Volkswagen Polo vs Mini Cooper

What's the difference?

The Polo GTI faces tough competition in the form of Hyundai’s recently arrived, very good, and well-equipped i20 N, as well as Ford’s sleek and super-capable Fiesta ST. But as mentioned at the start, VW occupies the hot-hatch high ground with the GTI badge, and this upgraded Polo is loaded with features, dynamically outstanding and on the leading edge in terms of safety. Time will tell if the higher price, higher spec strategy is the right one, but there’s no doubting this updated Polo GTI is a compelling package.  

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The new petrol Cooper range very gently evolves the upmarket Cool Britannia cliché BMW invented with the R50 back in 2001 and fostered with every iteration since.

More of the same, only slightly updated and just improved enough to justify trading the old one in. If this appeals to you, then go for it. This is the best petrol version yet. Probably.

But the Cooper’s real spark literally and metaphorically lies within the EV version.

Two very different Minis indeed.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Not exactly a massive change to the exterior of the Polo GTI with this mid-life refresh, but sharp-eyed car spotters will notice a new front bumper treatment including a revised lower grille, defined by a body-coloured border and flanked by LED driving lights.

The headlights have also been reshaped to mark the arrival of standard matrix LED beams, with the signature horizontal red keyline moves from the centre to the bottom edge of the upper grille. A continuous LED strip across the nose stands the car apart after dark.

Previously part of the GTI’s ‘Luxury Pack’, the ‘Faro’ design 18-inch alloys fill the wheel arches nicely, and overall the car’s compact, tightly wrapped body and finely chiselled lines are familiar.

At the back, the LED tail-light clusters have been extended laterally into the hatch door, but the car’s fundamental shape is unchanged. 

Inside the dash layout is the same, although the centre of the sports steering wheel has been massaged into a more organic shape with the airbag/horn now an oval rather than a circle.

The rest of the interior is relatively understated in typical VW fashion, the neatly sculpted sports seats trimmed with traditional ‘Clark’ tartan cloth on the cushion and backrest centres. And ‘Kings Red’ inlays in the dash, centre console and front door trims, are a reminder of the car’s heritage and sporty intent.

You’ve got to hand it to BMW.

The new nose and triangular tail-light treatment on the 2013-vintage midsection look as if they were designed to all go together back in the day.

You could even mistake it for the previous Cooper EV, though side-by-side that’s less likely, since the latter ditches the upright windscreen for a more raked item, clamshell bonnet opening, horizontal bumper shutlines for shorter and more-angled ones, plastic wheel arch surrounds and pull-out door handles for flush units.

The wheels are further apart, the overhangs shorter and the lower-side surfacing broken up by an artful sheetmetal crease.

The overall length at 3876mm, width at 1744mm and height at 1432mm have increased by 55mm, 17mm and 18mm respectively over the old model, but the 2495mm wheelbase stays the same.

And that’s not all.

At just under 4.1 metres long the Polo GTI is a decidedly compact hot hatch, but thanks in no small part to a relatively lengthy (2.6m) wheelbase, interior space is impressive.

The driver and front passenger have plenty of breathing room, and the rear is remarkable. At 183cm, sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position, I enjoyed ample legroom, and more than enough headroom.

Width is another story, because while two adults will be fine in the back, there isn’t enough space for three to sit in comfort for any length of time. 

Storage options in the front include a small lidded box between the seats (which doubles as an adjustable armrest), two cupholders and various oddments spaces in the centre console, as well as the wireless charging bay in front of the gearshift. 

There are also pockets in the doors with room for (medium) bottles, a decent glove box, a shallow drawer under the passenger seat, and an overhead drop-down tray for glasses.

Map pockets on the front seat backrests, and small bins in the doors add extra practicality, but there’s no fold-down centre armrest or individual ventilation control for rear seaters. 

For connectivity and power, there are two USB-C ports in the front, plus another two in the rear, as well as a 12-volt socket in the front centre console.

Boot space is a healthy 305 litres (VDA) with the 60/40 split-folding rear seats upright, that number growing to 1079L with them folded down. 

