Volkswagen Polo Mk3
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The Volkswagen Polo Mk3 (''Typ'' 6N/6KV) is the third generation of the
Volkswagen Polo The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run. Histor ...
supermini car The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
and was produced from 1994 until 2002, with a facelift at the end of 1999. It was available in hatchback, sedan and wagon body styles. Although the Polo Mk3 hatchback didn't share the same platform as the
Seat Ibiza The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spa ...
, saloon and estate models were rebadged as
Seat Córdoba The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and coupé version of the SEAT Ibiza supermini car, built by the Spanish automaker SEAT. It was manufactured between 1993 and 2010, and was related with the second and third generations of the Ibiza. ...
. The hatchback underwent a major facelift for the model year 2000, while the saloon and the estate received only minor refinements. It now had a more different exterior and interior design than the also facelifted Seat Ibiza. At end 2001, it was discontinued and replaced by its successor, the
Volkswagen Polo Mk4 The Volkswagen Polo Mk4 is the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini car produced by the German manufacturer Volkswagen. It was marketed from early 2002 to 2009 in most countries except Argentina and the USA. It was manufactured in So ...
, but it continued production in Argentina, where the saloon was facelifted in 2004, receiving the exterior design applied to the facelifted
Seat Córdoba The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and coupé version of the SEAT Ibiza supermini car, built by the Spanish automaker SEAT. It was manufactured between 1993 and 2010, and was related with the second and third generations of the Ibiza. ...
and the interior of the facelifted Volkswagen Polo.


Overview

The MK3 Polo was unveiled on 31 August 1994, and was immediately available in left-hand drive form for continental markets, and was launched on the right-hand drive UK market in October that year. It was the first completely new Polo to be launched since the MK2 model in 1981; although that model had undergone a major restyle in 1990. It was also the first version of the Polo to be available with five doors as well as three doors. The initial range consisted of new 1.0 and 1.6 petrol engines; the 1.3 unit was carried over from the previous Polo but discontinued a year later in favour a new 1.4 unit, which became available around the same time as a 1.9 diesel and turbo-diesel models. The availability of a diesel Polo for the first time on the UK market brought it into line with almost all of its competitors, while the Polo was the last mainstream supermini in Europe to become available with five doors - five years after the
Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...
was first available with five doors, and between seven and 11 years after the launch of five-door superminis including the
Opel Corsa The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chev ...
, Fiat Uno,
Nissan Micra The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car ( B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982. The Nissan Micra replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry. It was exclusive to Nissan J ...
and
Peugeot 205 The Peugeot 205 is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1983 to 1999. It was declared "car of the decade" by ''CAR Magazine'' in 1990. It also won ''What Car?s Car of the Year for 1984. The 205 was intro ...
. The platform used for this model was all new, although it shared some components with SEAT Ibiza Mk2 which had been launched a year earlier. Although the
dashboard For business applications, see Dashboard (business). A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel (IP), or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle or small aircraft. Usually located directly ahead of the driver ...
and a number of mechanical components, including some engines and rear suspension, were shared with the Ibiza, outwardly the Polo models were entirely different with no body panels shared with the SEAT model. Initially, only three- and five-door
hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
versions were available. In 1995, four-door saloon ("Polo Classic/Sedan/Derby/Flight") and five-door estate ("Polo Wagon/Variant") versions were added to the range — these were badge engineered and mildly restyled versions of the
SEAT Córdoba The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and coupé version of the SEAT Ibiza supermini car, built by the Spanish automaker SEAT. It was manufactured between 1993 and 2010, and was related with the second and third generations of the Ibiza. ...
(the saloon and estate versions of the Ibiza). They were referred to internally by VW as the ''Typ 6KV'', and shared body panels with the SEAT model rather than the hatchback models. A two-door coupe version of the Cordoba (the SX) was also produced, but the Polo was never made in this form. A convertible version was not produced, although a version with an electrically sliding full length sunroof, called the Polo Open Air, was available. File:1997 Volkswagen Polo 1.4 CL Automatic.jpg, Polo hatchback File:VW Polo III Variant Heck.JPG, Polo Variant File:VW Polo III Classic Heck.JPG, Polo Classic


