Volkswagen (VW) Polo insurance group and costs

The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car produced by the German manufacturer since 1975: a perfect example of the efficient vehicles that Volkswagen are known for. In this guide, we’ll look at car insurance costs for the VW Polo and how you could save on your premiums.

How much does it cost to insure a Volkswagen Polo?

To give you an idea of how much it could cost you to insure your car, we ran a number of quotes to find an average figure. Our results estimated that, on average, you could insure your VW Polo with a comprehensive policy for £64.09 a month, or an annual sum of £713.88.

• How we got this rate

  We generated these quotes using the following assumptions.

  The vehicle is/has:

  • A 2018 model
  • Manual transmission
  • Petrol engine
  • 10,000 mileage per year
  • Factory-fitted, Thatcham-approved alarm system
  • Used for social, domestic and commuting purposes
  • The car is not modified
  • Parked in a car park during the day
  • Parked on a driveway at night

  The driver is/has:

  • A 30-year-old teacher from London
  • 5 years’ no claims discount
  • No driving or other convictions for the past 5 years

However, this is just an average: your actual premium will depend on a number of factors, including the insurance group the car is in.

Volkswagen Polo insurance groups

Vehicles in the UK are categorised into insurance groups, ranging from 1 (the cheapest) to 50 (the most expensive), which partly determine the cost of your premium.

VW Polo models range from group 1 to group 28. This means the cost of insurance can vary significantly between various models, from the more affordable end of the spectrum to just into the pricier end of the range. For example, a 30-year-old driver in an average postcode could pay:

• around £556 for cover on a Volkswagen Polo S 1.0 65PS 5d, which is in insurance group 1
• or around £902 for a group 28 car like the Volkswagen Polo GTI+ 2.0 TSI 200PS DSG auto 5d

That’s a huge difference of more than £300 to insure the same make of car. This is due to a number of factors including the model’s engine size and price.

However, the insurance group isn’t the only factor determining the cost of your car insurance: one of the most important other factors is your age. The younger you are, the more risk you represent to insurers, and the more you’re likely to pay for insurance.

That’s why, in the table below, we show you the cost you’d be likely to pay at a few different ages.

Volkswagen Polo insurance cost by driver’s age

• How we got these rates

  These rates are based on the average cost of cover for cars in the insurance groups shown, for drivers of different ages with a Newcastle (NE1) postcode, which our research suggests represents an average for insurance rates in the UK. Updated: March 2021 (source: Quotezone)

Volkswagen Polo insurance cost by location

The table above shows the average cost of VW Polo insurance based on insurance groups and driver age. However, many other factors affect the cost of your car insurance premiums, and one of the biggest is where you are in the UK. Where you live helps determine the level of risk that your car may be stolen or that you’ll be involved in an accident, and this affects the cost of insurance.

To demonstrate the power of the postcode, here are some average quotes for a 30-year-old living in three different locations. The quotes are for a Volkswagen Polo 1.2 Moda 3d.

• Expensive: £750 (London SE1)
• Average: £631 (Newcastle NE1)
• Cheap: £439 (Galashiels TD1)

• How we got these rates

  These rates are based on the average cost of cover for cars in the locations shown. Our research suggests SE1 is one of the most expensive locations, NE1 represents an average cost location and TD1 represents one of the cheapest locations. Updated: March 2021 (source: Quotezone)

What other factors affect my Volkswagen Polo insurance rate?

We’ve covered insurance groups, driver age and location. Here are some of the other factors that affect your insurance premium costs:

• Your marital status
• Your credit history and job
• Your car’s safety rating, security and anti-theft precautions
• The model and age of your car
• Annual miles driven
• Optional extras
• Your driving history
• No claims discount

Car insurance premiums are very personalised. If you want to know more, check out our guide to how car insurance premiums are calculated. The key is to balance the right cover level with good service at the cheapest price.

How can I save on my Volkswagen Polo premiums?

When searching for insurance, you’ll want to find the best deal for a price that’s within your budget. We’ve uncovered some tricks you can try to lower the cost of your premium: take a look below.

• Limit your car usage (where possible). Occasionally deciding to walk or get public transport, rather than using your car, can help to save on your premiums.
• Pay annually rather than monthly. It might be scary to part with a large sum in one go, but if you’re able to pay annually you may be able to save an average of £55.20 a year.
• Don’t just accept your renewal quote. When it’s time for renewal, it’s worth investing a couple of hours to shop around: there may be cheaper options out there.

Is a Volkswagen Polo cheap to insure?

Finder insurance expert Danny Butler answers

Let’s say you’re doing everything you can from the list above: you’re driving less, you’re paying annually, you’re shopping around for insurance quotes. Does that mean you’ll find a VW Polo cheap to insure?

As we’ve already established, it depends on the model. One factor affecting insurance groups is engine size. In general, the bigger the engine, the higher the cost of your insurance, because these engines are more expensive to repair or replace. For example, it may cost £631 to insure the 1.2-litre Volkswagen Polo 1.2 SE 3d, while you may pay £756 for the 1.4-litre Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI SE Design 3d.

Finally, the safer your car is, the less of a risk it will be for companies to insure, and therefore the lower your premium is likely to be.

How safe is the Volkswagen Polo?

When tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, the Volkswagen Polo was awarded a 5/5 safety rating, receiving 94% for adult occupant safety, 80% for child occupant safety and 70% for safety assist.

Standard safety features for the Volkswagen Polo are technologically advanced and equipped to deal with an unexpected event. The AEB Pedestrian and Front Assist can detect if something appears in front of your car, and will help you to brake in an emergency. In addition, AEB Inter-urban and AEB City are designed to help you avoid rear-ending and low speed collisions. Other standard features include Speed Assistance, to help you maintain the legal speed limit, and seat belt reminders.

There are several optional safety measures you can add on, including a Blind Spot Detector, so that you can always have a complete view of the road, and an Adaptive Cruise Control, so that if the car in front slows down, your cruise control will sense it and slow your own vehicle down. It’s worth negotiating with your insurer to see if investing in extra safety features can bring down your premiums.

Bottom line

This famous car can cost a relative pittance to insure, although more powerful models will cost a lot more. If you’re on the lookout for a car insurance provider, check out our comprehensive list of the best car insurance companies in the UK.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the top speed of a Volkswagen Polo?

  The top speed a car can reach depends on the engine size and fuel type.

  Volkswagen Polo models with a 1.2-litre petrol engine can reach a top speed of 162.9kmph, while Polo models with a 1.6-litre petrol can push up to a top speed of 183.8kmph. The diesel models of the car come with a 164kmph speed mark.

  If you have a need for speed, you can get one of Volkswagen’s TSI models with a turbocharged 2.0 engine, which can reach a top speed of 190mph (but make sure you drive it safely!).

• What Volkswagen Polo models are available?

  The Volkswagen Polo comes in a wide range of models.

  The most basic version has a 1.0-litre engine, while the most robust are the GTI models with a 2.0 TSI turbocharged engine. You also have the option to choose between petrol and diesel engines, with various strengths.

  A full list of Polo models, with average insurance costs for each, can be found further up this page.

• How much does tax cost for a Volkswagen Polo?

  Car tax rates depend on the car’s emissions: see the UK government website for details.

• Is a Volkswagen Polo good on the motorway?

  The Polo makes for a very smooth ride in most situations, particularly for its size. On the motorway, it stays mainly steady and does a great job at suppressing wind and road noise.

  Speed-wise, even the smallest engine on offer, at 1.0-litre, can easily handle motorway driving if you opt for the turbo-charged TSI models.

• How long does a Volkswagen Polo last?

  Volkswagen cars typically last around 100,000 miles plus, depending on the vehicle’s history. Newer cars might push past that figure if properly maintained.

  Taking your car for regular servicing and sticking to the manual care instructions will prolong its life.

• Is a Volkswagen Polo a good first car?

  As a small car, the Volkswagen Polo is a good option for young and new drivers. The basic model has a 1.0 engine, which is cheaper to insure, and comes with easy to use tech installed. For extra safety measures, you can opt for the company’s SE models.

• Is a Volkswagen Polo cheap to run?

  In terms of fuel efficiency, the 1.0 TSI 95 does between 51mpg and 54mpg, although in What Car’s real-world tests, the five-speed manual version averaged 46mpg. Meanwhile, when it comes to repair costs, a 2018 report by online garage and repair marketplace specialists WhoCanFixMyCar.com found the Volkswagen Polo to have the lowest overall average repair cost in the small and city car category, coming in at £214.05. This number was reached by examining more than 300,000 data points for the best selling hatchbacks in the UK.

• Is the Volkswagen Polo being phased out?

  There’s been no official announcement on this yet, but as with many car makes, the welcome move towards stricter regulations regarding carbon emissions means the future of the VW Polo is uncertain.

Compare insurance for other Volkswagen models