Tie down anchors are handy for strapping loose loads, while shopping bag hooks help keep smaller bundles under control. And be aware, the spare is a space-saver.

The previous Mini 3DR featured a messy and quite overbearing dashboard design from 2013 that’s aged about as well as Robin Thicke’s videos from that year.

In contrast, the new model's is far simpler and less protruding, dramatically boosting the sense of space and light.

That said, all four occupants still sit low, with an upright windscreen ahead and beside high window sills. There’s an oversized, circular screen in the middle of a pared-back dash and a neat row of toggle switches below. It’s still pure Mini in theme.

As before, there’s enough space for even the tallest people up front, reflecting the British icon’s German packaging, with plenty of head and legroom, as well as ample width. It’s only when you jump from the EV to the petrol Cooper that you realise this feels noticeably narrower.

All Coopers regardless of fuel share the 240mm (9.4-inch) central OLED display. It might seem like visual overload at first glance, with so much going on, but after a brief period of familiarisation, the touchscreen becomes a cinch to decipher and navigate. The colour-coded driving modes, pleasingly slick screen swipe action and ultra-crisp graphics are especially noteworthy.

Revel, too, in the twist engine starter and toggle gear selector actions, that also save space and are super natural to operate. This is button-lite dashboard de-cluttering done right.

As with the previous model, the Mini’s driving position has you sitting upright, but it’s comfortable enough on the S’ sports seats we sampled this on, and everything is within reach. There’s sufficient storage. The ambient mood lighting is fun. And kudos for the deployment of animal-free materials. In fact, the Cooper’s fresh textures are quite remarkable.

We’re less fond of the glass roof with no sunlight block; there are blind spots due to the thick side pillars; and some of the lower-placed plastics do not seem $60K’s worth in a supermini this expensive.

Rear-seat access isn’t graceful, with a narrow aperture to squeeze past and a slow-moving electric seat to wait for, but that should surprise nobody given this car’s size. There’s enough space for two adults and not much else really. It’s pretty basic back there.

And even further back, Mini quotes just 210 litres VDA of luggage capacity, rising to 725L with the twin backrests dropped.

Don’t forget, though, that no spare wheel exists. Just an ever-fiddly tyre repair kit.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Cooper…

For the duration of the original BMC/BLMC/Leyland/Austin/Rover era, the Mini was often the cheapest new car around. We’re talking bare bones motoring here, for the people.

Obviously, BMW bothers with no such democratic notion today.

The new Cooper comes in two models differentiated by engine size – the C with a 115kW 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo and S with a 150kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo. Both are carryover units, and automatic only, sadly. 

Which helps explain why the base C Core starts from a steep $41,990 (all prices are before on-road costs). Much the same car cost $10K less just five years ago.

The Core includes climate control air-conditioning, an OLED circular touchscreen, a head-up display, a reverse camera, parking sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio, a smartphone charger, ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels and a basic cruise control set-up.

You’ll need to step up to the $44,990 Cooper C Classic for adaptive cruise control, a surround-view monitor, interior camera, 'augmented reality' satellite navigation, front seat warmers, seven rather than four colour choices, 18-inch alloys, a glass roof and more.

'Sun Protection Glazing' for the latter, along with a Harmon/Kardon premium audio system, John Cooper Works (JCW) sports seats with electric adjustment and memory, fancier interior materials and a broader palette of options are part of the Cooper C Flavoured package from $47,990. 

Meanwhile, the more-powerful Cooper S auto bypasses Core and kicks off with the Classic from $49,990, Favoured from $52,990 and the JCW Sport from $54,990.

The latter includes a JCW body/interior styling, steering wheel and stripes, along with adaptive suspension, paddle shifters and uprated brakes.

Going for the 5DR Cooper equivalents adds $2000 to the price.

All up, then, with drive-away pricing, the Cooper before options is priced between $47,000 and $63,000.

