[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

You did mention that you found yourself shifting gears more often than necessary but you said it cleared the 2nd gear speedbreaker test. How was the overall gearing in your opinion? Was it tuned towards better city driveability?

The gearing is on the taller side. 2nd gear touches speedo indicated 100Kmph.

However overall driveability is not that bad since the torque comes in early. As a result you can clear speedbrakers in 2nd provided they are not those sharp axle breaking ones.

We found ourselves shifting gears more often not because of poor driveability but because it was so much fun to go down the gears and fly past traffic.

You purposely feel like downshifting and revving the pants off it, cause it keeps tempting you to. As GTO mentioned in the Rapid review: if you get an empty stretch of road and are not tempted to redline in every gear you will get a lifetime achievement award. It literally begs to be driven hard which is why we kept it as the first point in likes.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Now, with DSG gone, I am wondering what could be the target market.

• For first time car buyer, this one does not tick all the boxes. Especially on space followed by comfort.
• For the guy looking for second car, lack of auto box cuts the accessible market size down substantially.

Overall, this car now feels like Mini for the regular market. Sales numbers would tell a similar story.

You do have a point. The GT TSI had a wider appeal cause of the ease of driving an automatic whereas this is more for the purist.

On the other hand, the MT drops the price of the Highline by 2lakhs so the appeal is now for those looking at sub 10L budget. Earlier the GT TSI was 11+ on road in most cities and that was a big stretch.

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Between this and Nios/Aura TGDi, which one has better engine? The 120HP tune in Nios would have probably murdered the Polo is what I am guessing. I think Figo you are referring to here is the TDCi. It is equally fun/efficient and priced similar to a petrol.

The Nios and Aura are detuned to 100BHP not 120BHP like in the Venue and Verna. I haven't driven either so can't comment but from what I read on our review and other portals, it is not sub 10s like the Polo for 0-100Kmph and in terms of dynamics and chuckability won't match the Polo.

But I cannot tell this definitively until I drive the Nios Turbo.

[sharatravan]

What a timely review! I just bought this car after a lot of deliberations and debates between the mind and the heart. At the end, I believe this is the only car that could strike a balance for me between both the mind and the heart. And the review just fortifies my conviction!
In this price point, for an enthusiast, there is simply no other hatchback that offers as complete a package as this does. As GTO mentioned, eventually it is indeed a fight between Ford Figo TDCi and Polo TSI for a buyer looking for a driver's car in this segment. The Freestyle, though a competent package in its own right, will suffer from compromised handling because it rides a little higher. The Nios, another challenger to the Polo, has a typical 'Hyundai-esque' handling and is taller as well, compared to the Polo which sits pretty low. Both have almost the same width so Polo should be a better handler.
Marutis and Hyundais of the world may offer more bling with respect to features and refreshed interiors, but I believe the feature list and interiors in the Polo even today are every bit as functional as the competition. It really doesn't lose out on anything compared to the competition.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Test Drive of this car and the choice eventually became pretty easy for me. The TSI engine and the MT combo just makes it more accessible to the mass market, and also serves the preferences of the purists. It is indeed at a very sweet spot with its current pricing and I'm hoping to see a lot more sales for it.
Just hope VW takes cognizance of this enthusiastic response of Indians to its ancient cars and brings its more modern offerings abroad to our shores. Should serve as a motivation enough for improving the ASS too, its current achilles' heel.

[SansGT]

Excellent review as always!

Did take a test drive of the car. What a piece of engineering! Here are my impressions I posted on another thread. (VW India discontinues DSG in Polo & Vento 1.0 TSI, replaces with torque converter AT)

[PrasannaDhana]

Polo has always been an handsome car. I love the design, specially in that flash red shade. Now the addition of 1.0 turbo petrol with the manual transmission has made it a very good choice in the sub 10 lakh bracket.

But for someone like me, who drives 120 km a day and is 6'2, Polo tsi is not that great a choice when compared to the Figo 1.5 tdci. The Figo is equally fast and fun to drive, has an actually usable back bench and the A.S.S isn't as shady as the Volkswagen, and is cheaper to buy, run & maintain. The Figo will return a good 5 kmpl extra under hard driving than the 3-pot 1.0 turbo petrol. But we will have to compromise on the build quality and the timeless design of the polo though.

