[xingamazon]

Originally Posted by Infantarian

Xing, IMO any vehicle cannot be held good or bad just comparing the USP. Its a combination of factors and ultimately depends on what the buyer is looking for. For me, even though budget was not a constraint, I ended up deciding on the Polo considering maybe not less than a 100 features. In fact I was looking at sedans but the Polo launch finally gave me a good option. For me, my car means my first wife. I would never marry a girl just based on a USP like beauty or brains but would consider many other factors.......so ditto with the car.

Originally Posted by rajushank84

I disagree about your point on Ford Figo - its USP is the direct & responsive steering and dynamics, and also the only hatch with zero turbo-lag.

Space is Vista's territory.

Guys, you are right I dont disagree with you, with respect to your USP about this product.

But my viewpoint is not the users USP, if you notice I am talking about the USP in manufacturers viewpoint.

If you go thro Marketing Management lessons, you will know. Before you make a product, you need to know what kind of USP the product should have which would make it a market differentiator and later on, you market the product based on your percieved USP.
Remember the Sandeep story of Figo??

You can marry a girl based on your USP, but before that the girl should know what she is good at, sothat when questioned she will be able to answer what she is an expert at.

Likewise, I am trying to understand what is Polo's USP with VW in mind, I know customers will say lot of thing which will keep varying. Anyway its a too broad topic, guess we have to move on to something else than discuss Marketing Management aspects.

[rajushank84]

Well I guess the Polo's USP from manufacturer's angle is the VW badge, that comes with expectations of quality. That's why they keep advertising that they have tested the ground clearance, etc etc to impress the lay buyer that they have done a lot of testing on the car.

From consumer angle: I havent driven Polo, so those who have driven could comment. But I do keep reading about its good points like stability and build quality.

[sheetumanu]

POLO Diesel's USP that VW is riding on is High Fuel Efficiency I guess. At least, this is what I could figure out with those "Fill 1 litre container with diesel and drive 22 kms..." ad campaigns.

[Subaro123]

Presently, they have only one USP to offer. Book the Car and stop thinking of the delivery atleast for 4-5 months.

IMO, it would have been "Fuel efficiency, strongly built & good ride quality". Rest I feel is ordinary.

[mueensait]

Fantastic Review GTO.. Really Helped.. Where Did u get that lovely Key Chain From??

[mueensait]

Originally Posted by AAK

Hello guys...
Somehow I managed to get a testdrive of Indian Polo, and without any doubt the Gearbox and suspension setup are top notch. Event the 3rd Gen Honda city feels cheap in front of this small beauty.

I feel this is THE drivers car. VW please bring 1.2 TSI to India ASAP.
overall this car shows what Das auto means

cheers

Totally Agree with you... The Korean Cars were never meant to excite and jap cars don't last long enough no matter how well you take care of them. If you are in the market for a solid no nonsense car and plan to keep it for a minimum of 5-7 years then VW Polo is The Car (Das Auto).
For those who can afford to spend more VW pls have the 1.2 TSI as an option.
For everyday motoring and an occasional highway trips the POLO ticks the right boxes.

[diffsoft]

Originally Posted by mueensait

.......... jap cars don't last long enough no matter how well you take care of them..........

Sir, what's the data?

There are some Qualis owners on this forum who have owned it for more than 150,000 kms without any major repairs. I know a friend who owns the OHC that's clocked I think 120,000 + km and no major repairs.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by mueensait

jap cars don't last long enough no matter how well you take care of them. If you are in the market for a solid no nonsense car and plan to keep it for a minimum of 5-7 years then VW Polo is The Car (Das Auto).
For those who can afford to spend more VW pls have the 1.2 TSI as an option.
For everyday motoring and an occasional highway trips the POLO ticks the right boxes.

You know, it is always wise to read your own post once before hitting the post button. It can get very embarrassing to be caught for saying things that one doesn't have any clue about.

Which seems to be the case here:

- Did you actually mean to say that Japanese cars don't last? There are a few Japanese manufacturers, e.g., they go by the name Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki etc., whose cars have been on the road for years and years. They definitely last. Perhaps more than "Das Auto" (unless you meant Mr. Das's auto-rickshaw, which in India wouldn't be surprising, judging how old auto-ricks still go on).

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by Amartya

- Did you actually mean to say that Japanese cars don't last? There are a few Japanese manufacturers, e.g., they go by the name Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki etc., whose cars have been on the road for years and years. They definitely last. Perhaps more than "Das Auto" (unless you meant Mr. Das's auto-rickshaw, which in India wouldn't be surprising, judging how old auto-ricks still go on).

As far as I know Hondas, Toyotas are known for many things that also includes reliability. At least here in India I have seen people ready for pay a little extra for peace of mind while considering these cars, probably thats why Honda City still commands good resale value.