Engines

Initially the car was available with the 1043cc putting out , and the 1272cc putting out engines from the previous generation Polo, along with a new 1598cc unit. A new 1.4L engine replaced the 1.3L in October 1995. In September 1996 the 1043cc engine was replaced by an all-new aluminium block multi-point injection 999cc developing . The Classic and Variant models featured a or 1.6L and a 1.9L diesel and a 1.8L (82 kw) lux model with electric front windows. For the first time, a turbo-diesel engine (1.9L) was available in a Polo, although only in the 6K models. Due to its smaller engine bay, the standard 3 and 5-door 6N did not get a turbo-diesel engine until the facelift in 2000. The car was available with the following engines: * 1,043 cc straight-4 petrol (1995–96) * 1,272 cc straight-4 petrol (1995–96) * 1.6 L straight-4 petrol (Engine Code – AEE) * 1.4 L straight-4 16-valve petrol (Engine Code – AFH) stock but tuned 1.4 16v 75 Ps version * 1.4 L straight-4 16-valve petrol * 1.4 L straight-4 petrol (Engine Code AUD)(1996–) * 999 cc straight-4 petrol — all-new
aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
block multi-point injection (1996–) * 1.6 L straight-4 16-valve petrol (LHD European GTI model only) * 1.6 L straight-4 petrol (6K saloon and estate models only) Engine code AFX. * 1.6 L straight-4 petrol (6K saloon and estate models only) * 1.8 L straight-4 petrol (6K saloon and hatchback models only) Engine code AFV. * 1.9 L straight-4 diesel


Trim levels

The Polo Mark 3 was much better equipped than its predecessor. A range of models featured items such as colour-coded bumpers, heated/electrically adjustable mirrors, four speaker stereo, pollen filters, central locking, rear head restraints, split rear seats, fog lights, alloy wheels, and airbags. The car was available originally in four trim levels ranging from the L at the bottom level of the scale through the CL and GL to the range topping GLX model. The range-topping was the Polo SE or Special Equipment; it featured a number of features from higher spec models such as the GLX bumpers, Sport Rader alloy wheels, tinted rear light clusters and clear indicators. Unlike the
Volkswagen Polo Mk1 The Volkswagen Polo Mk1 (sometimes written in Roman numerals as Mark I) is the first generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini. It was produced from 1975 until 1981. Polo Mark 1 (1975-1979) The original Polo (known internally as the ''Typ 86'' ...
and
Volkswagen Polo Mk2 The Volkswagen Polo Mk2 is the second generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini. It was produced from late 1981 until 1994. It received a major facelift in 1990 and was available in three different body styles, including a distinctive "'' kammba ...
, trim levels were not the same across
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
; the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
's were L, CL, GL, GLX, 16v (later E, S, SE and GTi); models sold in Europe had trim levels which were individual to the country they were marketed in. The facelift at the end of 1999 saw the introduction of E, S and SE trim levels, as well as the 1.6 GTI which was the first to be sold in Britain. An all-new Polo was unveiled at the end of 2001, although the saloon and estate models continued in production until 2003, and were not replaced with any new additions to the newer Polo range.


Variants


Sporting variants

Sporting variants were not introduced initially, and a supercharged G40 version of the Mark 3 was never made, but a GTI model introduced in 1998 catered for the
hot hatch A hot hatch (shortened from hot hatchback) is a high-performance hatchback car. The term originated in the mid-1980s; however, factory high-performance versions of hatchbacks have been produced since the 1970s. Front-mounted petrol engines, ...
market. With a limited production run of 3000 units, the 6N GTI was available only in continental Europe. Featuring a 1.6 16V 120 PS (88 kW) version of the unit that would later be found in the Mark 3F model, the car came with 15" BBS alloys and could sprint to in just 9.1 seconds. The 16V, introduced to replace the GLX, was one of the most popular Mark 3 versions with modifiers, it used a 1.4 16V unit pushed to 100 PS (74 kW) as standard. This car was not a pure sporting model, and with a 0–100 km/h time of 10.6 seconds and a 190 km/h (118 mph) top speed, it was not as fast as the sporting Ibiza model (which used a 2.0 L 16V engine). The Polo GTI was often seen as overpriced for the performance it delivered.


Polo GTI

Between 2000 and 2002 VW offered two sporting models, the 16V and GTI. The 16V came with the 1.4 16V 100 PS (74 kW) engine and had options such as 15" Spa alloys and air conditioning. However more interest was in the GTI. Available only in hatchback form, the GTI was powered by a 1.6 16V 125 PS (92 kW) engine with variable valve timing, making it the most powerful Polo to come out the factory to date. External changes gave the car the looks to match its power. Deeper front bumpers with honeycomb mesh inserts, side skirts, fog lights, a honeycomb mesh grill and 15" BBS split rims suited the car well. There were also standard extras such as Climatronic fully automatic air conditioning, Xenon headlights (with a headlight washer system), a 6 disc CD autochanger, exclusive sports interior with leather steering wheel and gearstick, chrome inserts and driver aids such as ABS with EBD and an EDL (a system to aid traction). Leather and satellite navigation were also optional extras. The Mark 3F Polo GTI however missed the new six-speed gearbox that was introduced in the smaller Lupo GTI.


