Here’s a detailed look at the paint palette available on the Volkswagen Polo 5-seater supermini, including the GTI hot hatch at the top of the tree, which we hope will help you choose your perfect new car colour.
There are 8 main paint options for the Volkswagen Polo, comprising 2 solid paints, 4 metallic paints, 1 pearlescent paint and 1 further premium metallic paint. On all but the base-spec Polo (a trim called ‘Life’), there is also the option to pair some of these colours to a black roof, for a total of 4 bi-tone colour schemes, bringing the total number of options up to 12. Besides the exterior hues, we also outline the various interior upholsteries that go with these paint finishes.
Paint Types
Solid = a simple body colour with no additives in the paint. Usually comprises 3 coats, these being a primer, then the paint, then a clear, protective lacquer. Solid paints aren’t particularly shiny and are normally the only standard/no-cost colours offered by manufacturers.
Metallic = same application process as above but the paint now has powdered metal mixed into it, which reflects more light to give the car a shinier appearance. Metallic finishes usually cost more than solid paints.
Pearlescent/Mica = as above, only instead of metal, ceramic crystals (known as ‘mica’) are added to the paint. These not only reflect light but refract it too, giving one colour different appearances in different levels of light. They’re normally as expensive as or pricier than metallic paints.
Matte = uses special ‘flattening’ agents in the paint/layering make-up to give the car a non-reflective appearance, and sometimes an unusual texture too. These are normally the most expensive and rarest of paint options, and are not offered on many new car models.
Exterior
Ascot Grey
Type: Solid
Cost: No cost (default colour on all models bar GTI)
Available On: All models bar GTI
The standard colour for the Volkswagen Polo is this Ascot Grey solid. It’s not the flashiest colour in the world, sure, but this is the only no-cost colour for the regular range and it’s not available at all on the GTI flagship (it’s 1 of 3 of the main 8 colours the 207hp model doesn’t have access to). Ascot ought to be relatively low maintenance in terms of washing cycles, as a further bonus.
Pure White
Type: Solid
Cost: No cost (default colour on GTI), or £380 (Life, Style and R-Line models)
Available On: All models
Perhaps a slightly nicer colour for the Polo is this, the only other solid which goes by the name of Pure White. It’s a very crisp, clean, vivid white with a strong metallic sheen, which gives it quite a sporty ambience – hence why it’s the standard, no-cost colour for the GTI hot hatch. On the other 3 specifications of the ‘regular’ Polo, it costs £380. Worth it, but like all automotive whites, Pure will need lots of washing to look its absolute best.
Reef Blue
Type: Metallic
Cost: £630
Available On: All models
Moving into the metallic paints, which all cost £630 apiece, the first up is Reef Blue. This is 1 of the 5 colours in the palette which is available on every model of Polo GTI and with good reason. It’s a lovely, deep blue that’ll look moody and dark in poorer conditions and when cloaked in road grime, but which should really pop and shine when it’s clean and in bright sunlight. Reef is the sort of elegant colour which suits all the models in the Polo range equally, so it’s a strong choice.
Reflex Silver
Type: Metallic
Cost: £630
Available On: All models bar GTI
A bright silver in the classical automotive trend, the 1 surprise about Reflex Silver is that it isn’t available on the Polo GTI. Some would say that’s a pity, because it’s a classy finish and the sort of colour that will require minimal maintenance over the year in order to look good; Reflex is going to hide road dirt pretty well indeed.
Smokey Grey
Type: Metallic
Cost: £630
Available On: All models
The errant ‘e’ before the ‘y’ is all Volkswagen’s own doing, but apart from that this is a corking colour for the Polo. It’s Smokey Grey, your typical gunmetal or charcoal paint. That means that while it will show up encrusted-on winter road salt more easily than some of the other hues available for the VW, in the main this colour will continue to look good whether it is spotlessly clean or if it hasn’t been washed for a few weeks. Smokey is available on all models, with it bringing a particular sense of menace to the 207hp GTI.
Vibrant Violet
Type: Metallic
Cost: £630
Available On: All models bar GTI
This is a brilliant colour and commendably daring from usually staid Volkswagen. Vibrant Violet is purple, a nice, rich shade that is rarely seen on any of the Polo’s rivals. Its darker tone means it will probably look grimier when it is dirty in winter than it will in summer, but in direct sunlight this promises to be the most eye-catching colour of them all for the VW supermini. Sadly, it’s not available on the GTI – we think that’s a missed opportunity, as it would look cracking with the hot Polo’s bold detailing and big alloys. Maybe it’s the colour clash with the GTI’s fabled red pinstriping which puts Volkswagen off, or something…
Deep Black
Type: Pearlescent
Cost: £630
Available On: All models
The solitary pearlescent in the Polo palette is the solitary black, too. Deep Black is suitably lustrous and looks a million dollars on the GTI, but of course it’ll need lots and lots of washing in the depths of winter, because black isn’t as good at hiding the accumulated dirt of daily driving as much as you think it will be. Despite being a pearlescent, Deep Black is the same cost as all the metallic finishes.
Kings Red
Type: Premium metallic
Cost: £735
Available On: All models
The most pricey paint for the Polo but probably worth it, despite the fact this is another paint name that – as journalists – sets our teeth on edge. While it should be ‘King’s’ Red and ‘Smoky’ Grey, Volkswagen has neglected to add the apostrophe to the former of these 2 and so here we have Kings (gah!) Red. However, grammatical nonsense aside, Kings is a great colour. This is available on every model of Polo and it will be a popular choice for the GTI, as it highlights the red pinstriping of that version of the VW. Kings Red should also wear a few layers of road muck fairly well too, so it shouldn’t need religiously washing every weekend of the year if you’re feeling lazy.
