[AvonA7]

Great detailed pictures, it`ll help clear doubts for many of us regarding legroom, head room. Brilliant Chethan, keep up the good work

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Hi Chetan,

You are doing a great job, I like reading your post, you try to give so much information in a detailed way with stats. Just a suggestion, you travel so much why don`t you start creating your own thread in the Travelogue section too. At least people interested in travelling would get to know more about the places too

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Great detailed pictures, it`ll help clear doubts for many of us regarding legroom, head room. Brilliant Chethan, keep up the good work

Thanks AvonA7!

By next week end, I will start a new thread on Travelogue. To begin with, I am planning to cover my trip to Europe in 2008, covering England, France, Germany and Austria - in 5 weeks. A typical, cost effective, well planned, back-packers trip with family! It was fun. I will post a link on this thread, once I start it.

[Thad E Ginathom]

It's nice to see those pics with the rear seat folded.

This is the great advantage of a hatchback (although many of us may never use it); that it can have amazing temporary carrying space.

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

My service is not due. Even the first service is done after 15,000 Kms! I am going in for a simple checkup at 5000 Kms. This is free. I expect them to check all fluid levels, clean air filter, check under chassis visually, check error log in ECU, rotate tyres if necessary, tighten all bolt/nuts if necessary.

I will enquire in detail with the manager, corroborate it with the schedules mentioned in the user manual and post it by next week. Also, since it make sense for me to take AMC, I will put in my money. Contract that comes along with it, will have all the details. I will consolidate every thing and post.

Chethan, sorry for the error in kms. Looking forward to the details regarding servicing.

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Rear head room is at a premium! So far, it has not created any problems. In fact, we had not even felt/noticed it. All my family members are less then 5'10".

Rear seat - Split folding option - Neat and practical. Other portion of the seat, can also be folded in a similar way. Parcel tray can be detached - if necessary.

Rear head room: Didn't realize it was so less. Guess I was sitting slouched.

Rear seat folding option: Thanks for the pics!

[adimicra]

Hi all,
I am currently looking for a premium hatchback. So, went to check out the Polo.
Things I liked are obvious - build quality, clean and elegeant styling etc and everybody knows about all these.
What I want o highlight are the issues faced and this will be more or less true for anyone of my height ( I am 5'5") and build (slightly on the heavier side).

First of all, without the height adjust, the visibility in the front is really bad. So, I increased the seat height to address the issue. Now, when I lift my left knee to depress the clutch, my left knee started hitting the steering column (as told by GTO in his review). Also, my left knee was hitting the central console as I tried to get comfy behind the wheel. The kneeroom was really bad for me. So, the entire driving position was cramped and uncomfortable. I feel better in my Santro.
On the flip side, one of my friends who is about 5'10" found a comfortable driving position by adjusting the seats (pushing them back a lot and pulling the steering towards him) as mentioned by Chetan.
So, to conclude, it seems like Polo is not the car for you if you are on the shorter side.
Also, the rear felt cramped particularly compared to the Micra which we checked just before the Polo mainly because of the huge headroom in the Micra and slightly more legroom ( We measured it the same way as Chetan had done for both the cars).
This issue, along with the high price of the Comfortline and Highline variants and also the 4-5 month waiting period was a deal breaker to me. ( I think the Trendline is good VFM though).

[Chethan B G]

Polo Tdi - Power and Torque development graph






Consolidating my observations:

• Lowest speed through gears:

1. 3rd Gear can pull from as low as 20 Kmph comfortably without stalling.
2. 4th Gear can pull from as low as 30 Kmph comfortably without stalling.

• Engine speed through gears:

1. 3rd Gear - 80 Kmph - 3600 RPM
2. 4th Gear - 100 Kmph - 3200 RPM
3. 5th Gear - 80 Kmph - 2000 RPM
4. 5th Gear - 100 Kmph - 2500 RPM
5. 5th Gear - 120 Kmph - 3000 RPM
6. 5th Gear - 140 Kmph - 3500 RPM
7. 5th Gear - 160 Kmph - 4200 RPM

• Fuel Efficiency:

1. City - 14 Kmpl with AC
2. Highway - 20 Kmpl with AC
3. Mixed - 17 Kmpl with AC

• Performance:

1. 0 - 100 Kmph ======> 15.8 Secs

• In Gear acceleration:

1. 3rd Gear - 20 to 100 Kmph - 14.8 Secs
2. 3rd Gear - 30 to 100 Kmph - 13.2 Secs
3. 4th Gear - 30 to 100 Kmph - 20 Secs
4. 4th Gear - 40 to 100 Kmph - 14.3 Secs

Down-shifting can get us to the required speed faster. All these readings were taken with AC & with 2 co-passengers on board.

I have driven at a maximum speed of 160 Kmph in 5th gear. I could feel the reserve power to go further!! Engine was very much relaxed. Road conditions did not allow me to go further.

[yash.giri]

Dear all,
After waiting for nearly 4 months, my polo petrol trendline will be delivered on Wednesday.

