At the front, the Polo"s...

At the front, the Polo"s long-standing twin headlamp set-up has been ditched in favour of a pair of piercing single units, which give the hatchback a much bolder face. These lights are complemented by a square-jawed grille, similar to the one that appears on the all-new Passat unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.

Round the back, the Polo"s hatch gets a less angular glass screen, as well as smart new tail-lights. More pictures will be available when the model makes its official debut at the Leipzig exhibition in Germany next month.

The changes bring the Polo into line with the rest of the VW model range. Bosses gave us the first glimpse of the firm"s new corporate face when they took the wraps off the Concept C two-seater coupнѓ©-cabriolet at the Geneva Motor Show last year. The new single-piece headlamps will see the units VW has used on its small models for years consigned to the history books.

The styling tweaks also make the Polo less dumpy and disguise its proportions; although it sits in the supermini class, today"s car has roughly the same dimensions as the Golf MkI.

While the exterior changes are very distinctive, modifications to the Polo"s interior are minimal. There will be a wider choice of trim materials on offer, while standard specification levels will be boosted. Buyers will also have a new range of alloy wheels and various paint options to choose from.

Although the slow-selling Polo Dune on-roader also benefits from these upgrades, VW has scotched rumours that a version with permanent four-wheel drive will appear in the future.

The visual changes to the Polo are complemented by a minor tweak to its engine range. Out goes the naturally aspirated 1.9-litre SDI diesel, to be replaced by 70bhp and 80bhp versions of VW"s turbocharged 1.4-litre three-cylinder TDI. The petrol line-up remains the same, while all the Polo"s engine options are now compliant with strict Euro IV emissions rules. Mechanically, there are no other updates.

Although prices for the revised Polo line-up have yet to be announced, a spokesman for VW told us the firm is keen to maintain the car as a value-for-money offering. Insiders say customers can expect a marginal increase for E, S, SE and Sport specifications, with entry-level models starting at around н‚бЈ7,000 when the new supermini appears in British showrooms in June.

Bosses at VW remain tight-lipped about future variants of the Polo, but our sources tell us engineers are busy preparing a hot new GTI. Powered by a 150bhp 2.0-litre direct-injection FSI engine, the performance model should manage 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and top 135mph. A н‚бЈ15,500 price tag is likely when it arrives at the end of the year. The Polo GTI will slot in above the current flagship, the 130bhp GT TDI.