At last, after waiting for two and a half months, I got my car at 6.30 pm IST –
SC gave me a demo of the car. He specifically asked me to idle for 30 Secs on cold starts. Then he clearly explained all the features of the car. He gave me tips on how to set an ideal driving position. As per his suggestion, I adjusted my driving position as explained below:
1. I sat on the driver’s seat and first adjusted the height of the seat.
2. Then I moved the seat back to such a position that my Knee joint was at 75 degree angle. From this angle I could place my heel on the floor and push the clutch liver, rather than stepping over it like we do in a truck!
3. Then I pulled the steering wheel completely back and lifted it up completely and locked it.
After this I was very comfortable. My knee did not touch any thing. In-fact this position was far better then I used to feel in Spark.
Later he gave us a gift bag which contained – flowers, yummy-yummy chocolates, ganesha idle and a tissue paper box. Further he handed over the keys and congratulated me! Incidentally, I was the first owner of "Polo Tdi – Highline – Black" in Bangalore! Nice to know that!!
I and my family sat inside the car for the first time! Speedo was reading 33 kms. We went straight to a Bunk to fill Diesel and then to the temple for a Pooja. After that we went around the city for some time, came home and had dinner. After dinner, I took my parents, wife and daughter for a long drive!! We went on NICE road between Bannerghatta road and Tumkur road. While coming back, we came via kangeri. Now the Speedo is reading 135 kms! Good 100 kms drive in total to get a hang of it!!
My initial impressions on polo Tdi are as follows:
1. Simple, elegant and uncluttered looks – Does not get outdated – Unlike "fashion of the moment" kind of designs.
2. Excellent build quality – fit & finish – Gives an impression that it is built to last.
3. Quality of material, plastics, paint – Talk volumes.
4. Excellent attention to detailing – Can make out the difference every where.
5. Choice of interior color combination - Classy.
6. Sporty look over all – Be it in its aerodynamic stature, lean & mean looking steering wheel, driving position, low centre of gravity... etc.
7. Tail gate release – Feels great!!
8. Ride and Handling – Best in class – Did not scrap through any humps on Bannerghatta road. However, when it comes to pits, we can feel the effort put in by the suspension.
9. Braking – Excellent feel and bite.
10. Steering response and feedback – Very good – But very light.
11. Excellent gear shift – Felt like using it even if it is not required!!
12. Choice of Alloy wheels – Looks cool!
13. Very frugal Crdi diesel engine with good power & torque.
14. Safety features - Excellent
15. Excellent front seats – Both on lumbar and under thigh support.
16. Rear seat is very good on lumbar & under thigh support, Quite OK on leg room also. I am 6 feet tall. My father who is 5 feet 8 inches tall was sitting behind me with 2 inches to spare.
17. Turbo lag is slightly on the higher side. But seriously, it does not affect Drivibility in B2B traffic. More on this later.
18. Floor carpet gets dirty very fast – Color should have been darker.
19. Some features like ACC, Steering mounted controls, EORVM, are missing – Should have been available atleast as an option.
20. Features like Audio system with USB, Vanity mirror, Toll ticket holder, Boot light, should have been part of the standard equipment.
21. High clutch pedal – But very soft to operate – Absolutely no problem.
22. Engine noise – Not much compared to other Diesel vehicles - Manageable.
23. When the doors are locked by the driver, all doors will be locked. Doors cannot be opened from outside, but can be opened from inside – independently!
Turbo lag: Much has been discussed on this subject when it comes to Polo. I had been driving a Spark before and my experience is as under.
1. This engine has enough power to pull in B2B traffic even if the engine is running below 2000 rpm. This is because, in B2B traffic as in Bangalore, we just have to use the clutch and break and not bother much about accelerator. At the most we will be in the 2nd gear with minimum acceleration.
2. But if the traffic eases out and if we want to suddenly accelerate, we have trouble and we need to downshift. Down shifting when we are in a hurry, is the key.
3. Changing gears at 2300 rpm is the trick. This will keep us in the flow.
4. Past 2000 RPM, I did not find any issues. Power delivery was excellent!
5. I could touch 100 KMPH in top gear and the engine speed was 2500 rpm.
6. At 120 KMPH in top gear, engine speed was around 2900 rpm. Average fuel consumption was shown as 26kmpl, on the MID!!
But, a Variable Geometry Turbo or a Twin Turbo would have helped, particularly since the engine is smaller in size. All in all – It is an excellent car to own and drive. I could hardly find any fault with this vehicle which could turn out to be a deal breaker.
Dealership experience: I found that the people in VW Downtown Dealership were a bit hesitant to own up the responsibility. But they are a good bunch of people who honored their oral commitments without even thinking twice. Lapses on there part were mainly due to lack of support from VW in terms of production/delivery issues. I will be happy to deal with them again in feature as and when need arises. Also I would definitely recommend them to my friends.
Accessories I am planning:
1. Mud flaps – no stock! – will take a week’s time.
2. Sun films – Llumar Neutral 35 SR – will get it done by Monday.
3. Floor mats – Fabric – Got it.
4. Front and back Chromium strips – will be available in 15 days.
5. I have placed order for 3D Kagu mats with Fast track. Will get them in 2 months. This is very good and will cover entire floor area.
6. 3M scotch guard for the seats – will get it done within a week.
7. Teflon coating for the body - will get it done by Monday.
Any thing else is only after a year. Vitamin M deficiency!!!
As I had mentioned earlier, I will be off during the weekend. I will come back on Sunday and post further details and also lots of Pics! So till then….
East or West – Polo is the best!! Some Pics: