So I got to drive the World Car of the Year and the European Car of the Year - all in one. The new VW Polo was, well, so Polo when it emerged here in South Africa.
Hardly an adrenalin pump, it's a neat, tidy and somewhat conservative competitor in a market where neat, tidy and somewhat conservative cars rule. Let's face it, in a country where the favourite colours for cars are metallic grey or white, why should you expect anything else?
Polo, Corolla, Tiida. Practical, tidy, conservative cars, low on sideshows and high on consumer confidence (though maybe not the Corolla, after Toyota's accelerator pedal woes). But you'd be silly taking that into consideration - d'you think for one moment Toyota's not going to come back with a monster effort to make up lost ground?
The new Car of the Year, in 1.4-litre guise, duly entered my driveway in a smart dark blue (not white, not grey) and it stood there, looking for all the world like, well, a Polo.
You'd be right to think I was underwhelmed. Sure, the new face and new lines are there, penned by the same chaps who designed the Audi S5 and the R8. Quite unbelievably. But horses for courses, of course, and this particular horse has a different course to run.
Does it? Of course.
The interior is neat and tidy. The front seats are a little high and you feel as if you're teetering a bit until you get used to it, but only a bit. Space around the driver is sufficient to be efficient, no more. Because that's what we have here: efficient. Neat and tidy.
I hated the storage pockets in the door. They sweep backwards, the opening ending in a sharp vee. Pray that your house keys, smokes or wallet don't slide all the way back. That'll mean stopping next to the road, opening the door, getting out and poking a long arm down the aperture. If you're Bakkies Botha, you'll have to pay a street urchin to do it for you.
I hated the reverse-gear selection. Typically of push-down-and-away systems, the return spring is so soft that you go into reverse when you want to go into first - especially when you need to find first in a hurry. A tougher spring would do wonders.
I hated the accelerator pedal. Obviously designed to aid fuel conservation, it has to be stepped on quite firmly to make the car respond. Or could that have been the fault of the none-too-energetic 1400cc engine?
LOVED THE CHASSIS
Which brings me to overtaking. Don't. Not unless you have about a kilometre's worth of forward vision and clear road. And I hated the rear legroom. At least, 21-year-old Du Plessis Junior did. And he's no Bakkies Botha.
I loved the chassis. It might take a while to work up speed but you'll be able to maintain it rather well through the bends because this car can corner. And the ride is quite comfy too - another plus.
I loved the fuel consumption. My urban/rural mix in the Polo came to 6.8 litres/100km and I could have done better. And I loved the luggage space but hated the lack of tie-down fittings. Maybe there'll be after-market hooks and catches.
I loved the visibility through the large areas of glass. A Polo driver won't be able to say: "Sorry, I didn't see you!" And I loved the build quality. We South Africans can build a car, especially when we take the trouble to listen to the Germans.
But World Car of the Year? Wasn't there anything more exciting out there? - Cape Argus