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Old 5th August 2015, 13:51   #1
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Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

I am becoming a stalwart at writing these Initial Ownership Reviews, purely because in the last 6 years, this is going to be my 5th review here.

I bought a Ford Fiesta 1.6S in 2009. Loved her to bits. Drove her for 20000 km and sold her due to the urge to go in for a 'bigger' car.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ght=frankmehta
Sold her in 2012 (one of my biggest regrets ever) after using her for 3 years and philandered quite a bit after that.

I took delivery of a used Civic in 2012 and CNG'ed it and used it for over a year.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ght=frankmehta
This car served me very well, save for a few of signature Civic problems.

Then I decided to buy my first Diesel car ever, a brand new Swift ZDI in 2013.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ght=frankmehta
Now this was a surprise. I fell in love with a Diesel for it's shove after 1500 rpm, but I forgot about what happens before that! I drive 100 km a day, and sometimes in dense Mumbai traffic. The lag killed my left foot and increased frustration in traffic. I fit a Race Dynamics Box in the car, which made matters much better but then I realised the typical Maruti quirks. The rattles, and the once cushy ride became quite hard-edged within 20000 km of owning the vehicle. Also, the seat gave me a backache. So the car, which was bought in 2013 was sold in 2014 (in less than a year) with 26000 kms on the ODO.

Simultaneously, in 2013, we also managed to get an Estilo CNG but that is for my parents and still doing us duty.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ght=frankmehta
I enjoy driving it because it's nice and light and goes anywhere. Rattles like a Maruti, and drinks fuel like one. 'Nuff said.

In 2014, the Diesel bug was still on, and after the RD box on the Swift, the hunger for mind-numbing torque and locomotive like pulling power increased. I started getting greedy. An Automatic was the first on my list of priorities, so a used Diesel Auto was my only option. Diesel, safety and auto transmission is a very rare combination in India. If it's a Diesel it isn't available in Auto. And if it's an Auto, you don't get ABS and Airbags and other safety kit. Well, that left me with my only choice, a Chevrolet Cruze LTZ.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ght=frankmehta
The car was in great condition, and served me well with a Dual-Channel RD box. Power was it's first name, but sadly, fuel efficiency wasn't even a distant relative. I got an FE of 9 kmpl, and with my running, costs shot through the roof. Maintaining a C-segment car is also quite a tough ask and the per KM. cost shot up for me. Which isn't very favourable.




Which brings us to this. June, 2015.
There's a reason why I have posted the links to my earlier reviews. Before buying the cars I have mentioned above, I test-drove a lot of cars. Lots of free time on hand and the inclination to drive more cars before choosing "The One" made me go to individual showrooms and drive each car.


This time, it was much more complicated.
In a nutshell, three things happened:

1. I put the Cruze for sale and found an owner in a week. Didn't have a spare car.

2. This was in June, and I had set my eyes on the New Honda Jazz V CVT. Pestered everyone in a lot of showrooms to get hold of an Orchid White Honda Jazz V CVT and even pre-booked it the day the pre-bookings started but delivery was at least a month away. I would have been a fool to take delivery of the car without driving it.

3. Prices were announced. Test-drove it on Launch day itself. Came back highly disappointed. "9.45 lakhs for this performance?" I thought.
NOW, after driving the Jazz, one car came to my mind. JUST one car. Nothing else would do! The POLO GT TSI. I had driven it a couple of times before, and had always wondered, "What if.......?"

Jazz V/s Polo??

So, this time, no long test-drives, no procrastination, no waste of time. Just barged into the VW showroom next door (Arya Honda and Downtown Volkswagen are neighbours in Prabhadevi, Mumbai) and asked for the stock-position of the GT TSI. They had a White TSI (June make) and a Carbon Steel Grey TSI (May make)
I had decided before entering the showroom, that if there was a car in stock, I would take my cheque-book out and cut them a cheque.
Which is exactly what happened. The math was pretty simple. WHY should I spend 9.45 lakhs on a car that has a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated engine and CVT, when 30 odd k would get me a 1.2 litre Turbo-charged, Direct Injection TSI engine with a 7-speed DSG gearbox? You tell me. For me, the writing was on the wall. My wife and me are the only ones who travel. So the extra space in the Jazz wasn't really a major draw for me and i decided to take the plunge after seeing the mess Honda had made, what with deleting equipment from the car and pricing it bang into GT TSI territory. Their biggest mistake! I am sure there are many more who were waiting for the Jazz to be launched before making their choice.


I made the payment on 16th of June, and I was promised delivery in 4 working days. So I expected the car on the 24th of June.
Turns out, the guy who took my booking left the company, and assigned another sales rep to me, who was actually a trainee. Appalling!
I called Downtown and managed to find a contact, who eventually took matters in his own hands. Turns out, the car went in for registration late, and hence I could only get delivery of the car on the 2nd of August!

