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Old 25th April 2013, 19:34   #31
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Good review. I guess you have run into the best of the TSI + DSG combo - seamless performance - rapid gearshifts, great midrange etc. I don't think VW intended this to be a volume model - they sort of replaced 1.6 with this even in the price by adding DSG. Perhaps there would be a manual coming soon. I'm pretty sure that the DSG will be faster than the manual, no matter who drives and will also give better fuel economy. This is true about almost all of the high performance VW hatchback - The Golf GTI, the Golf R are faster and more efficient with the DSG.

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Old 25th April 2013, 19:52   #32
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

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Originally Posted by mobike008 View Post
Long-term reliability concerns over the DQ200 DSG transmission

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Originally Posted by Vid6639 View Post
Now waiting for Maruti to plonk the 1.4L K14 engine from Ertiga into Swift and Ford to plonk the Fiesta 1.6L engine into the Figo. That will be mouth watering propositions.

Much awaited review Avi! And I totally echo what Viddy mentioned about 1.4L K series Swift and the Figo upgrade. (But not 1.6/1.5L but the 1L Ecoboost ).


Question for you :
At TD time did VW have any statement to make regarding the gearbox reliability? This question must have been surely raised.
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Old 25th April 2013, 19:58   #33
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

How different is the drive compared to 1.6? Autocar test timing isn't much different between the two.

I agree, manual must also be launched for this engine. However, this engine is a gem and beats anything upto 1.6l hands down, being the world engine of the year winner.
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Old 25th April 2013, 20:03   #34
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

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Originally Posted by v.anand View Post
How different is the drive compared to 1.6? Autocar test timing isn't much different between the two.

I agree, manual must also be launched for this engine. However, this engine is a gem and beats anything upto 1.6l hands down, being the world engine of the year winner.
Haven't driven the TSI yet (will leave it to mobike to answer) but my guess is they are as different as chalk and cheese. the 1.6L VW petrol engine produces 153 Nm of torque@ 3750 rpm. Same number of horses to boot. The beast of a TSI produces 174 as early as 1500 RPM . The lack of low end grunt is painfully obvious on the 1.6 and it always amuses me when people refer to the now-extinct 1.6 Polo as an enthusiast car- NOT with that engine!
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Old 25th April 2013, 20:10   #35
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

This is a good trend where manufacturers are bringing performance hatchbacks. Probably to differentiate themselves in the hatch space were it is pretty crowded. So we have 2 new performance products in few months time- liva trd and now polo1.2 GT. With petrol-diesel gap set to reduce, no wonder action is in petrol and not diesel as earlier.
TSI+DSG is too good. Hope this is priced right
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Old 25th April 2013, 20:25   #36
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Unfortunately though I think this will flop. If you are an enthusiast and want a glorious handler, you are better off buying the fiesta 1.6 sxi which is a steal (should easily be cheaper than this by a Rs. 1-1.5 lakh - income tax department has infact filed a case against ford for selling fiesta petrols below cost !!).

Stretch the budget a little more and I suspect the new t-jet would be only a lakh more or so above this which has probably 80% of the technology but will have an overload of features, great handling and of course boot and better looks (rain sensing wipers, auto head lamps, bluetooth etc.) . Or for the same price you can get a 2 year old skoda laura tsi with <10,0000 kms on the clock and mod it heavily. With a DSG this falls in no man's land - very few people in India discern a DSG's benefits and unfortunately the risk of a conk-out still far outweighs the benefits, at least, as of now.

If you are an average joe who wants to have fun around the bends, you might as well buy the swift petrol zxi at < Rs. 7 lakh OTR. You can run amok without worrying abour gear box or reliability. Why pay Rs. 9 lakh OTR for a TSI hatch when you can get a t-jet for Rs. 10.5 lakh - bigger engine, more space, more features, better handling, boot ?
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Old 25th April 2013, 20:40   #37
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

This is perfect for someone who needs a quick automatic hatch as a daily driver. It is powerful enough, can be remapped to 140bhp and it has the brilliant DSG. Sure some extra care needs to be taken with the DSG (like putting it into N at even short stops) to stop it from getting hot and possibly leading to failure. But on the whole for someone who doesn't need a boot this is a great car. Also brilliant to see ESP offered in this segment.

People are comparing this to cars like the T-Jet and the Fiesta, but this car is in a niche of its own. For example me, I've got 3 sedans and a mini suv at home. I use the Accord as a daily drive, besides being heavy on fuel it is also pretty big. Something like this would be perfect for me (after a few mods of course). What worries me more than the DSG is VWs after sales service, in fact it worries me a lot more than the DSG.

Now this car with a remap, intake and exhaust, upsized rims and tyres, a nice set of coilovers and of course paddle shifts will be perfect.
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Old 25th April 2013, 20:55   #38
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Wow! Great review! Thanks!

What a car! Being a Laura TSI owner, i can imagine the brilliance of this engine.

Looks could have been more aggressive with better wheels, flat bottom steering wheel, exclusive bright/sporty colors only available for Polo GT TSI to give owner a more premium product ownership.

