Body style: Wagon (station wagon, estate, combi, touring)
Segment: Compact
Production years: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Volkswagen didn't really need a smaller station wagon vehicle since it had the Golf and the Passat to cover most of the market, but it was cheap for them to do it, and the results were good.
In the late '90s, the market share for station wagons decreased, but there was still some demand for such a vehicle. Volkswagen already had a good platform on the Polo. Thus, it allowed them to increase the profit from the same base and, after the sedan, hatchback with three and five doors, the station-wagon was the next logical step.
Up to the B-pillar, the Polo Variant looked similar to the 5-door version. While most of its competitors already started to sweeten the car's lines with more curves imposed by the biodesign trend, Volkswagen decided to just soften the edges. It was a form-follow-function vehicle without too much imagination in its look. The tailgate was unusually wide for a car of its class, and the small taillights were mounted right above the rear bumper, on the D-pillars.
Inside, the Polo Variant featured the same dashboard as the rest of its range, with a rounded, small instrument cluster. The odometer was no longer on a regular counter but displayed on an LCD placed at the tachometer's bottom. The fits and finishes were above its competitors. Since it was a station wagon, it was normal to feature a folding rear bench seatback.
For the engine bay, Volkswagen installed a choice of gasoline and diesel engines ranged between 60 hp and 100 hp. An important novelty was the 1.9-liter diesel unit with direct fuel injection, which provided a great fuel-efficiency.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.4L 5MT FWD (60 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1390 cm3 |
Power: | 44 KW @ 4700 RPM 60 HP @ 4700 RPM 59 BHP @ 4700 RPM |
Torque: | 86 lb-ft @ 2800 RPM 116 Nm @ 2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 96.3 mph (155 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185/60/R14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 64.6 in (1641 mm) |
Height: | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 56.3/54.7 in (1,430/1,389 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.1 in (2441 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.5 in (140 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13.8 cuFT (391 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2215.6 lbs (1005 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3284.9 lbs (1490 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 26.4 mpg US (8.9 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 42.8 mpg US (5.5 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 34.6 mpg US (6.8 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 163 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.6L 5MT FWD (100 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1595 cm3 |
Power: | 74 KW @ 5800 RPM 101 HP @ 5800 RPM 99 BHP @ 5800 RPM |
Torque: | 103 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM 140 Nm @ 3500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 115.6 mph (186 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 10.9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185/60/R14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 64.6 in (1641 mm) |
Height: | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 56.3/54.7 in (1,430/1,389 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.1 in (2441 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.5 in (140 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13.8 cuFT (391 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2336.9 lbs (1060 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3406.2 lbs (1545 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 21.6 mpg US (10.9 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 38.6 mpg US (6.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 29.7 mpg US (7.9 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 192 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.6L 5MT FWD (75 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1598 cm3 |
Power: | 55 KW @ 4800 RPM 75 HP @ 4800 RPM 74 BHP @ 4800 RPM |
Torque: | 100 lb-ft @ 2800 RPM 135 Nm @ 2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 103.8 mph (167 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 13.3 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185/60/R14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 64.6 in (1641 mm) |
Height: | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 56.3/54.7 in (1,430/1,389 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.1 in (2441 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.5 in (140 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13.8 cuFT (391 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2270.8 lbs (1030 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3340 lbs (1515 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 23.8 mpg US (9.9 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 41.2 mpg US (5.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 32.7 mpg US (7.2 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 175 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.9L SDI 5MT FWD (64 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1896 cm3 |
Power: | 47 KW @ 4200 RPM 64 HP @ 4200 RPM 63 BHP @ 4200 RPM |
Torque: | 92 lb-ft @ 2200 RPM 124 Nm @ 2200 RPM |
Fuel System: | Direct Injection |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 11.9 gallons (45.0 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 96.3 mph (155 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 16.9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 185/60/R14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 163 in (4140 mm) |
Width: | 64.6 in (1641 mm) |
Height: | 56.3 in (1430 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 56.3/54.7 in (1,430/1,389 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 96.1 in (2441 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5.5 in (140 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13.8 cuFT (391 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2347.9 lbs (1065 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3417.2 lbs (1550 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 34.6 mpg US (6.8 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 57.3 mpg US (4.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 46.1 mpg US (5.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 152 g/km |