2nd, August, 2015:
All the anger and frustration leading to the delivery had taken a toll on me. I wasn't sleeping nights. I had watched every Polo GT TSi review on youtube. Read every review on the internet and the urge to get my own GT was at it's peak. I was in heat when I went for delivery, and I don't remember a thing about the whole process of signing papers and explanation of the delivery documents, because I was dizzy with excitement and anxiety. I was finally getting my Arctic White GT TSI that day, and that was all that was running in my head.

EDIT on 28th December 2016:
Quote:
Originally Posted by frankmehta View Post
Here is the list of mods
  • Door Creak Mod- Deepak Himan
  • License Plates- 3 sets
  • GTI Steering Wheel- Deepak Himan
  • Android Head Units- 3 of them
  • Auto Dimming Mirrors- 2 of them, 1 Chinese and then the other OE Jetta, Passat Type
  • Dash Camera- 2 of them: 1 Chinese, then one Mini 0906 NanoQ
  • Auto headlight Kit: 2 switches: 1 old Vento type, and then the current Euro type
  • Interior light: OE Jetta Type
  • Anti Glare mirrors: OE VW Blue Tint
  • VCDS Cable
  • Armrest: OE GTI Armrest
  • Headlights Upgrade: 2 sets, 1 Failed Morimoto FXR 3.0 Retrofit, after which I did an Eagle Eyes headlights upgrade with Morimoto H7 Bulbs Low Beam and Osram Nightbreaker Ultimate in high beam
  • Fog Lights upgrade (impending- Ordered)
  • Processor, Speakers etc (Lots of audio equipment: Please check http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...ght=frankmehta)
  • Remap- TTS Auto
  • PedalTune- TTS Auto
  • Beru Spark Plugs
  • Intake BMC CD Dia
  • Brembo Brakes- Brembo Pads first, then Brembo Rotors too
  • TPMS- Steelmate TP-05
  • Horn Upgrade
  • Borla Spitfire End Can (non-resonated)
  • GTI Grille
  • Cruise Control- Kit with me, but not installed
  • GTI Cluster- Kit with me, but not installed
  • R***c** D***p**e (THIS IS EXCITING, and coming up!)
Attached Thumbnails
Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1900.jpg  


Last edited by GTO : 28th December 2016 at 17:07. Reason: Adding full list of mods, as requested
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Old 7th August 2015, 10:34   #2
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

In a nutshell:
If you separate the 1.2 TSI engine and 7 speed DSG gearbox combination, the Polo becomes a below-average car which I wouldn't have even cared to consider buying.
Here's why:
1. Absolute lack of legroom in the rear
2. Unexciting looks ( to say the least)
3. Poor levels of equipment as compared to it's immediate competition (the i20 and Jazz)-- Touchscreen, Folding mirrors, Keyless entry, split seats etc.
4. Cost cutting in a few places (lack of leather covered handbrake, no spare alloy wheel, no central armrest, no boot light, India-specific cost-cutting-- More on that later)
5. Lacklustre alloy wheel design
6. No cruise control (a must-have, if you drive long distances)
7. Stiff suspension
8. No visual differentiation between a 6 lakh rupee Polo (entry-level Petrol) and a 10 lakh rupee Polo (the GT twins)
9. Apparent lack of lower-back support in the front seats
10. Unexpected rattles from day 1.
11. Overinflated dealer egos and high service costs (apparently, the Sales Reps are trained to sprinkle in "..because it's a Volkswagen!" a bit too often in their sales manifestos.
12. Deletion of important safety features like a double horn, baby-seat ready (ISOFIX) seat belts, deleted cornering lights in the fog light, leaving a blank for the bulb there)


So, if THIS is my review in a nutshell, and I knew all this before buying this car, then WHY did I decide to lay 10 big ones for this?!?!?!?

Last edited by frankmehta : 7th August 2015 at 11:12.
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Old 7th August 2015, 11:07   #3
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-227_heartgetsmad.png


The Heart and the Brain are two totally different entities. It's amazing how they can co-exist in one body so harmoniously. It so happens, that the heart says one thing, and almost always, the mind opposes it. And vice-versa.

What happened to me, after seeing all these negatives in the car is a classic Heart-Brain brawl. The brain tugged at the right strings.

1. High maintenance costs of VW v/s slightly lesser headache with Honda
2. Impending fear over unreliability of VAG cars v/s sterling Japanese Dependance
3. Lack of space in the Polo v/s ABUNDANT space in the Jazz
4. 5 year old platform of Polo v/s 1 year old platform of the All-new Jazz
5. Fuel efficiency of the 1.2 turbo pot v/s proven efficiency of the 1.2 naturally aspirated mill of the Honda
............. and many more.



THEN WHY!? Isn't that question still in your heads??????? Well, the answer lies in just this one picture below this.

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1919.jpg

That's it. This is it. THE ONLY reason why I bought this car. 2 reasons, actually, the 1.2 TSI engine and the 7-speed DSG gearbox.

Heart won. Against all odds. And HOW!
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Old 7th August 2015, 11:36   #4
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Which brings us to the real deal.


