Volkswagen Polo vs Fiat Grande Panda
Figures updated
The Fiat Grande Panda is a new rival to the Volkswagen Polo, one of the UK's most popular superminis. We compare the Polo Mk6 (2017–) and the Mk1 (2025–) Grande Panda on price, size, boot space, performance, safety, official economy and running costs.
The short answer
The Fiat Grande Panda comes out ahead, with the lower price; the Volkswagen Polo is close on everything else.
- The Fiat Grande Panda is the cheapest to buy new: from £19,995, £2,315 less than the Volkswagen Polo.
- No MOT reliability comparison yet: the Fiat Grande Panda is too new for MOT records (cars first take an MOT at three years old).
- Watch the steering on a Volkswagen Polo: it fails on them 1.6 times as often as the average car.
| Figure | Volkswagen PoloPolo Mk6 (2017–), 5-door hatchback | Fiat Grande PandaMk1 (2025–), 5-door hatchback |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | £22,310 to £28,920October 2026 price list | from £19,995October 2026 price list (best) |
| Body | 5-door hatchback | 5-door hatchback |
| Seats | 5 | – |
| BootSeats up / folded | 351 litres | – |
| Length | 4,074mm | 3,999mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,751mm | 1,760mm |
| Height | 1,451mm | 1,570mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 80–207 PS | – |
| 0–62mph | 6.5–15.5 sec | – |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2017) | – |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Petrol | – |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 43.5–76.3 mpg | – |
| CO2 | 97–148 g/km | – |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.7p a litre, today's UK average | £1,098 (53.3 mpg) | – |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £910 (74.3 mpg) | – |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £910 (diesel) | – |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200 | £200 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 87Below average | Too new for MOT data |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 32.9% | – |
| Failed at 3 years old | 11.8% | – |
| Failed at 5 years old | 19.9% | – |
| Failed at 10 years old | 34.3% | – |
| Most common MOT fault | Pins and bushes (3.1% of tests) | – |
| Fails more than average on | Steering (1.6×), Body and structure (1.5×) | – |
| MOT tests analysed | 600,518 | – |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Supermini | Supermini |
| Owners' average miles a year | 6,700 | – |
| On sale | 2017 on | 2025 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Volkswagen Polo or the Fiat Grande Panda more reliable?
It's too early to say from MOT records: the Fiat Grande Panda is too new, as cars take their first MOT at three years old. The Volkswagen Polo has a reliability score of 87 (100 is average) from 600,518 MOT tests in 2024.
›Which is bigger, the Volkswagen Polo or the Fiat Grande Panda?
The Volkswagen Polo is 75mm longer (4,074mm against 3,999mm).
›Which is cheaper to buy, the Volkswagen Polo or the Fiat Grande Panda?
The Fiat Grande Panda: new prices start at £19,995, £2,315 less than the Volkswagen Polo (from £22,310). These are manufacturer list prices; dealers and brokers often sell for less.
›Should I buy the Volkswagen Polo or the Fiat Grande Panda?
The Fiat Grande Panda comes out ahead, with the lower price; the Volkswagen Polo is close on everything else. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.