Wolfsburg brand said that the Passat’s electric successor will also get a more practical variant. And the Germans want to reveal this next year.

When we realize that the default ID.7 will hardly start below 2 million crowns, then its more practical version, which will probably get the nickname Variant or Shooting Brake, will be even more expensive. It will thus aim at the clientele that cannot imagine themselves in a station wagon and nowadays see themselves more behind the wheel of an SUV. VW is thus again and again cramming money into a car whose prospects for success are very uncertain.

When we consider what a huge flop the ID.3 is and how much VW is starting to lose to the competition in China, then it is obvious that the Germans have not chosen a good direction. However, they can still turn things around. Unfortunately, we feel that the Wolfsburg management’s hit to the wall so far was not enough and an even bigger blow will be needed to wake up from their electric dream.

Already in 2019, the ID Space Vizzion concept was a harbinger of the upcoming more practical variant of the ID.7. At the same time, next year we should expect its serial version, but it can hardly look like a success given its price and usability. Photo: Volkswagen

Source: Car Week

Petr Prokopec

All articles on Autoforum.cz are comments expressing the editor’s or author’s opinion. Except for articles marked as advertising, the content is not sponsored or similarly influenced by third parties.