VW Polo

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

Two travellers with carry-on bags, an easy collect at Podgorica Airport and a no-drama run through the capital's wide boulevards.

• TGD short stays
• Solo travellers
• Capital weekends

The VW Polo around Podgorica

Behind the wheel

The current Polo is the tidy, grown-up end of the Volkswagen small-car range, and the 1.0 TSI 95 hp three-cylinder fits its character. The turbo kicks in early enough to stop the car feeling out of breath on a gentle incline, and the five-speed manual is light and precise without asking you to think about it. Around Podgorica it behaves like a slightly quieter Golf: firm over the tramlines on Bulevar Svetog Petra Cetinjskog, composed at 50 on the boulevards, and untroubled by the stop-start stretches of Moskovska at 9am. Push it hard on open tarmac and you hit its 95 hp ceiling honestly, but the brakes are never undersized for the 1,200 kg shell.

On Podgorica roads

Podgorica is where the Polo earns its fuel money. The wide flat grid of the Blok 5 and Blok 9 districts means you can actually park where locals park, free, kerbside, no ticket machine, and the compact footprint makes that a 20-second job rather than a three-point negotiation. The 20 km south to Virpazar on Skadar Lake flows at steady 80 km/h, the 1.0 TSI cruising quietly enough that conversation is easy. The Sozina tunnel and the toll motorway to Bar are gentle work at 110. Less flattering is the Morača canyon climb to Kolašin, fifth gear runs short of air above 700 m, and you finish the climb in fourth working third to overtake.

Space and load

The 351-litre boot takes two cabin cases and a couple of soft bags, enough for most couples basing in Podgorica for four or five nights with day trips to the lake, Ostrog, Cetinje and the coast. Fold the rear seats and the Polo swallows a folded beach parasol, two sets of snorkels, a cool-bag for a Skadar picnic, or a modest Voli grocery run from the Mall of Montenegro. It is not the car for a family of four heading to Žabljak with ski gear, nor for a weekend hauling hiking kit for three up to Biogradska Gora. Think two people plus luggage, or three adults with cabin bags only.

Best journeys for this car

The Polo belongs to the traveller basing themselves in Podgorica for a week, a business visitor at the Hilton or the Ramada, a couple exploring the capital's coffee culture and Millennium Bridge promenade, a solo renter hopping out to Ostrog and Rijeka Crnojevića on alternate days. It also works for the Skadar Lake wine-route day tripper who wants to taste at Plantaže and park outside konobas in Virpazar without reversing into a ditch. Cross-border runs to Shkodra in Albania (30 minutes south via Hani i Hotit) are comfortable enough. It is the wrong car for Žabljak weekends, heavy luggage, or any itinerary with more than three adults.

Practical notes

Fuel consumption settles near 5.5 L/100 km in real Podgorica mixed driving, which means the 40-litre tank covers a comfortable 700 km between fills. Ninety-five octane hovers near €1.55 per litre. The capital's heat is the serious variable, a 40°C afternoon in July puts real load on a small petrol AC compressor, and you will feel it at traffic lights when the engine is barely above idle. The Polo's climate system is strong enough, but it is not the car's party trick the way it is in the Yaris Hybrid. Winter: front-wheel drive on all-season tyres is fine for everything below 1,000 m; chains in the boot for any February run toward Žabljak.

The verdict

Pick the Polo if your Podgorica trip is mostly two people, mostly capital and mostly coast, and you value unfussy parking above almost everything else. Skip it if you have three-plus passengers, full luggage, or serious mountain mileage planned for the northern week.

Full specification

Inside the car

• Air Conditioning
• Bluetooth Audio
• USB Charging
• Central Locking