Obvious rivals are the Audi A1, Fiat/Abarth 500, Citroen C3 and even Suzuki Swift Sport, though alternatives with a retro bent and driver focus might also be in BMW’s crosshairs, including the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, Mazda MX-5, Ford Mustang and Nissan Z.

The Polo GTI is powered by a version of Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre (EA888) four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

The iron block/alloy head unit uses direct- and port-injection, variable valve lift on the intake side, and variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust sides to produce maximum torque of 320Nm from 1450 to 4390rpm, at which point peak power of 147kW takes over from 4390-6000rpm.

Compared to the previous model, the new one brings more performance to the table.

The Cooper C uses BMW’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, and pumps out 115kW of power at 6500rpm and 230Nm of torque from 1500rpm to 4600rpm. Previously it was 100kW and 220kW.

With a power-to-weight ratio of 91.3kW per tonne, it’s enough for a zero to 100km/h time of 7.7 seconds (previously 8.1s), on the way to a 225km/h top speed.

Mounted transversely, it drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

It’s still difficult to imagine Mini buyers not outraged by the manual’s disappearance. But don’t worry. There’s always the Suzuki Swift.

Stepping up to the Cooper S, you’ll find a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit delivering a useful 150kW at 6500rpm and 300Nm between 1450rpm and 4500rpm. It was 141kW/280Nm in the old version.

Boasting 117kW/tonne, this one needs just 6.6s to 100km/h and can achieve a 242km/h V-max.

Now known as the FAAR platform, it is an evolution of BMW’s UKL (Untere Klasse, German for ‘lower class’) modular architecture that debuted in the previous model.

Suspension is via MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link independent rear end.

VW’s official fuel economy figure for the Polo GTI on the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 6.5L/100km, the 2.0-litre turbo four emitting 150g/km of CO2 in the process. Not bad for hot-hatch with this kind of performance. 

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you’ll need 40 litres of it to fill the tank. Using the official consumption figure that translates to a range of 615km.

The new Coopers enjoy a drink more than before. By almost half a litre per 100km more, in fact.

Rated at Euro6 and running on 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, the Cooper C averages 6.0L/100km (F56: 5.6), while the more-powerful Cooper S ups that to 6.3L/100km (F56: 5.8).

In terms of carbon dioxide emissions averages, this translates to 137 and 145 grams per kilometre, respectively. With a 44L fuel tank, the potential range-average is up to around 730km.

The Polo launch drive program covered around 150km of city, suburban and freeway running from inner Sydney, through twisting B-roads to the city’s south, and sprawling semi-rural areas further west, topped off with a closed track session at the Luddenham Raceway.

Weighing in at a fraction over 1.3 tonnes, with 147kW/320Nm sent to the front wheels, the Polo GTI is capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds, which is satisfyingly quick.

And the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine’s dyno sheet must be a thing of beauty with maximum torque available from from 1450 to 4390rpm, and peak power picking things up at precisely the end of that plateau, remaining on tap all the way to 6000rpm.

So, mid-range punch is always there, and the six-speed ‘DSG’ dual-clutch auto delivers rapid, precise shifts, with wheel-mounted paddles dialling up the fun factor when you want to shift ratios yourself.

Combined engine and exhaust noise is agreeably rorty without tipping over the annoyance threshold, although the high-performance 215/40 Continental ContiSportContact rubber transfers a fair amount of rumble on coarser surfaces.  

The base suspension set-up is strut front/torsion beam rear, with the standard ‘Sport Select’ system built around switchable dampers, offering the choice of ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes. 

Normal is nicely composed with comfy compliance over longer undulations as well as higher frequency bumps and dips. But if the red mist descends and you’re ready for some fun the (noticeably firmer) Sport setting buttons everything down that bit more. 

As well as the damping, throttle response is faster, the DSG picks up the pace as does the steering. Even the exhaust is enhanced, although it’s via the synthetic ‘Sound Actuator.’ Boo!

Balanced and predictable in quick cornering, the Polo GTI’s electro-mechanically assisted steering is precise and beautifully weighted, with great road feel. And the car’s ‘Extended Differential Lock’ uses the traction control and braking systems to minimise wheel spin, maximise traction, and help limit understeer.

