Car statistics
Volkswagen Polo Genesis statistics
How many Volkswagen Polo Genesises are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the Genesis compares with other versions of the Volkswagen Polo. Built from DVLA licensing records, with MOT results for the Volkswagen Polo.
- Licensed in Great Britain 49 −9.3% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 125 Off the road, not taxed
- Still registered 4.9% Other Volkswagen Polo versions 1.9%
- Peak year 1996 3,543 licensed
- Share of Volkswagen Polos 0.0% of those licensed or SORN
- Declared off the road 71.8% of those still registered are SORN
How many Volkswagen Polo Genesises are left in Great Britain?
There were 49 Volkswagen Polo Genesises licensed in Great Britain at the end of June 2026, and a further 125 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 98.6% lower than its peak of 3,543 in 1996. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 71.8% of those still registered are off the road.
Volkswagen Polo Genesises licensed and SORN in Great Britain
This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.
| Year | Licensed | Declared SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 3,372 | – |
| 1995 | 3,538 | – |
| 1996 | 3,543 | – |
| 1997 | 3,531 | – |
| 1998 | 3,504 | – |
| 1999 | 3,533 | – |
| 2000 | 3,494 | – |
| 2001 | 3,439 | – |
| 2002 | 3,328 | – |
| 2003 | 3,162 | – |
| 2004 | 2,977 | – |
| 2005 | 2,622 | – |
| 2006 | 2,118 | – |
| 2007 | 1,670 | 169 |
| 2008 | 1,313 | 121 |
| 2009 | 953 | 130 |
| 2010 | 734 | 102 |
| 2011 | 534 | 101 |
| 2012 | 410 | 91 |
| 2013 | 335 | 82 |
| 2014 | 264 | 91 |
| 2015 | 193 | 112 |
| 2016 | 170 | 115 |
| 2017 | 139 | 126 |
| 2018 | 125 | 122 |
| 2019 | 99 | 133 |
| 2020 | 89 | 129 |
| 2021 | 80 | 124 |
| 2022 | 72 | 125 |
| 2023 | 63 | 129 |
| 2024 | 55 | 123 |
| 2025 | 55 | 120 |
| 2026 | 49 | 125 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
How many Volkswagen Polo Genesises have survived?
4.9% of Volkswagen Polo Genesises are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the Volkswagen Polo from the same era, the figure is 1.9%, so Volkswagen Polo Genesises are 2.6 times as likely to have survived.
Share still registered (licensed or SORN)
Compared with 34 other versions of the Volkswagen Polo from the same era.
| Version | Share still registered |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Polo Genesis | 4.9% |
| Other Volkswagen Polo versions of the same age | 1.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Volkswagen Polo MOT reliability
In 2025, 67.4% of Volkswagen Polo MOT tests were passed first time, against 72.8% for all cars. Cars of the same ages pass 71.2% of the time, so the Volkswagen Polo does worse than average for its age, by 3.8 points.
DVSA's MOT results name the model, not the version, so these figures cover all Volkswagen Polos tested, the Genesis among them. For the full breakdown, including defects in detail and results year by year, see the Volkswagen Polo page.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: Volkswagen Polo vs all cars
Each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older fleet does not count against the model.
| Vehicle age | Volkswagen Polo | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 91.6% | 89.5% |
| 4–5 years | 87.4% | 87.6% |
| 6–7 years | 76.5% | 83.0% |
| 8–10 years | 74.1% | 75.7% |
| 11–14 years | 62.2% | 65.5% |
| 15–19 years | 52.7% | 58.0% |
| 20+ years | 49.6% | 61.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failure categories
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common reason a Volkswagen Polo fails. A failed test can have defects in more than one category.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 38.7% |
| Suspension | 34.4% |
| Brakes | 24.8% |
| Tyres | 18.7% |
| Visibility | 15.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Other versions of the Volkswagen Polo
Versions of the Volkswagen Polo with their own page. The Volkswagen Polo page covers all 664,223 licensed, whatever the version.
| Version | Licensed | SORN | Still registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Polo CL Coupe | 161 | 681 | 3.6% |
| Volkswagen Polo Genesis Coupe | 69 | 269 | 4.8% |
| Volkswagen Polo G40 Coupe | 52 | 205 | 47.9% |
| Volkswagen Polo S Coupe | 49 | 206 | 3.0% |
| Volkswagen Polo Boulevard Coupe | 64 | 160 | 3.7% |
| Volkswagen Polo GT Coupe | 49 | 168 | 10.5% |
| Volkswagen Polo Genesis | 49 | 125 | 4.9% |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 174 Volkswagen Polo Genesis records (licensed and SORN) | 2 October 2026 |
| MOT results (whole model) | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 631,418 MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately, from 2007.
- This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “POLO GENESIS”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
- Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.