In places like the US and Europe, people usually associate the name Volkswagen with cars that are as fun to drive as they are to own. In fact, their line-up pretty much suggests that quality and performance are the top priority. Case in point: the new Volkswagen Beetle with a 1.8-turbo engine or perhaps the Golf 4Motion with the famous VR6 engine. No one would ever think that Volkswagen makes cars that can be barely called acceptable. However, sad to say, the car that re-introduced the Volkswagen nameplate here in the Philippines, the Polo Classic does suffer from that big problem-downright awfulness.

According to the press release given to us by the now defunct DMG Motors Inc., the Volkswagen Polo Classic was actually marketed as the 'woman's car for the nineties'. Though the proportions and the general shape of the car do suggest that this is one compact car to drive around and to park, everything else from its handling and ride say something else. 

Ok, let's start from the basics, shall we-the general shape.  The shape of the Polo is that of a hatch with a vestigial trunk…hmm…this is somewhat accurate because the trunk is short in length and width but quite deep. This suggests that golf clubs may not fit easily into the Polo Classic, but 'women stuff' like groceries and school bags would.

The rather chunky and angular shape of the Polo Classic tries to make this subcompact car look bigger, a great styling concept, which, unfortunately isn't greatly executed. You see, from the inside, the forward and rear visibility of the Polo Classic is reminiscent of a typical passenger van: it's almost impossible to see anything from the car's tiny windows and steep hood and short trunk! This means that maneuvering in tight spaces, Manila traffic and parking will make you want to increase your insurance for accident damage.

The three-spoke alloy wheels do give the Polo Classic a rather sporty appearance, but it's about a decade behind, as three-spoke mags were the "in-thing" in the 80s. The standard rear spoiler, though may look like a real nice bargain, but in fact it looks funny (has anyone seen a spoiler that's sloping downward?!) The only strong point of the Polo Classic's design is their treatment of the windows: the addition of rear quarter windows makes the car look a bit more solid and sporty.

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