Polo Harlekin

In Europe, a limited edition "Harlekin" model was released in 1995. The Polo Harlekin featured multi-coloured body panels with a symmetrical combination of Flash Red, Ginster Yellow, Pistachio Green and Chagall Blue. Harlekin Polos used the 1.4l petrol engine and featured special "Joker" pattern seats and bespoke gear knob and steering wheel. Originally limited to 1,000, around 3,800 of this series were produced. 2,500 Polo Harlekins were sold in the UK between 1996 and 1998.


Facelift

The facelifted Mark III Phase II (or ''Typ 6N2''; sometimes referred to as the Mark IIIF or "Mark 5" by enthusiasts) was released in 1999. The hatchback models featured updated styling including new headlights and bumpers and an all new interior based on that of the Lupo. Although the car was similar in appearance to the Mark 3 (the bodyshell was fully galvanised and stiffened but not fully redesigned, although some panels were changed), Volkswagen claimed that 70% of the components were new. Power steering, antilock brakes and twin airbags were made standard. The saloon and estate versions received the new interior, but not the full exterior facelift. Also, the three-cylinder 1.4-litre TDI engine was introduced for the three and five-door hatchbacks. Specification options ranged from power steering, tinted glass, split rear seats, electric windows and cup holders to ABS, air conditioning, Xenon headlights and satellite navigation. Thirty-two models with seven engines ranging from the 1.4 diesel to the 1.6 L 16V GTI made the choice of Polo the widest ever seen. The base model was the Comfortline with the option of no less than 5 engines ranging from the 1.0 50 PS (37 kW) to the 1.9 TDI unit found across the VW range, producing 90 PS (66 kW). The 1.0 L hatchback was considered cheap for the build quality and spec list when compared to other cars. Then came the Trendline and Highline models. With engine options ranging from 60 PS (44 kW) to a 110 PS (81 kW) diesel they offered a range of features usually found on the more sporty models but without the insurance or running cost woes. Volkswagen also introduced a GTI version of this facelift, this time also available outside of Germany. The GTI is equipped with a further developed 1.6l 16v engine from the 6N with 92 kW (125 hp), this time with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) which activates from 5,000 revs, making the engine sound more exuberant. The GTI is recognizable by original Xenon lighting with headlight washers (the only one in the 6N2 range), honeycomb grills, 10mm factory lowered suspension, a thicker front lip and original 15" BBS rims with 195mm wide tires. Both versions of the Mark III Polo were strong sellers in the United Kingdom and strong competitor for the likes of the
Fiat Punto The Fiat Punto is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1993 to 2018, spanning over three generations. The third generation of the car was marketed between 2005 and 2009 as the Grande Punto, and between 2009 a ...
and
Nissan Micra The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car ( B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982. The Nissan Micra replaced the Japanese-market Nissan Cherry. It was exclusive to Nissan J ...
. At the time of its launch, it was arguably the best small car on sale in Europe in terms of build quality and "upmarket" feel, although its ride and handling was generally not considered to be as good as that of the
Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...
or
Peugeot 206 The Peugeot 206 is a supermini car (B-segment) designed and produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot since May 1998 as a replacement to the Peugeot 205. Developed under the codename ''T1'', it was released in September 1998 in hatchback fo ...
. The 1.4 TDI was considered the best in the range due to its reliability, fuel consumption, and relative power, for a small engine.


Awards

*1999 ''Used Car Buyer'' Greatest Used Car Buy Awards – Best Economy Car *1998 ''
Top Gear Magazine ''Top Gear'' is a British automobile magazine, owned by BBC Worldwide, and published under contract by Immediate Media Company. It is named after the BBC's ''Top Gear'' television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published ...
'' Top Cars – Best Supermini *1997 ''
Which? ''Which?'' is a United Kingdom brand name that promotes informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services by testing products, highlighting inferior products or services, raising awareness of consumer rights and offering independen ...
'' Magazine Best Buys – Best Supermini *1997 ''
Auto Express ''Auto Express'' is a weekly motoring magazine sold in the United Kingdom published by Autovia Limited. The editor-in-chief is Steve Fowler. History and profile Launched in September 1988, its 1,000th issue was published on 20 February 2008. ...
'' New Car Honours – Best Supermini *1997 ''Complete'' Car of the Year Awards – Best Supermini *1996 Semperit Irish Car of the Year *1995 ''
What Car? ''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil ...
'' – Car of the Year


Outside Europe


Asia

In some
Asia Pacific Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...
markets, the Polo Classic (1995-2002MY) was sold as the Derby. In
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
FAW-Volkswagen FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between FAW Group and Volkswagen Group which manufactures Audi and Volkswagen marque passenger cars for sale in China. It was founded on 6 February 1991. FAW-VW is headquartered in the so ...
simply rebadged the
SEAT Cordoba A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair eq ...
without the exterior modifications of the European Derby (i.e. rear and front bumpers/headlights). It was sold & assembled as the FAW-VW City-Golf during 1996. This version was also sold in Russia as the Volkswagen Polo Classic S. It is not to be confused with the Canadian Mark 4 City Golf released in 2006 in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The Polo Classic similar to the Chinese market version was also sold in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
from 1996 to 1999.