Dear polo owners,
1. Do you see a need to upgrade the headlights? Has anyone done it?
2. Wanted to get fog lamps? Any info of its costs and availability?

Regards,
--Yash

[pawan_pullarwar]

They are awasome figure out of this little 1.2 CRDI liter engine.

[adimicra]

Chetan,
The claimed top speed of the Polo TDI is 160 kmph as per VW. As per road test from ACI and carwale, the actual top speed is 156 kmph approx. But the speedometer is always optimistic and shows higher numbers. Also, the in-gear acceleration numbers are similar to the Swift diesel, which is very difficult to believe. Actually, this kind of tests need sophisticated instruments for accurate measurement because there is a high chance of manual and speedo errors in the process. Anyways, nice try and should give some rough numbers.

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Chetan,
The claimed top speed of the Polo TDI is 160 kmph as per VW. As per road test from ACI and carwale, the actual top speed is 156 kmph approx. But the speedometer is always optimistic and shows higher numbers. Also, the in-gear acceleration numbers are similar to the Swift diesel, which is very difficult to believe. Actually, this kind of tests need sophisticated instruments for accurate measurement because there is a high chance of manual and speedo errors in the process. Anyways, nice try and should give some rough numbers.

Dear adi,

For Polo-Tdi, VW claims a top speed of 164 Kmph (That might be the actual speed) and a 0-100 Kmph in 14.4 Secs.

I have not read carwala reviews. ACI (April edition) mentions the top speed of 153 Kph, but does not mention if it is for a petrol/diesel Polo. Car-India & Zig-Wheels, have quoted a max speed of 170 Kmph.

Speedometer always comes with an error - in any car. My reference has been only the speedometer - with what ever errors it has. I have achieved 160 Kmph in 5th Gear, at an engine speed of 4200 RPM. Yet, I could feel the reserve-power. Polo-Tdi, red lines at 5000 RPM.

Same ACI (April edition) claims:
20-80Kph in 3rd Gear :- 13 Secs.
40-100Kph in 4th Gear :- 15.74 Secs.

My readings are not very far off from them - That too, considering that I could not conduct the tests on flat roads. I agree with you that there is a need to have sophisticated instruments for accurate measurements.

In Gear acceleration figures I indicated are of Polo-Tdi, which I have personally taken. I can not help it, if it is similar to Swift-Diesel. "Difficult to believe" is a different subject all together, which does not fall in to the scope of this discussion.

When a Owner presents this kind of a report, it is obvious that tests are conducted with errors - which is due to practical situations (but never a question of integrity). These readings are always seen as a rough indication. One thing is for sure - If any other Polo owners/users do similar tests with a Polo-Tdi, which has already run in, they will definitely get similar readings. Error can be 10% Max.

Polo-Tdi's Engine may be a small one. But when it comes to performance - It stands tall. Have no doubt about it. Only issue is WRT TurboLag. Take a TD, you can know it for yourself.

I always believe in discovering the product I come across, to the maximum extent possible. Be it a Mobile-Phone or a Car. Being passionate about the subject, is the key.

This is only my honest opinion. No hard feelings please!

By the way - Welcome to Team-BHP!! All the best with the Micra - It is a beautiful car!!

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by yash.giri

Dear all,
After waiting for nearly 4 months, my polo petrol trendline will be delivered on Wednesday.

Dear polo owners,
1. Do you see a need to upgrade the headlights? Has anyone done it?
2. Wanted to get fog lamps? Any info of its costs and availability?

Regards,
--Yash

Congratulations! Will look forward to your ownership experience.

Headlights are poor WRT visibility. I am trying to upgrade. Will post as and when I get it done.

Fog lamps should be available with the Dealer as an accessory/spare part. I read a post on this forum - may be Poloman's ownership thread. Please enquire with the Dealer. May not be available, off the shelf.

[adimicra]

Dear Chetan,
do not get me wrong. I m not questioning your integrity.What I am saying is it is difficult for any normal person to measure these things accurately. And if the results are not accurate enough, it might be misleading. For numbers, it is better to read some professional magazines who have adequate instruments and resources.
And the company always claims the best. If they say the top speed is 164 kmph, it is difficult to achieve that speed. When you say there is lot of reserve power at 160 kmph, I seriously disagree because if the top speed is 164 ( if we believe VW), then also there is not much headroom. Carwale has given the top speed to be ~156 kmph. Again, since you do not know the speedo error, you do not know the actual speed. Some cars have huge speedo errors but that does not make those cars faster.
What I look forward to ownership reports is sharing the actual real life experiences of living with your car and which you are doing wonderfully well! The number crunching is best left to auto-magazines..my 2 cents!

