Skip to content
Newsroom
Volkswagen Classic

Polo III (1994–2001)

Polo III (1994–2001)
Archive

“Small can be so big.”

Factory code: 6N & 6N2 saloon (Classic)/ 6N & 6N2 (Variant)/ 6N & 6N2 panel van and estate (Caddy)

Volkswagen presented the Polo III in August 1994 with this slogan. Compared to the Polo II, it had been thoroughly redesigned: the body, chassis and engines were completely new. The cubic design of its predecessor was reinterpreted, giving the new Polo a much more modern look. At the start of production, only the hatchback version was available with three doors and, for the first time, five doors. The body impressed with its good aerodynamics, with a drag coefficient of 0.32.

The VW Polo III was 3,715 millimetres long, putting it on a par with the Golf I. The more material-intensive safety structure and higher level of equipment raised the kerb weight to 915 kilograms.

The Polo Classic, available as a saloon from October 1995, was produced at the Spanish production facility and was based on the larger platform of the Seat Cordoba. This not only offered more space in the interior, but also under the bonnet, enabling the installation of the new 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine with 90 PS. Alternatively, it was equipped with the 1.4-litre engine (60 PS) and the 1.6-litre engine (75 PS).

Also in 1995, Volkswagen presented a new Caddy, however, this had nothing in common with the first generation (until 1992). The chassis came from the Seat Inca, while the front end was identical to the Polo, which also supplied the engines. The Caddy II was initially available as a two-seater flatbed truck and a five-seater combi with glazing.

From July 1997, the Polo was also offered as a Variant. It was identical to the Seat Cordoba Vario and equipped with the same technology as the Polo Classic.

In 1998, the Polo was allowed to bear the three letters of its big brother, the Golf, for the first time: the limited special edition of the Polo III GTI sold out quickly.

Contrary to its usual practice, Volkswagen did not offer any equipment lines for the Polo III, instead various extras were bundled into equipment packages.

The VW Polo III was launched in 1994 as the Type 6N and was called the 6N2 from 1999 to 2001.

Polo III profile

Vehicle data

Polo III (1994–2001)

Engine versions

Polo III (1994–2001)

Polo III variants & highlights

Polo III model update

1995

New engines

This year saw the introduction of the 1.9-litre diesel engine with 64 PS. In May, a 1.4-litre engine with 60 PS replaced the previous 1.3-litre unit with 55 PS.

1995

Arrival of the Caddy II

The Caddy II was unveiled at the IAA. It replaced its predecessor based on the Golf I and the first-generation Polo hatchback known as the city delivery van. The Caddy II was available as a panel van and a glazed combi; it was based on the Seat Inca.

1995

A Polo called Classic

Also new to the range was the four-door notchback saloon version of the Polo, called the Classic, which was closely related to the Seat Cordoba from Spain in terms of technology and appearance. It offered a boot capacity of 455 litres, which could be increased to 760 litres with the rear seats folded down.

1995

Fresh air variant

An electrically operated folding roof featured in the newly introduced Polo Open Air. It was large enough to allow even rear passengers to enjoy the open view of the sky.

1995

Cheerfully colourful

If you loved colour, the Polo Harlequin was the car for you: it was available in blue, red, yellow and green as special equipment – all at once. The fact that the vehicle was available with 60 PS, 75 PS or 100 PS was almost overshadowed by the blaze of colour. Those who also liked sky blue could opt for the Polo Harlequin in the open-air version.

1996

The year of engines

At the beginning of the year, customers were treated to a new powerful petrol engine with 1.4 litres, 16 valves and 100 PS. From spring onwards, an automatic transmission was available for the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre engines. In March, the 1.7-litre diesel appeared as a naturally aspirated engine (60 PS) – the TDI did not fit under the bonnet. The 1.9-litre SDI replaced the previous 1.9 D and 1.7 SDI. In autumn, the 45 PS engine was replaced by the 50 PS engine made entirely of aluminium. From autumn onwards, the anti-lock braking system (ABS) was available at extra cost.

1997

New equipment lines and variants

The Trendline, Comfortline and Highline equipment lines were back. The Polo Variant was the third body variant after the hatchback and saloon, offering a boot capacity of 390 or 1250 litres. The engine was the same as in the Polo Classic, and technically and visually it was related to the Seat Cordoba Vario. The Caddy was also available as a compact pickup.

1998

GTI as a special edition

Following the Polo G40, Volkswagen revisited the idea of a special edition: a limited edition of 3,000 Polo GTIs (only as a hatchback with three and five doors) was produced. A new 1.6-litre 16V engine with 120 PS accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds. 15-inch alloy wheels from BBS gave it a sporty look. Other distinctive features included a lowered chassis, white indicator lights, and a high-quality interior. In keeping with a special edition, not all colours were available; only red, silver and black were available here.

1999

Major facelift for the little one

In September, the Polo III underwent a thorough overhaul: among other things, it had a redesigned front with a large Volkswagen logo in the radiator grille. New headlights in clear glass look were just as striking as the modified bumpers and redesigned rear lights. The interior was of a higher quality than before, and the instruments now had blue backlighting. The rear end was now closer in style to the Golf IV, with the number plate integrated into the bumper. Safety features were improved, with airbags and ABS now standard and ESP available as an option. The body structure was reinforced and protected by full galvanisation. Buyers also received a twelve-year warranty against rust perforation. The engine range was revised again: a new 1.4-litre turbo diesel with pump-nozzle direct injection (75 PS) was added, while the 1.9-litre naturally aspirated diesel (64 PS) remained in the range. The power output of the 1.4 16V was reduced to 75 PS. Thanks to the use of a variable camshaft, the 1.6-litre 16-valve engine in the Polo GTI now delivered 125 PS. The latter had the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) on board as standard.

2001

Successful results

Total production of the third-generation VW Polo reached 3.5 million.
Back to top
Topics
Press
Service
Registration

The Volkswagen Newsroom is an open platform and offers comprehensive search options to all users.

If you would like to be kept informed about our press releases you can also subscribe to our media information push service.

Sign up
Sign up now for the Volkswagen Newsroom. Subscribe to our email push service to stay up-to-date.
Products as well as Volkswagen AG distributors can be found at: www.volkswagen.de
© Volkswagen 2025

The specified fuel consumption and emission data does not refer to a single vehicle and is not part of the offer but is only intended for comparison between different types of vehicles. Additional equipment and accessories (additional components, tyre formats, etc.) can alter relevant vehicle parameters such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, affecting the vehicle's fuel consumption, power consumption, CO₂ emissions and driving performance values in addition to weather and traffic conditions and individual driving behavior.

Further information on official fuel consumption data and official specific CO₂ emissions for new passenger cars can be found in the "Guide to fuel economy, CO₂ emissions and power consumption for new passenger car models", which is available free of charge from all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de/co2.