It comes as no small surprise to discover that the Polo BlueMotion has a substantial quota of get up and go.
Volkswagen claims it will hit 62mph in a respectable 12.8sec, but we discovered that if you thrash the little diesel to death and take maximum advantage of its quick-shifting gearbox, it will get to 60mph in just 11.7sec.
How is this done when a rival like a Peugeot 207 Sport HDi 90 takes 12.9sec to reach 62mph, despite boasting a substantial 10bhp advantage? Very simply - VW claims it weighs just 1084kg, or a staggering 188kg less than the 207.
From 50-70mph in top (our standard test of flexibility and overtaking power) it turned in a highly creditable time of 12.6sec. Not only does this keep it well clear of most conventional diesel rivals, but it’s also only 0.7sec slower than a Mini Cooper D, the clear performance leader of the class.
If only the engine was not so damnably noisy. We soon tired of the raucous rattle that accompanied every attempt to extract more than modest acceleration from the Polo.
The truly bum note comes on braking performance. It’s too easy to trigger the anti-lock system, and the braking distances we achieved in the wet were disconcertingly poor.
Add to this the Polo’s ultra-skinny, low-friction tyres, and you’re probably concluding that there is nothing here of interest to an enthusiast driver. But yet again the Polo has a pleasant surprise in store.
The fact is, the narrower the tyre, the more feel it will give. And if your car is light, even very narrow rubber will provide more than adequate grip; a Lotus Elise S’s front tyre is just one section wider than that of this Polo.
The steering is crisp, and feels poised on all but the most challenging of undulations. Meanwhile, that tall tyre sidewall will sponge away a great deal of unwanted information from the road. The result is a car with a ride quality to match that of many cars from the class above.