[RockingHorse]

Hello all,
My mind tries to compare VW Polo with Tata Altroz.
I am yet to drive both but looking at on paper numbers for now. Comparing n/a petrol engines, Tata wins? Can't really compare in Turbo guise as Tata are yet to launch Turbo petrol (if at all). For me the pull I get is more important than the mileage per litre.
Another area is about the build quality. I am not able to make my mind whether Tata Altroz is any better than VW Polo in this regard. Does 5 star ncap rating mean better build quality than 4 star ncap rating? Is VW's famed door thud sound an important indicator of build quality? But which ever car I spend my money on out of these two, I trust I will be atleast more safe than market leaders' hatchbacks.

[nerd1200]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

It remains to be seen if Volkswagen will ever bring the 6th generation Polo (that is already almost half-way through its life cycle in European markets) to India. Government regulations and the rising costs associated with new tooling & assembly lines have ensured that the 4,053 mm long 6th gen Polo won’t make its way into the country in its current form, unless Volkswagen comes up with something radical only for the Indian market.

As rightly pointed out, there is just no scenario where I see VW bringing in the 6th Gen Polo to India. However, being it's best selling model (or should I say it's bread and butter model) it cannot afford to take it off the catalog too. Hence VW's desperate attempts to keep the model fresh, however possible.

Having said that, SAVWIPL should seriously consider launching the 2020 Fabia here considering it's 4m in length, (yes, maybe rework the bumper slightly) during the portfolio consolidation. It'd be a winner!

Originally Posted by GTO

All I can say is, if you're looking at driving pleasure, it's either this or the Figo. Honestly, it would be a very tough choice between the two.

It's like the Octavia or Jetta question, no?

If you want a diesel, Figo 1.5TDCi, 1.0TSI Polo wins the petrol cake.

[shibujp]

Thanks for the review! Especially since it focused on the only major change which is the engine. And this is a change which suckers like me are willing to pay for. After-all I bought the Baleno RS which cost a sizeable premium over the regular 1.2L petrol.

The design of the Polo has been drooled over repeatedly and let me shamelessly do it yet again. It's just so timeless. I always turn back for a second look.

I love these new 3-pot turbo engines and am sorely tempted to get a Polo TSI to keep company with my RS. The engines offer a very good compromise between fun to drive and not costing the moon. The mid range of any VW is terrific and this seems to be no different. The icing on the cake is the top end whack. However as I found with my GT TDI things like clutch effort do have an impact on the amount of time you can drive at a stretch. For a long termer these niggles become bad inconveniences especially if you are not as young as you once were.

I guess VW will be happy to have Skoda drive the value game with the Rapid addressing the needs of the buyers who need a more spacious package with better value.

Drive on,
Shibu

[SansGT]

Originally Posted by RockingHorse

Hello all,
My mind tries to compare VW Polo with Tata Altroz.

Incidentally, I drove both back to back (one for my father while the other for me). I would like to put out my perspective. Both cars are solid products but I personally would go with the Polo.

• Engine: I don't think there are any comparisons here. You just have to drive both and I bet you can make up your mind there itself. The Altroz engine is perfectly fine while driving in city traffic. It is on the open stretch where the Altroz starts losing the steam. The engine gasps for breath at higher RPMs and the speed build up is not as effortless as the Polo. The NVH is not the best and the engine noise combined with the lack of top end gives a tiring feeling. Having said that, if you solely drive in the city, Altroz will get the work done. (As for the MPI of Polo, I haven't driven it but whatever the reviews are, it is a huge contrast to the TSI. The torque is lesser than 100NM! Better stay away.)
• Gearbox: The 6-speed unit of the Polo is slick and much better to operate than the one in the Altroz which is a bit hard to operate at times (may be the car I drove had a problem).
• Looks: Well this is relative. Altroz is rightly considered as the best looking hatch in the market. However, personally I feel it is a bit overdone and the simple elegance of the Polo attracts me more.
• Cabin: While there is no doubt that the Polo has a dated cabin, but the touch and feel of the interior is still great and I felt it is a bit better than the Altroz. I feel that the Altroz dash is a bit quirky (compared to the neatly laid out dash of the Polo) and the floating touch screen does not appeal too much (may be because of the shape, the Ford's floating system is way better in look and feel). The system though improved from previous Tata cars still feels a bit laggy. On the other hand, the Polo's system, though tiny is much more responsive to touch. The digital tacho in Altroz is a bit hard to read on the go. On the other hand, I love the vibrant MID of the Altroz and the Harman system. The driver's armrest in Altroz is much better positioned than in Polo which makes shifting gears on the Polo a bit tougher.
• Features: Altroz any day. It is well equipped. Only misses out on auto-dimming IRVM, one touch up-down on all 4 windows and steering reach adjust when compared to Polo.
• Backseat comfort: Do I even have to say more? A much roomier bench with an armrest present, it is Altroz any day.
• Safety: Both are among the safest cars you would get with one having a 5* while the other with a 4* rating. Regarding the thud, I don't know how much it translates into build quality, but Volkswagen's door-thuds are from some other universe! You need to hear it to understand how strong it is and gives such a reassuring feeling.
  