On top of all that, the carefully sculpted sports seats deliver secure location without compromising comfort, and the grippy sports wheel feels great.

Braking is by ventilated discs at the front with solid rotors at the rear, and even under the pressure of a flat-out track session (moderated with the help of some admirably patient tame racing drivers) they remained progressive and firm.

In more civilised surroundings the Polo’s size and excellent all-around vision (not to mention a clear reversing camera) make it a cinch to park. The combination of on-screen touch controls, and physical dials for the multimedia system is welcome. And the connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is wired or wireless which is handy for those who prefer the surety of a wired connection or the flexibility of one less cable in their life.

So far, similarities in design, packaging, dashboard presentation and suspension layout suggest that the electric Cooper and petrol Cooper would be like fraternal twins from behind the wheel.

But in reality, the petrol-powered Mini feels much the same as the previous model, whilst the EV is more akin to what we secretly wish the fantasy Tesla Model 1 would be like. From the future.

Now, we never had a chance to drive the Cooper C, but the closely-related (though larger and heavier) Countryman C sibling – complete with the same powertrain – proved to be a willing and feisty performer once on the go, after what seemed like protracted turbo and DCT lag.

Why the hell can’t Mini just offer manuals again?

The Cooper S, meanwhile, completely lived up to brand expectations, with the familiar, revvy snarl of BMW’s sophisticated 2.0-litre four-pot turbo providing punchy of throttle response and effortless cruising capability, though there’s still some initial acceleration hesitation.

Thankfully, the Mini’s steering is always alert, offering precision and agility by the bucketful, backed up a chassis that seems permanently glued to the road – even in the wet and wintry conditions we had to endure.

Yet, other than a ride quality that seemed better than any previous-gen Mini we’ve ever encountered and so genuinely surprised us, the Cooper S seemed a little… stale compared to the glorious SE EV we had just (reluctantly) surrendered.

A bit like having a favourite dish as leftovers for two nights in a row, it felt a bit passé in 2024, even when surrounded by that dazzling OLED dash and glitzy ambient lighting.

In every important metric – performance, handling, roadholding, ride quality, packaging and (particularly) refinement – the battery-powered Cooper is the more vibrant and alive option. And truer to the vision of the original’s creator, Alec Issigonis, as a result.

There are no crash-test ratings for the 2024 Cooper at the time of publishing.

The previous F56 managed four out of five stars with ANCAP. 

On the driver-assist tech front are AEB, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, rear-collision prevention, driver-attention monitor, tyre-pressure monitor, auto high beams and an exit warning.

However, at the time of publishing, no AEB operating parameter data was available.

Other safety features include adaptive cruise control with automatic speed-limit assistance from Classic-grade and up, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability and traction controls and nine airbags (front/side/head and interaction centre-front airbags).

A pair of child seat tether latches and twin ISOFIX latches are fitted within the rear seats.

Volkswagen Australia covers the Polo GTI with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is now the volume market standard.

The paint is warranted for three years/unlimited kilometres, “Through Corrosion” is covered for 12 years/unlimited kilometres, and 12 months roadside assistance is included.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, with prices over the first five years ranging from a low of $455 to a high of $1498, the average per service coming out at $701, which is a pretty solid number.

Capped price servicing is available, however, over five- and three-year plans. Paying up-front for five years results in a $765 saving over pay-as-you-go.

A nice side benefit is the ability to fold servicing costs into the vehicle’s financing at the time of purchase, and the plan is transferable if you decide to sell the car before the five or three years is up.

Like all Minis, the Cooper comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance.

There are no set service intervals, as the car’s onboard computer will alert the driver based on condition and wear/tear. That said, we recommend going every 12 months or 10,000km, just to be on the safe side.

Mini also promotes several prepaid service plans on its Australian website. According to BMW, “… both new and used Mini owners can upgrade to a MINI Service Inclusive plan for 5-years/80,000km (whichever comes first).”