The Volkswagen Polo has once again been awarded top marks by ANCAP, scoring a five stars against the latest 2020-2022 criteria in testing carried out by Euro NCAP.
Set to hit dealers in May 2022, Volkswagen chose to re-test the updated AE-generation Polo because it includes a more generous list of standard features across the range.
New safety features include a central airbag, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, as well as front and rear parking sensors.
This new five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to all variants of the AE-generation Polo, including the high-performance GTI model.
This mid-life updated Volkswagen Polo earned its five-star rating on the back of scores of 94 per cent for adult occupant protection, 80 per cent for child occupant protection, 70 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 70 per cent for safety assist.
Using crash testing data collected by its Euro NCAP counterpart, ANCAP gave the updated Polo five-star scores in all key areas of safety assessment.
For context, the pre-facelift, AW-generation Volkswagen Polo also wore a five-star ANCAP safety rating but with a 2017 date stamp.
“This is a significant achievement,” said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.
“Volkswagen’s addition of more advanced autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assistance systems, and a centre airbag means the Polo now comes with the passive and active safety features and technologies required to earn a five star rating against the most stringent requirements to date,” she said.
“The Polo has cleared this hurdle due to Volkswagen making an active move to further enhance its safety specification.”
The only other automaker to make a similar move in recent history is Toyota, which chose to crash its HiLux ute again in 2019 when it introduced more safety-related upgrades and scored a five-star safety rating. It previously wore a five-star safety rating with a 2015 date stamp.
“Facelifts should always be more than just a new range of paint colours, engine line-ups or interior trim updates. Inclusion of the latest safety features has tangible benefits for all road users,” Ms Hoorweg said.
Standard safety equipment across the 2022 Volkswagen Polo range includes the following:
- Front, front-side, central, and curtain airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Lane-keep assist
- Reversing camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Driver fatigue detection
Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are part of an options package on the base Polo Life, and standard on the Style and GTI.
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