The regular Polo 1.2L diesel has a 3-cylinder motor with 74 BHP & 180 Nm of torque on tap. It suffers from significant turbo-lag, has a narrow power band and is largely unrefined, whereas this 4-cylinder 1.6L TDI is the diametric opposite. The GT TDI is acceptably refined, has excellent driveability and offers superb open-road performance too. How the tables have turned. The 3-cylinder diesel was the main reason
not to buy a Polo over its competitors. With the GT TDI, the sweet 1.6L diesel is the selling point. Remember, this 1.6L motor is what makes the Vento competent in the higher C2 sedan category. Among cheaper B2 hatchbacks, it's easily the segment leader.
The Polo GT TDI & TSI are the most powerful sub-10 lakh hatchbacks in India today, making an identical 104 horses. Where the GT TDI scores over its petrol counterpart is the
best-in-class 250 Nm of torque (a 75 Nm advantage on the TSI). The GT TDI's torque to weight ratio of 216 Nm / Tonne is superior to that of the new Skoda Octavia and on par with VW's flagship sedan, the Passat! To put things in perspective, the torque / weight ratio of the GT TSI turbo-petrol is 154 Nm / Ton.
The Polo with a 104 BHP diesel is an India-only offering:
Same engine in the Polo Cup cars was tuned to 129 BHP & mated to a 6-speed MT (
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Start the engine and there is a certain amount of clatter. Once warmed up, things get better, though the engine remains fairly audible at all times. It is a common-rail diesel, yet it sounds like the Laura’s old 1.9 Pumpe Düse engine. While sound levels are acceptable inside the cabin, it's quite noisy on the outside. In comparison, the i20's 1.4L CRDi purrs like a kitten.
Turbo-lag is at minimal levels. The Polo GT TDI is very easy to live with in an urban driving environment. Driveability is excellent and you certainly won't be using the gearbox as much as in the 1.3L MJD-powered competition (or the i20 CRDi). The engine tugs without complaint from as low as 1,200 rpm, making it effortless to close gaps in traffic sans a downshift. Leave aside speed-breakers; slip the clutch marginally and you can move from a standstill in 2nd gear itself. 3rd gear is also a vital commuting tool and pulls away happily from speeds in the low 20s. You might buy the GT TDI for its performance, yet it's the practical nature that makes the car endearing to own.
Take the GT TDI out on the open road and the first thing you'll notice is its surprisingly revv-happy nature for a diesel. Floor the pedal and there is a subtle turbo kick, followed by strong acceleration. The engine really comes into its own past 2,000 rpm. Sprinting capability is solid and the Polo 1.6L easily matches the legs of sedans from a class above. 1.3L cars like the Swift diesel aren't even in contention here, they're left behind in the dust. The 1.6L impresses with its spread of torque. Nowhere in the regular revv range are you left wanting. The diesel is responsive and the strong mid-range results in quick highway overtaking moves. The engine revvs clean right up to 5,100 rpm. She strains after that, but if you insist, the needle will climb on to ~5,400 rpm. This is a more usable rpm range compared to most other diesels which run out of breath at 4,000 rpm.
Whilst cruising at a 100 kph in 5th gear, the rpm needle is hovering at ~2,100 rpm (turbo zone). If you want to overtake, merely press the accelerator to access
instant pep (no need to downshift at all). It’s a similar situation when you are cruising about town in 3rd gear at 50 kph (again, revv needle above 2,000 rpm). Floor the pedal and power delivery is instantaneous. Learn to keep the engine on the boil and you can really make fast progress on the expressway. High speed cruising ability is exemplary. At speeds where the 1.3L MJD hatchbacks start running out of breath, the Polo GT TDI is eager to accelerate. I must add that our GT TDI test car appeared to be more revv-happy and smoother at higher revvs than the Vento TDI. This could be down to it using synthetic oil, perhaps, as the engines and state of tune are identical on paper.
No way is the power delivery linear though. There is a sudden surge after 2,000 rpms. Don’t make your passengers uncomfortable by frequently pushing them in the back. As impressive as the GT TDI is, the GT TSI turbo-petrol might be slightly faster in the dash to 100. Reason? Lighting quick upshifts from its DSG gearbox, along with 7 closer stacked gear ratios. No 5-speed manual can match that. Speaking of the manual transmission, the GT TDI's gearing is spot-on and VW has perfectly chosen the ratios. The short-throw gearbox has well-defined gates and slots in nicely, albeit the one on the 1.2L petrol MT is smoother. The clutch pedal's range is on the longer side and it's not super light either. The clutch does require medium-level effort to use. Just like in the Vento diesel, a negative point of the GT TDI is the excessive drivetrain movement felt on the pedals (clutch especially). Pedal vibration is on the higher side, only magnified by higher revvs.
German turbo-diesels are usually fuel efficient and the GT TDI should easily match the numbers reported by Vento diesel owners. Translated, 13 - 16 kpl in the city (depending on traffic conditions) and 17 - 20 kpl on the highway. Big diesel hatchbacks offer you the best of both worlds, good power & fuel economy (unlike powerful petrol hatchbacks). Strangely, the Polo GT TDI's ARAI rating of 19.7 kpl is lower than the Vento's 20.5 kpl. I'm going to put this down to different test conditions (varying temperature, fuel quality etc.).
The Polo seems to be running a softer suspension setup than the Vento. This results in compliant ride quality, including over rough roads. With speed, the ride only gets better and the suspension can flatten the worst of Indian highways. Bump absorption is satisfactory and passenger comfort of tall order (although the suspension can get noisy). Overall, the car has mature road manners by hatchback standards. The chassis has good poise and grip levels are strong. Pushing hard will see her slowly understeer in an entirely predictable manner (no nasty surprises). It can be fun on long straights & fast corners alike. However, on the limit, the GT TDI does feel more nose heavy than the 1.2L Polos. Us enthusiasts will wish for stiffer springs & dampers on this variant. There is more body roll than expected of a hot hatchback. Push hard and the suspension's softer tune becomes very obvious. This also leads to a little more pitching under hard acceleration (i.e. the nose tends to lift more), which amplifies the feelings of acceleration & turbo kick. VW probably chose this setup as it brings better ride quality (what the masses want) and is easier to live with on a daily basis. Still, there isn't a doubt that the Punto remains the benchmark in terms of high speed dynamics......and steering feel.
The steering is super light while parking, and stays light all through city speeds. This not only makes piloting the Polo effortless in congested cities (turning radius = 4.7 meters), but also makes her feel very manoeuvrable in tight traffic. Go out to play and the Polo's electric power steering can spoil the enthusiast' recipe. When cruising over 100 kph, I found the steering lighter than I’d have wished for. The steering is fairly accurate, but don't expect much feedback of it. If only the GT TDI was equipped with a proper hydraulic unit.
The brake pedal is easy to modulate and overall braking action is decent. It's not exceptional though. That additional torque can catch you out at times, and you'll wish that VW gave the GT TDI beefier braking hardware than the Polo's regular variants. To me, it's a letdown that the Polo 1.6 doesn't get bigger anchors at the front & disc brakes at the back.
I recommend enthusiasts an upgrade to superior quality tyres, immediately after taking delivery. The 185/60 Apollo Aceleres aren't up to the job for hard driving. Better tyres will noticeably improve the handling & dynamics package. They could be less noisy too.
The MID’s gearshift indicator in action. If you are in too high a gear at too low a speed, or vice versa, the gearshift indicator will suggest what gear you should shift to, along with an up / down arrow (suggesting an upshift / downshift). In this picture, it's telling me to downshift to 4th:
Thanks to Parrys for shooting the pictures!