I couldnt understand your last sentence. Are you saying the Car (VW Polo) won`t last for 5-7yrs? If yes, can you please prove your point, it`ll help people taking decisions. Also, are you comparing it with auto-rickshaw?

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

As far as I know Hondas, Toyotas are known for many things that also includes reliability. At least here in India I have seen people ready for pay a little extra for peace of mind while considering these cars, probably thats why Honda City still commands good resale value.

I couldnt understand your last sentence. Are you saying the Car (VW Polo) won`t last for 5-7yrs? If yes, can you please prove your point, it`ll help people taking decisions. Also, are you comparing it with auto-rickshaw?

The VW Polo will definitely last 5-7 years, and since there is no scrapping policy in India, the car will be dragged on even for 50 years. What Amartya was replying to was this "Jap cars don't last long enough no matter how well you take care of them. If you are in the market for a solid no nonsense car and plan to keep it for a minimum of 5-7 years then VW Polo is The Car (Das Auto)". Japs cars are one of the most reliable cars around. The Honda's, Toyota's & the Maruti's have more than proved their worth in the long term.

And the autorickshaw part was a joke (thats how i saw it), refering to the age and condition of the autos plying on our roads...

[AvonA7]

If any scrapping policy existed a good percentage of vehicles would have been off-road now. Going by the review by GTO and also comments and feedbacks from many owners and non-owners of polo there is no reason to worry about that VW Polos reliability or longivity(only time can say tho!). In these 3-4 months the owners have posted their feedback about the car which doesn`t mention about any issues, like parts falling off or mechanical problem or suspension issues etc.

There is a recent ruling by supreme court of India not to allow vehicles >15yrs OLD on road. This ruling was for a case filed in the court related to Old veichles plying in Calcutta. There was a huge chaos and as usual politics was involved to/not to scrap old vehicles. But sooner or later it may come into effect across India considering the growing environment concerns.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Cars should last ten years or more.

My first-generation Honda Civic was about 13 when the engine blew up (although the mileage was low) and, if I had the sense to realise that the increased oil consumption indicated an urgent need for investigation, it might have done many more years.

Japan introduced us Brits to the very idea of reliable cars that did not rust away in a couple of years. Certainly they last.

[mueensait]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

Sir, what's the data?

There are some Qualis owners on this forum who have owned it for more than 150,000 kms without any major repairs. I know a friend who owns the OHC that's clocked I think 120,000 + km and no major repairs.

Well, I was referring to Jap small cars. Sorry About that. Agreed that Toyota's engines last really long but what about the overall feel of the car?? Thats a big question Mark. Will have to wait and watch how the Etios performs on our roads. After experiencing the rattling swift not to metion the various other Maruti's and after seeing the Nissan Micra in flesh which also feels cheap and built to a price i have come the conclusion that Jap cars have a shorter life span over the German ones, I don't think anyone can disagree.
We must admit that the Indian car buyer is maturing and wants better quality and luxury in his small car. More and more people are driving out on the highways now a days and thanks to our expressway speeds having a safer car is really boon.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

As far as I know Hondas, Toyotas are known for many things that also includes reliability. At least here in India I have seen people ready for pay a little extra for peace of mind while considering these cars, probably thats why Honda City still commands good resale value.

I couldnt understand your last sentence. Are you saying the Car (VW Polo) won`t last for 5-7yrs? If yes, can you please prove your point, it`ll help people taking decisions. Also, are you comparing it with auto-rickshaw?

Well, my post was meant to convey the fact that Japanese cars are immensely reliable and work for ages. I was trying to make the original poster see some sense.

About the last part of my post, no, I didn't say that the Polo won't last 5-7 years. That part was to drive home the point that Japanese cars last as long, if not longer, than the VW. Take the part about the auto-rickshaw as a dig at the Das Auto punchline, which I think is misplaced in India.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by mueensait

i have come the conclusion that Jap cars have a shorter life span over the German ones, I don't think anyone can disagree.

We must admit that the Indian car buyer is maturing and wants better quality and luxury in his small car. More and more people are driving out on the highways now a days and thanks to our expressway speeds having a safer car is really boon.

May I..............disagree? If you look at the number of old Maruti's (only considering cars in India) that are still running on our roads, I wouldn't go as far as saying that Jap cars have a shorter lifespan. The Japanese have built their success by making cars with fantastic engines, with a reasonably light weight body (mind you, that doesn't mean unsafe), and having bullet proof reliability.

Your point about the highway cars is right. Having a safer car is indeed a boon, the Polo (and the Punto) gives an owner a sense of security because of the solid build, and I'd agree with that. However, it has been proven that lighter cars can be just as safe.