2018 VW Polo Crash Test & Rating – Video
The passenger compartment of the Polo remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. VW showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection was good or adequate for all critical body regions of both the driver and rear passenger. In both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, protection of all critical body areas was good and the Polo scored maximum points. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The Polo has a standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system. Tests of its performance at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused revealed good performance, with impacts avoided at all test speeds.
Protection of both child dummies was good apart from the neck, rated as adequate for the 6 year dummy and marginal for the 10 year dummy. In the side impact test, protection of all critical body areas was good for both dummies. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. All of the restraint types for which the Polo is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.
The protection provided by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was mostly good or adequate, with some poorer results around the base of the windscreen and along the stiff windscreen pillars. The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians’ legs while protection of the pelvis was more mixed. The autonomous emergency braking system performed well in tests of its pedestrian detection, with impacts mostly avoided or mitigated.