Perhaps we’re stating the obvious here, but our roads aren’t exactly the smoothest out there. One could say that it’s one of the reasons why people would choose a high riding crossover or SUV, just to deal with the bumps and potholes.
Of course, there are still those who’d prefer a smaller, more reasonably sized car and not deal with the bulk and size of bigger vehicles. Volkswagen is well aware of that, which is why it released something rather interesting over in Brazil.
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It’s called the Volkswagen Polo Robust, and it aims to be exactly what the variant name implies. It’s a standard sixth-generation Polo but comes with more, um, robust suspension bits under the chassis.
Per VW Brazil, the Polo Robust is ‘developed and tested with customers in the agricultural segment’. Given the demands of its target demographic, it’s safe to say that this little hatchback could handle the rough stuff. But what exactly did VW do to it?
For starters, the Robust gets a set of heavy duty springs and dampers. We’re not too sure how it will affect handling and ride quality, but at least the owners have that extra peace of mind should they encounter road craters. Because of the suspension changes, the Polo Robust is also a little bit higher off the ground compared to the standard version. There’s no mention of how much higher it is, but it’ll likely scrape less than the regular Polo.
The Robust’s goal is to bring you to point B despite rough terrain, not get there are quickly as possible. On that note, this version of the Polo uses a humble 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine makes just 84hp and 101Nm of torque. It then shifts with a five-speed manual transmission.
This version of the Volkswagen Polo doesn’t exactly look glamorous. The unpainted trims and plastic hubcaps scream base model, along with the hose down rubber mats and wipe down vinyl seats. It doesn’t even have a touchscreen, so don’t expect features such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Still, VW didn’t delete the more important features such as front and side airbags, hill start assist, stability control, and even an electronic front differential.
So, it's back to basics but still decently equipped and beefed up small hatchback. It sounds like it would make an ideal hatchback over here too if you ask us.
