By Peta Lee
At first, I couldn't make up my mind about VW's unique little CrossPolo. Was it a Polo? Was is a hatchback? Was it an SUV? I'm not sure if I warmed to it right away.
I thought it - well, not odd, but neither one thing nor the other. Yet the more I looked at it, the more time I spent driving it, the more it grew on me. It's different, it's stylish and, while it doesn't feel like any other SUV I've driven, and I didn't have time to treat it as such, really, it definitely has appeal.
I'm still uncertain, though, about its target market.
Very sporty, it has a leather-trimmed, four-spoked steering wheel with matching colour stitching and I liked the leather gearshifter with the Cross logo (and colour stitching). It also has bare-metal pedals, comfort seats, and reassuring 17" alloy rims.
Quick? No question - its 1.9-litre, turbodiesel engine pumps out 240Nm at only 1800rpm and it was helluva exhilarating on a straight.
The front end is what catches the eye: check out that unique look, those rather menacing headlights and you'll see what I mean. VW has given it silver finishes for the side mirrors and the very useful roof rails. Luggage space is pretty ample, in case Mrs Margot from Meyerton was wondering how many sakkies of koeksisters she could fit in...
VW also says it has lifted the suspension to enable owners to boogy across the rough stuff but when I parked next to a Corsa it didn't look a heck of a lot higher off the ground than the Opel. Apparently it's 15mm taller (and it's wider) than the regular Polo but I think that could apply to the interior height.
I loved the colour - they call it Magma Orange but it also comes in a very cool green - and the interior finishes, including the matching orange upholstery, which my test car had, as well as the other bits and pieces such as the multi-function trip data computer and the semi-auto air-conditioner.
But would I fork out a whopping R182 900 for a car that I suspect most drivers would never even contemplate taking on rough roads? I dunno...
Undoubtedly its styling, the fact that it's a pedigree VW and thus accompanied by a meticulous reputation for build quality and reliability, are in its favour. And that it's truly different from the run-of-the-mill Polo or other hatchbacks in the range.
Yet it still seems like an awful lot of loot to spend on what is, essentially, just a hatchback albeit one with a difference.