[adimicra]

Chetan,
I am not yet confirmed with Micra. I like the Polo and still have it as an option. Things will only be clear after the pricing and test drive which will be available after a couple of days.
As I said, right now I prefer the Micra because of the lower price (expected) and the much more airy cabin.
If I do not like the Micra test drive or pricing, I might end up booking the Polo. Do not know what to do with my id then!
Planning to take the test drive of the Polo again just after I test drive the Micra so that I do not have any doubts.
Coming to the numbers, I agree with what you said, we can only have rough approximate numbers and there might be an error or around 10% ( human error plus speedo error). Now my issue is 10% is a huge difference - it is the difference between a Swift and a Santro (which I own)...so we do have to consider these numbers keeping this thing in mind.
Believe me, only a few days back while returning from the airport, I hit a top speed of 156 kmph on my Santro (speedo indicated). Now, I know for sure that there is quite a bit of speedo error and the top speed in Santro will never cross 150 kmph.
Hope you get my point.
Thanks for the welcome to this wonderful forum and keep enjoying your black beauty! You are doing a really commendable job!

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by adimicra

Dear Chetan,
do not get me wrong. I m not questioning your integrity.What I am saying is it is difficult for any normal person to measure these things accurately. And if the results are not accurate enough, it might be misleading. For numbers, it is better to read some professional magazines who have adequate instruments and resources.
And the company always claims the best. If they say the top speed is 164 kmph, it is difficult to achieve that speed. When you say there is lot of reserve power at 160 kmph, I seriously disagree because if the top speed is 164 ( if we believe VW), then also there is not much headroom. Carwale has given the top speed to be ~156 kmph. Again, since you do not know the speedo error, you do not know the actual speed. Some cars have huge speedo errors but that does not make those cars faster.

Coming to the numbers, I agree with what you said, we can only have rough approximate numbers and there might be an error or around 10% ( human error plus speedo error). Now my issue is 10% is a huge difference - it is the difference between a Swift and a Santro (which I own)...so we do have to consider these numbers keeping this thing in mind.
Believe me, only a few days back while returning from the airport, I hit a top speed of 156 kmph on my Santro (speedo indicated). Now, I know for sure that there is quite a bit of speedo error and the top speed in Santro will never cross 150 kmph.

What I look forward to ownership reports is sharing the actual real life experiences of living with your car and which you are doing wonderfully well! The number crunching is best left to auto-magazines..my 2 cents!

Adi, I think you have got it wrong.

Most Owners are not experts. They will not have any gadgets. Ownership thread, as you said is sharing real life experience with the car. It can be of fun sharing also. What-ever said and done, Ownership thread will not be a match (even to 10%) to a professional test drive report as far as performance/timing figures are concerned. Nobody will take it seriously to get misled.

I can give you references of 5 magazines quoting 5 different values. Some of them might be biased also.

Speedo error in any car will not be more then 5%. If you consider your own experience with Santro, what difference will 6 Kmph do (at 150 Kmph reading), to a person reading your post. He knows that you are referring to your speedometer. He also knows that you are not an expert. So - Don't worry!

Coming to the figures that I have posted:

• Speedo error can be taken at 5%, which is applicable to all the readings.
• Lowest speed through gears, Engine speed through gears and Fuel Efficiency - are very straight forward readings. Human error is negligible.
• Top speed - I would recommend you to test it. Take a Speedo error of 5% and try. You will be amazed! Tell me if you are not.
• Performance and In Gear acceleration, can take a beating due to non-ideal conditions. That is the reason, I have mentioned 10% tolerance, including Speedo error.
• Again - These are figures - Just for fun - But not far away from the truth!.

Originally Posted by adimicra

Chetan,
I am not yet confirmed with Micra. I like the Polo and still have it as an option. Things will only be clear after the pricing and test drive which will be available after a couple of days.
As I said, right now I prefer the Micra because of the lower price (expected) and the much more airy cabin.
If I do not like the Micra test drive or pricing, I might end up booking the Polo. Do not know what to do with my id then!
Planning to take the test drive of the Polo again just after I test drive the Micra so that I do not have any doubts.
Thanks for the welcome to this wonderful forum and keep enjoying your black beauty! You are doing a really commendable job!

I would suggest, keep the price aside and look at the car for what it can offer. In my view, I do not mind paying 50K more for something I am sure off.

IMHO a test drive should be atleast for a distance of 10 Kms. Otherwise it is a waste. I like the Ad given by GM for Beat!! - "Test Drive the car like you own it!!"

Micra is a good car and surely will satisfy all the needs of a common commuter. My very close friend (classmate and roommate), who is also my neighbor, is looking for a car. We have started to look out for a car again! Choice will be between Micra and Etios. It will be a Petrol car. Not a Polo because, we always keep different cars. That way, we can enjoy both the cars!

Edit: I plan to invest Rs.10 for the car, so that I become the co-owner. That way, I can start another ownership review - Thread!! - lol

[carfanatic007]

Originally Posted by yash.giri

Dear all,
After waiting for nearly 4 months, my polo petrol trendline will be delivered on Wednesday.

Dear polo owners,
1. Do you see a need to upgrade the headlights? Has anyone done it?
2. Wanted to get fog lamps? Any info of its costs and availability?

Regards,
--Yash

Congrats mate, so a ne ownership thread on the anvil

Which dealer are you getting the car from?