Latin America

In
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, Volkswagen produced the Polo Classic, which was sold as the Derby in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and the
Volkswagen Caddy The Volkswagen Caddy is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle (M-segment) produced by the German automaker Volkswagen Group since 1980. It is sold in Europe and in other markets around the world. The Volkswagen Caddy was first introduced in Nor ...
, a
SEAT Inca The SEAT Inca (''Typ'' 9K) was a van and panel van produced by the Spanish manufacturer SEAT between 1996 and 2004. It was designed and assembled in Spain, based on the SEAT Ibiza Mark 2. It was first shown at the Barcelona Motor Show of 1995. ...
-derived van, which shares the same platform and front end styling as the Polo Classic. The Polo Classic (Typ 6K) and the Caddy (Typ 9K) have been produced since 2000. All the facelifted models are Argentine-built models.
Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
had its own trim levels, although some of the trim level names were similar to their European counterparts. The CL and GL were available from 1996 onwards in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
; these were similar to their European counterparts, although slightly more expensive due to import
tariff A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and poli ...
s.


Related models

*The
SEAT Ibiza The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spa ...
Mark 2 was based on the same platform as the Mk3 Polo Classic and Variant, as were the
SEAT Inca The SEAT Inca (''Typ'' 9K) was a van and panel van produced by the Spanish manufacturer SEAT between 1996 and 2004. It was designed and assembled in Spain, based on the SEAT Ibiza Mark 2. It was first shown at the Barcelona Motor Show of 1995. ...
and
Volkswagen Caddy The Volkswagen Caddy is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle (M-segment) produced by the German automaker Volkswagen Group since 1980. It is sold in Europe and in other markets around the world. The Volkswagen Caddy was first introduced in Nor ...
panel van A panel van, also known as a blind van, car-derived van (United Kingdom) or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind the B-pillar. ...
s. *The South African built
Volkswagen Polo Playa The Volkswagen Polo Playa is a supermini produced and sold in South Africa. From 1996 until 2002, it was a rebadged version of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 five-door hatchback. A separate model, the Polo Mk3, was sold in most markets during this period - ...
was a rebadged version of the
SEAT Ibiza The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spa ...
Mark 2, and was sold instead of the European Polo in South Africa until the introduction of the Polo Mark 4. *The
Volkswagen Lupo The Volkswagen Lupo (''Typ'' 6X) is a city car that was produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen, from 1998 to 2005. It shares most of its aspects with the Volkswagen Group's SEAT Arosa, both derived from the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 platfor ...
and
SEAT Arosa The SEAT Arosa (''Typ'' 6H) is a city car that was manufactured by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1997 to 2004. The model débuted in March 1997 at the Geneva Motor Show, while its facelifted version was presented in October 2000 at the Paris Mot ...
city car The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...
s were based on a shortened version of the 6N platform, and shared many components.


See also

*
Volkswagen Polo The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run. Histor ...
for an overview of all models *
Volkswagen Polo Mk1 The Volkswagen Polo Mk1 (sometimes written in Roman numerals as Mark I) is the first generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini. It was produced from 1975 until 1981. Polo Mark 1 (1975-1979) The original Polo (known internally as the ''Typ 86'' ...
*
Volkswagen Polo Mk2 The Volkswagen Polo Mk2 is the second generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini. It was produced from late 1981 until 1994. It received a major facelift in 1990 and was available in three different body styles, including a distinctive "'' kammba ...
*
Volkswagen Polo Mk4 The Volkswagen Polo Mk4 is the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini car produced by the German manufacturer Volkswagen. It was marketed from early 2002 to 2009 in most countries except Argentina and the USA. It was manufactured in So ...
*
Volkswagen Polo Mk5 The Volkswagen Polo Mk5 is the fifth generation of the Polo, a supermini-class car manufactured by Volkswagen since 2009. The vehicle unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March 2009, while the three-door version was unveiled at the 2009 Fr ...
* Volkswagen Polo Mk6


References


External links


Volkswagen UK's Polo Site

Volkswagen Australia's Polo Site

Polo3
- Mk1 Mk2 & Mk3 Polo owners community UK
Club Polo UK Website
(source for some of the model history information)
uk-polos.net, THE UK Polo Forum
(UK based VW Polo Forum)
POLO Club Russia
{{Volkswagen (South America) timeline 1980 to date Polo 3 Subcompact cars Front-wheel-drive vehicles Hatchbacks Sedans Station wagons Cars introduced in 1994 2000s cars