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-   -   Volkswagen Polo 1.6L GT TDI : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/143597-volkswagen-polo-1-6l-gt-tdi-official-review-2.html)

Awesome review! Crisp and detailed as ever.

Finally a diesel hatch that makes me want to make the switch from petrol to diesel.
Some concerns about this, I do have. Why has VW not done anything to the suspension?
Plonking a heavy 1.6L engine in the front and leaving the suspension setup unchanged is not a good idea.
Truly this car was conceived with an enthusiast in mind? Nevertheless, seeing as how many BHP-ians have modded their TSI's, I think the GT-TDI will be up for modding soon.

I can already see folks here upping the output using remaps and tuning boxes, stiffening the suspension and getting lower profile tires, thereby making it a true hot hatch.
Let the modding commence! :D

Thanks to these "real" hot hatches, I think its time Hyundai does some real tweaking to their I20 mechanical implementation. True they have been giving what the public demands, but now if they have to push the sales for the premium hatches, they better do this.

They are already facing the heat from the likes of Ecosport.

- All the above points made with no mention of Polo ? At the risk of sounding off-topic?
- All these points are coming out, ONLY because of the Polo !

Excellent review as usual by GTO, Thank you !.
Nice to have a hot hatch from polo and good to know that they think and actually do things for enthusiasts. But it is disappointing to note that the hot hatch nature is only in the engine variant and it does not translate to looks and other essentials of a hot hatch of this capability. I have driven the Vento TDI and was a big fan of the engine and can only imagine what it would do on a hatch with lesser weight. Instead of coming up with the crossover dud, they could have added same or even better visual effects in polo 1.6 and also match up with some goodies like hydraulic steering, all 4 discs, tighter suspensions (come on, this car is definitely not for the mass market, for that you have the Swift DDis which offers best of both worlds). Anyway longing to do a TD and experience the car myself. I don't know why the car manufacturers cannot come up with something which ticks all boxes, despite seeing automotive reviews, feedbacks etc, phew... !

Thanks for sharing a great review of a very desirable car. :thumbs up

I went to check out the GT TDI and loved it. The interior looks very good, the fabric upholstery was top class. Looks like a VFM buy to me. But, there were 2 things I didn't like:

1. Sadly, there are no TD cars available here at Kochi. That engine is the essence of the GT. VW is missing the trick here by not letting the prospective customer taste it and getting blown away.
2. Also, the rear leg room was very less and support from the rear seat was very poor. I think VW should have increased the cabin space at the expense of the boot and thrown a bigger bench at the rear with a 60/40 split.

Isn't the duty 24% for the GT TDI as its still under 4m?

I am having a hard time thinking of this as a good buy at this price.
Of course if it was 120BHP engine, okay, got it. But 104BHP. Heck many C segment cars offer this
104BHP is just your run of the mill slightly high horsepower range engine.
Only a little more than the Honda Amaze!

Regardless of the overall length of the car, since it has a 1.6L engine, it falls into the 27% excise duty price bracket (for engines more than 1.5L/1500cc). The rumored upcoming 1.5L engines should reduce the price of the Polo when it launches next year.

Check out sl. no. 284 in the link below to get an idea about the % of excise duties.

Link - http://www.siamindia.com/Upload/EXCISE2012.pdf

Thanks GTO for the excellent review.

Volkswagen is really taking the game to their competitors.

When talking about the competitors may I ask why the punto 90PS is not coming in the check list ? Is it because of the 1.3Ltr Engine ?

If I remember correctly, VW invented the "hot hatch," with the Golf GTi. The major feature was that it looked perfectly ordinary ...but was anything but.

Hats off to VW for maintaining this tradition. Anyone who really can't live without huge spoilers, racing stripes, painted flames and so on can always go for customisation. Personally, in true GTI tradition, I'd rather have the car that only stands out when the foot is put down.

(OK, the early GTI had distinctive looks, such as the twin headlights (that trickled down to other models). It was recognizable if you looked, but not because of cosmetic "sporty" features)

Great review GTO!

They would discontinue the 1.6 one once the 1.5 arrives. What has to be seen is, how much excise benefit they actually pass to the customers.

One thought came to my mind, with the 1.5 they should be able to shave 1L off this model in tax benefits. Considering the base variant, that should take care of another 1 odd. Then concentrate on the external styling (like Liva TRD), and you have a competent hatch to offer at a 6.5L price point.

Same would be the case if base variant plus auto tyranny is used.
If wishes were horses...

GTO , Can you confirm these things for me

- I am still not sure if Brake assist and EBD is present as their website does not mention it.
- When asked service guys they told they use semi-synthetic oil and not synthetic oil.

Have you driven a Polo GT TDI?

Thank you GTO for the excellent review. :thumbs up

Though we can understand the pricing of the car due to its tax bracket, I am not able to comprehend why VW would miss out on essentials like arm rest and seat pockets. For a car that loves to be revved and offers excellent highway support, an arm rest would put a even bigger smile on the driver.

After Swift, Polo is the car which can be modded tastefully without altering its original looks. Can't wait to see some modded versions of this HOT hatchback.

I thought the Polo Petrol engines were imported from SA and the TDI are from Germany. I remember having read this in the Vento reviews. Have VW changed this of late ?

Crisp Review GTO. Rated 5 stars!
VW needs to add some elements to the interior and exterior to make a visible distinction from the 1.2
The GT badge is aspirational to a lot of buyers and such a differentiation would add to the pride of ownership.

Thats what I thought too! the 1.6 diesel also goes into the Golf, Jetta, Superb whereas the 1.6 petrol is a low tech design and is being phased out

Nice to see another hot hatch making it into the market. With the second car boom in the Indian urban scene, the demand for powerful and feel good hatches is definitely on the rise.

Coming at the same price as the GT TSI, my pick would be the GT TSI. No matter how much pure unadulterated fun the manual stick can deliver, it lacks the convenience of an automatic in urban conditions, where hatches spend most of their time. Besides, the DSG + TSI combo can be fast and fun too!

This car will have the modifiers grinning. A remap, fatter low pro tyres and aftermarket suspension can truly up the 'hot' factor.