  At the end of the day, it is on personal preference. If it is a sexy family car you want which gives you lots of comfort, convenience and practicality, please go with the Altroz. However, if you are after raw power, exquisite handling and the sheer fun of driving and you are ready to compromise on some of the convenience, it has to be Polo even after a decade.

[Hemantteen]

Nice review. Great engine, good design and safe car too. However, there are many things going against this product such as price, practicality and not so good after sales service record. On the outside it is big as baleno but once you step inside you'll wonder where did all the space go. Also, considering how 1.0 L turbo engine is going mainstream with almost all manufacturers, Polo might lose this usp also. Just my opinion.

[landcruiser123]

VW Polo is in India for too long - yet many BHPians are willing to buy it. Such is the level of the engineering in the car. If VW was serious about India (which they don't seem to be), they should have gotten the Up and also modified the new Polo for a sub 4m version during the design phase. (Even Toyota - who wasn't too serious about the Indian market has decided to piggyback on Suzuki for economy cars)

The mass market is divided into 2 segments of people: (and Maruti and Hyundai have understood them)
1. People who want absolute bang for the buck who are satisfied by Maruti
2. People who love bling - are lured by Hyundai.

[SuperSuri]

Amazing review I must say. Also pardon me for the silly question I'm coming up with. As we all know that the Ameo is a basically a Polo till the rear door. So was wondering if we could get the new "Dark Green" window glasses for the Ameo? If yes, what will be the procedure as the ASS will definitely not agree I try to place an order with them for the same. BTW, mine is Dec 2019 AMEO Highline Plus DSG.

Thanks in advance.

Stay Safe!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Although I am seriously interested with the Rapid 1.0 TSi update - the new Polo hardly excites me - the single biggest let down being interior space management. VW can't hide the decade old space management anymore - no matter how good the engine, nor the features IMHO.

With the Vento now ruined with the new face - I'll gladly pick the Rapid Rider among the 1.0 TSi options.

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Between this and Nios/Aura TGDi, which one has better engine? The 120HP tune in Nios would have probably murdered the Polo is what I am guessing.

Weight is one big factor to consider here -

Power to weight -
Aura 1.0 TGDi - 110 bhp/ton
Polo 1.0 TSi - 102 bhp/ton

Torque to weight -
Aura 1.0 TGDi - 191 Nm/ton
Polo 1.0 TSi - 163 Nm/ton

BUT - If only Hyundai's were tested to have proper build quality - it could have been a worthy contender to consider IMHO. Looking at the older crash results and these power figures only look scary, not exciting. . The way Rapid Rider undercuts the Hyundai options in pricing - makes it another no-brainer.

[GTO]

Having driven & really enjoyed the Aura 1.0 Turbo, I am sure the lighter & smaller i10 Nios is even more fun. If someone were looking for a modern fun-to-drive hatchback backed by reliable after-sales, you can't go wrong with the Hyundai...and it is way more refined too. Although VAG's 1.0 Turbo is more enthusiastic & the Polo will have a handling / high speed edge.

[MCR]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The Volkswagen Polo 1.0L TSI is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 7.89 - 9.60 lakhs (ex-Delhi).



What you won’t:

• Many missing features: reversing camera,

There is a possibility to integrate an aftermarket Camera display into the OE Head Unit. Please refer to this link :

https://www.facebook.com/glamouracce...6633333408791/

However good the engine may be, this car is now quiet "old" now and the age really shows in both the interior and exterior designs.
Coming to think of it in the business perspective, this car depreciates more than its rivals and the resale of the same a few years down the line will be a disaster in terms of the value it would retain.
However, this car is a good option as a second car in the house hold or as a keeper car for "escapades".

VW is one company which has never had a clear strategy for India and it shows in the products they sell in India.

[docswarna26]

Nice crisp review. I would still go for the freestyle/aspire Tdci. It is a more pragmatic car, better steering feedback with no compromise on the “fun driving part”.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Driving the 1.0L TSI Petrol MT

95 RON recommended:

So what will happen if we are using lesser than 95 octane petrol?? Because I think normal petrol available at pumps are 91 octane (correct me if I’m wrong)