Pure White With Black Roof
Type: 2-tone
Cost: £610 + £210 = £820 (on Style and R-Line), £230 (on GTI)
Available On: All models bar Life
Volkswagen offers 2-tone paint options on 4 of the main-series colours, but there’s a very strange spec anomaly which means these bi-tone finishes cost more money on the regular cars (Life, Style and R-Line) than they do on the GTI – and more money than they first appear if you’re playing with the VW UK configurator. This is because while the roof price is clearly quoted on the company’s website as £610 (in this instance), if you want to have a dark top to the car then you need to have the door mirror caps painted to match, while all the windows aft of the B-pillar are tinted to 65% to tie it all up. However, these mirror housings and the privacy glass at the back are classed as the £210 ‘Black Roof Pack’, which is a separate fee added ON TOP of the roof price itself. That means that having this solid Pure White body with a Black roof will cost you £820 on the Style and R-Line Polos (none of the 2-tone paints are available on the base Life cars, for reference), whereas on the Polo GTI you’re only paying for the roof at £230 – the Pure White body doesn’t cost £380 here as it’s the standard paint anyway, and the GTI comes with black door caps and tinted glass from the outset.
Reef Blue With Black Roof
Type: 2-tone
Cost: £860+ £210 = £1070 (on Style and R-Line), £860 (on GTI)
Available On: All models bar Life
Like Pure White with a Black roof, this combination is chunkier on the Style and R-Line cars than it is on the GTI, although here the gap between the 2 prices is smaller because Reef Blue is not the GTI’s standard colour. However, the Black Roof Pack is still required on the Style and R-Line models at an extra cost of £210, meaning this appealing 2-tone combination costs 4 figures on those Polos (£1070), while it’s a still-hefty £860 on the GTI.
Reflex Silver With Black Roof
Type: 2-tone
Cost: £860+ £210 = £1070 (on Style and R-Line)
Available On: Style and R-Line only
As Reflex Silver is not offered on the Polo GTI as a solitary body colour, then this 2-tone option is not available to the 207hp flagship. And as the Life cars can’t be 2-tone at all, then it’s only on Style and R-Line Polos where this £1070 colour scheme is an option.
Kings Red With Black Roof
Type: 2-tone
Cost: £965 + £210 = £1175 (on Style and R-Line), £965 (on GTI)
Available On: All models bar Life
The final 2-tone, available on 3 out of the 4 Polo model lines, is the most expensive. On the Style and R-Line cars, you’re paying £735 for the Kings Red body paint, £230 for the Black roof and then £210 for the Black Roof Pack of mirrors and darker glazing, resulting in a sizeable £1175 outlay at ordering time. On the GTI, you don’t have to pay for the last of these but you’ll still only get a measly 35 quid in change, out of a grand, if you order Kings Red with Black here.
Interior
Titan Black
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: Life
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The base-level Life Polos come with this overwhelmingly black interior, save for the headlining. The seats are finished in Titan Black cloth, the dashpad and instrument panel are both black, the door cards are black, the carpet is black… only the Ceramique roof-lining brightens up this somewhat dour interior. That said, at least this will be easy to maintain and hide a multitude of sins.
Titan Black And Ceramique
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: Style
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
Just 1 step up from base level, the interior of the Polo begins to take on some more visual interest. The instrument cluster and carpets remain Titan Black in the Style cars, as does most of the seat covering, but a longitudinal centre-stripe pattern and Ceramique light-grey side bolsters serve to lighten the mood. Furthermore, the dashpad is a tasteful charcoal colour, while the headlining is still Ceramique grey.
Grey
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: R-Line
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The R-Line models have a sporty-ish cabin, which isn’t quite as racy as that of the flagship GTI, but which is still nevertheless some cuts above the interiors of the Life and Style Polos. In here, R-branded seats with plenty of light-grey cloth look particularly tasteful, although the headlining does change to Titan Black here, which makes for slightly more oppressive in-car light levels in gloomier conditions.
Jacara Red Check
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost (standard interior)
Available On: GTI
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
A classic VW GTI cabin here that harks back to the original hot Golf of the 1970s. The Jacara Red cloth is an appealing tartan pattern, complete with jazzy red contrast stitching. Throw in GTI emblems everywhere, plus more deeply sculpted Sports front seats, and it’s easy to see that this most expensive of Polos has an interior befitting of its range-topping status. But 1 word of caution for those of a less extrovert character: 6 of the 8 exterior body colours and combinations available for the hottest Polo come with a bright Kings Red dashpad, which bleeds into the door cards, as standard. This can be optioned out for Deep Iron Gloss instead, if you like, which is the standard dash finish if you opt for – ironically enough – the GTI in either Kings Red or Kings Red and Black 2-tone.
Art Velours Titanium Black
Type: Man-made microfibre
Cost: £915
Available On: Style and GTI
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
On both the Style model and the GTI, there’s the option of what is known as Volkswagen’s ‘Art Velours’ interior. This is the German company’s own take on Alcantara (which is an Italian copyrighted brand of microfibre), so this is a suitably plush option – hence why it costs a chunky £915 extra. To mitigate that cost, the Art Velours front seats come with heating elements as standard, while the only key difference between the 2 versions here is that the Style Polos fitted with Art Velours don’t have Sports front seats, while the GTI cars do.
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