Its sad that no manual tranny is available for now. VW is definitely targeting it at a niche segment of consumers and not going for volume. DSG will surely bump up the price. Great product from VW stable nevertheless.

OT- It is time TBbhp also includes short video reviews (like acceleration, engine and muffler sounds etc) as part of official test drives to take it to the next level.
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Old 25th April 2013, 20:57   #39
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Great Review. What i wanted to know is whether ESP is available on the other Polo's as well or only for the GT? Additionally i read somewhere that the spare wheel that comes along with the GT is also Alloy. Could you confirm this?
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Old 25th April 2013, 21:17   #40
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Info: A birdie tells me that Polo GT 1.2 TSi will be priced at 6.5 lac Ex-Showroom Thane. 20 days waiting with colors white and black.

Price seems to be reasonable enough for car of this order.
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Old 25th April 2013, 21:24   #41
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

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Originally Posted by el lobo 6061 View Post
Info: A birdie tells me that Polo GT 1.2 TSi will be priced at 6.5 lac Ex-Showroom Thane. 20 days waiting with colors white and black.

Price seems to be reasonable enough for car of this order.
Price appears too good to be true.

If it happens so, can see many t-bhpians queuing up in front of the showrooms.
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Old 25th April 2013, 21:33   #42
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Finally; a true successor to the old Fiat Palio GTX. Well done VW.

Fiat India; don't keep your customers waiting for the Abarth. Start offering a T Jet edition of the Grande Punto.

The VW GT has nailed it spot on. There has never been a hot hatch that bettered the old Palio for the last 13 years. This time, we have something genuinely good. Excellent equipment levels, Quality, Safety net, Performance, and Technically brilliant. What more can you ask for from a car.

Once again, the GT will be a niche car. A car you always look for and when you do see one, you respect the owner for the car he/she has chosen.

An added bonus would have been the SR body kit or something to distinguish the GT. Those badges don't do enough.

There does not appear to be any inter cooler piping but I do see plumbing for the liquid cooled turbo charger. Its about time every car had this to save the turbo.

I believe the DSG will be quicker than a stick shift. It just needs to be reliable.

A superb new launch by VW. I hope this car finds takers. The joy of driving a turbo petrol is unmatched.
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Old 25th April 2013, 21:55   #43
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

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Originally Posted by avira_tk View Post
The steering it seems isa bit numb, at parking speeds this is a blessing, on the highway it gets tiring.I just read an article saying that this was a HPS system, pretty sure that is not the case, can someone verify? The article was written by an OD big shot.
It comes with a HPS unit and not an EPS which would have been way too lighter like the ones that you see in Honda City. They have used a nice fancy terminology to give that marketing flair

Steering feel is quite decent. Though I personally would have preferred a slightly more weighty overall feel

Quote:
Originally Posted by Santoshbhat View Post
I wish VW had done away the 3 pot 1.2 and replaced it with this 1.2 TSI and saved the 1.4 TSI for the "GT" , with a proper body kit and sporty suspension. I hope VW has done their homework on the DQ200 DSG box. Its one thing to ask 2L from a Superb owner to replace a failed gear box and another thing from the owner of a sub 10L hatchback.
If only wishes were horses. Please add the 1.6D in the Polo as well

Everyone is hoping the same on the DSG gearbox that the issues that cropped up in Superb wont be repeated in the Polo. Lets keep our fingers crossed as only time will tell us

Quote:
Originally Posted by anandpadhye View Post
So even if you are in the manual mode, the DSG will downshift during corners? Why would that be?

BTW, other member forecasted that there will be no intercooler in this version. Is that true? Does it make any perceptible difference in hot weather, bumper to bumper traffic?
Downshift purely depends on the rpm range to ensure that car doesnt stall. If your taking a corner at really slow speed then gear will downshift but, if your throwing the car in the corner at a higher speed then downshifts wont happen.


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Originally Posted by Arch-Angel View Post
Ah Mobike, a really great review of a good car. 104 horses seem delicious but real enthusiasts would love to have this in a manual.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBrad View Post
And, I hope VW doesn't over price it though. But with a TSI motor, DSG box and other expensive gadgetry, I don't think they're looking for too much volumes either.
Pricing is everyone's guess as VW is tight-lipped about this even till today. Iam sure the concrete information on pricing should be out in a day or two.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBrad View Post
Do you have any range/avg mileage figures that you got through the MID? With an ARAI rating of 17.2kmpl, I guess it should be pretty fuel efficient when driven sedately.
Hold on to your horses. The worst mid showed was 7.2kmpl and best was 9.8kmpl. But, then i was clipping it to a large extent

Quote:
Originally Posted by CPJ View Post
Excellent Review as always.
I'm little disappointed with the fact that there is no manual transmission to play around with this gem of an engine. However people looking for a sub 10 lakhs auto box, the Polo 1.2 TSI seems like a very good option.
Iam not sure why everyone is rueing over the non-availbility instead of getting excited about the DSG box which is a surprise offering in this segment.

Trust me, Iam a complete manual lover and tiptronic mode in DSG box is a fun mode and you will not really miss the MT too much.


