Volkswagen refreshed in 2005 the fourth generation of the Polo and brought important changes both on the inside and the outside of the car.
The little Polo was already bigger than the Golf’s first generation, and it became more than just an econobox. Some versions were more expensive than other carmakers’ compact-segment vehicles, so Volkswagen had to offer more than just a badge on the grille to justify the higher price.

Sometimes it needs a trained eye to see the differences between a facelifted and a non-facelifted version of a car. Not in this case. The 2005 Polo (Typ 9N3) dropped the Lupo-like dual round headlights favoring the style from the EOS coupe-cabriolet. Their outer side was rounded and emerged into a narrower, angular-shaped inner side. From its side, it revealed the turn signals enclosed in the door mirrors, a first for the Polo range. In the rear, the new taillights featured new taillights, with the reversing lamp on their bottom.

Inside, the carmaker did less visible changes, depending on the options, but increased the materials’ quality and introduced new steering wheels and gear-knobs. The infotainment unit was enhanced and offered Bluetooth connectivity and a navigation system, depending on the options. There were new, sport-inspired steering wheels available, with three spokes. In the five-door version, the Polo offered easier access for the rear seats, which made it a classic vehicle for school runs. The 60/40 split-folding rear seatback could expand the trunk size from 270 liters to 1,030 liters.

Under the hood, the carmaker offered a very wide engine choice, starting with a refreshed 1.2-liter gasoline engine and ending with a punchy, 1.9-liter 130 hp turbo-diesel unit. Depending on the options, it was available with a five- or six-speed manual or automatic transmission.