Quote:
Originally Posted by aaggoswami View Post
Nice and very precise review.

1) What is quality of fuel required ? Considering that still we are not having 95 RON fuel, will it do good on 91 RON ? Was there any clarification and/or specification provided by VW ?

2) Price will make this car elude the main target market for this car. Diesel will still be the preference for many Polo buyers.

3) Maintenance and parts is another area where I feel that Polo owners will feel the pinch. Also, as far as petrol cars go, people are not used to idling ( they dont do it even with diesels ) which might not be good in the long run.

4) Rear discs must be provided for a car which is powerful by Indian standards.

5) Extended warranty or any thing is an absolute must for this car due to the gearbox. A simple manual six speed would be much better and reliable option than the not-so-reliable dual clutch gearbox.
I agree on rear discs missing part, they could have easily accomodated that to make the car fully loaded and ensure greater safety.

There was no mention of specific fuel grades to be used for the engine which is logical considering its not a possibility if VW is planning to sell this car in decent volumes

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
Super review Avi. The interior pics looked very familiar- the GT TSI shares the gear lever and MID (including gear indicator) with my Vento . The new upholstery gives it an evil look, though!

DSG and TSI engine on a hatchback- finally VW does something that offers an enthusiast a real option! Hopefully the DSG woes are behind them.
I too noticed everything looked familiar to the Vento/Polo except for a few subtle changes which you outlined. For a new buyer, everything will look exciting and sporty

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vid6639 View Post
Obviously they are not after numbers since the car has cutting edge tech, very decent features which equates to higher price tag also.

Guys who own high end cars and want a second car will love this option now.

This is the only way to get back sales of petrol cars. Offer class leading performance and try to appeal to the fun to drive factor rather than the FE. Ever since the govt. regulations for 1.2L engines came into effect the fun to drive factor has vanished and we got slow petrol motors that were detuned in interest of FE. Then the petrol prices shot up and killed this segment completely. With the 1.5L TRD Etios Liva and not the Polo GT, the appeal moves to the performance and fun factor which I think is the way to go.

I seriously think this engine and DSG box should also go into the Vento as well. It will give a small scare to the Honda City and Hyundai Verna.
Bang on Viddy. Infact, after the drive I had already made my mind that if i want to buy a petrol hatch, this would be one as i was so enamoured by this fun to drive car. Only thing that may pull away prospective buyers like me is price tag and also the reliability of DSG box

I can predict people will be snapping away this car in "pre-worshipped" market a few years down the line

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mpower View Post
Superb move by VW...almost !!!

A turbo on a 1.2 engine is a clever way to get around exise regulations. Have your cake & eat it too !!!

Imagine how much more affordable it would be with a M/T. (how much is it on the Superb.. lakh&half?)
They kept it simple. One Variant. One Gearbox option. Premium Price. It's almost like inviting a select few customers who are serious about their driving.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Question for you :
At TD time did VW have any statement to make regarding the gearbox reliability? This question must have been surely raised.
Not just me. Everyone had the same question but, our question was ambigiously responded which doesnt really give a clear picture

Therefore, its best to wait for actual owners feedback and for time to tell us they really fixed the issues that were with this gearbox in the past.

Quote:
Originally Posted by v.anand View Post
I agree, manual must also be launched for this engine. However, this engine is a gem and beats anything upto 1.6l hands down, being the world engine of the year winner.
Comparing a 1.6L with a 1.2L is like comparing oranges to apple. But, with this 1.2L TSI motor fortunately it wont be the case. You can compare this 1.2L with a 1.6L because the overall feel of the engine is equivalent to the bigger engine.

TSI + DSG gearbox is simply a fun quotient combination

Quote:
Originally Posted by DexterMorgan View Post
OT- It is time TBbhp also includes short video reviews (like acceleration, engine and muffler sounds etc) as part of official test drives to take it to the next level.
Good Suggestion. We try our best to cover as much as possible in the short time the car is available with us.

Quote:
Originally Posted by el lobo 6061 View Post
Info: A birdie tells me that Polo GT 1.2 TSi will be priced at 6.5 lac Ex-Showroom Thane. 20 days waiting with colors white and black.
If this is true, the OTR will be 7.25L Mumbai and this is simply too mouthwatering. I think it will be unlikely they will launch at this price.

Last edited by mobike008 : 25th April 2013 at 21:59. Reason: spell mistakes corrected
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Old 25th April 2013, 22:17   #44
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Somehow was expecting a 200+ kmph top speed from this. Am curious as to whether it will actually manage to duck below the 10sec mark for the 0-100 times. The inability of the DSG to hold revs in a corner is a definite turn-off for a performance variant. Lets also see what the pricing comes up as.
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Old 25th April 2013, 22:25   #45
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Re: Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Very nice review mobike!
I think this is a good move by Volkswagen, but I would love to have seen them replace the 3 pot 1.2 with this and put the 1.4 in the GT as someone mentioned above. Also, would love to see this engine in the Rapid and the Vento, which would also reduce costs thanks to larger numbers.
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