The 1.2 TSI engine is the FIRST turbo-petrol engine to debut in a Hatchback in India, followed soon by the 1.2 Revotron engine by Tata, and now the T-Jet motor in the Punto EVO, and so on and so forth.

TSI stands for Turbo Stratified Injection, and is an adaptation of the famous FSI engines used by VAG (Volkswagen, AG, Germany).
The current 1.2 TSI engine is a 105 bhp mill and produces 170 nm of torque.
And THIS is where I stop blabbering about numbers.

Unlock the car, start her up, wait for the digital oil-temperature read-out to reach 90 degrees, buckle up, slide that sexy piece of Aluminium into D and JUST SLAM THAT DAMN FOOT DOWN. This is the ONLY way to drive this car. This thing just DEVASTATES everything around it. Decimates everything south of a Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI in in-gear acceleration, pickup and traffic-light wars. This thing moves. And how!

The best part about this car is not about how fast it can go. It's about how it gets there. That rasp from the 1.2 mill is something that needs to be experienced. At low revs, you hear a gruff, yet butter smooth thrum, but put your foot down and that thrum turns into a bark and a sounds very sports-car like, all the way till the (slightly conservative) 6200 rpm redline. A good car emits all the right sounds, and this piece of work, state of the art 1.2 mill follows that to the T.

A few words on the gearbox. Mad. Quick. Greased lightning. Moody. (at times)


These words are all the adjectives that come to mind.
I'll showcase three scenarios that put this in perspective for you.

Scenario 1:
Slot the gearbox into D. Gingerly press the throttle and keep a very light foot on the pedal, keeping your eyes on the gearshift indicator. D1 at 0 kmph, D2 at 2 kmph, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7. The alacrity and speed at which this thing shifts up gears is OUTSTANDING. Something out of a sci-fi movie. The gears keep shifting up as you gather speed slowly, and before you realise it, you are doing 60 kmph in the 7 gear with the engine barely audible and ticking at a lazy 1800 rpm!!!!!!!!! This thing SHIFTS!

Scenario 2:
Slot the gearbox into D. Heavy foot on the A-Pedal and eyes on the road (and on the gearshift indicator) and you see the RPM needle go up to 3500-4000 RPM before this thing shifts gears. In a manual gearbox, a gear shift always entails a delay where one depresses the clutch, slots the gear and releases the clutch. Hence there is bound to be a fall in RPM from say, 5000 to 2500, after which the A-Pedal builds the RPM rapidly. In a DSG, that delay is in milliseconds as there are 2 clutches, and the other clutch is always depressed, which means the next gear (or the previous gear) are always ready to be selected. Which translates into one thing. MINIMAL drop of the RPM needle, hence keeping the car in the right power band, giving you blisteringly quick in-gear acceleration from standstill. BAM! D1, D2, D3 and before you know what hit you, D7.

Scenario 3:
Slot the box into S. Foot on the A-Pedal (has to be heavy, no pussy-footing in S please). Now THIS is where the seat-of-the-pants feeling is experienced. Your foot is pinned to the floor, and the only thing on your mind is the alarming pace at which you're building up speed. The engine redlines in every gear, and before you know it, you're doing unspeakable speeds. Not to forget, that the cars that were once next to you, have been reduced to a speck (or even smaller) in the rear view mirror.

Scenario 4:
You're in traffic. Bumper-to-bumper. Slot it into D, and then wait. Hello!? This isn't a torque converter that the car will jump the moment it's in D. In the DSG, there is a slight delay after you slot into D and when the car actually lurches forward. There is a creep mode, but the amount of delay between shifting and moving forward in traffic is a slight irritation. Push comes to shove, and you need to fill gaps. The DSG doesn't 'shove' very quickly, hence cars tend to fill gaps before you can fill them.

Scenario 5:
You're moving at 40 kmph in D mode. The gearbox is at D5 (5th gear). You see a huge opening where you can speed off from the traffic, and zoom away. You stick your foot down gingerly. NOTHING happens. The car will accelerate at it's own sweet pace. Slam your foot down, KICKDOWN, and the car shifts down to 2nd or 3rd and you fly out at an alarming and scary pace, making the car dart forward a little more urgently than you would like it. There's no MIDDLE ground here. You either STOMP or you don't bother at all. That's quite a fly-in-the-DSG-ointment. Which is where my latest modification comes in (more on that later..)


These 5 scenario give you a vivid verbal description of how a DSG behaves, in a nutshell. The DSG has been tuned to shift up at low speeds, in the interest of mother nature, and mild turbo lag, coupled with the slightly lazy DSG downshifts and quick upshifts makes this a very moody guy to deal with. You have to know it's every nuance to be in the power-band at all times. You will learn with time, but remember, this is a 1.2 litre engine. It IS bound to show that slight cubic capacity disadvantage somewhere at least. Even then, VW engineers have done a STELLAR job on the drivetrain, and have totally displaced the term, "There is no replacement for displacement!" Unbelievable!


What this engine-gearbox combo can achieve is OUTSTANDING! It can give you goosebumps when you are in the mood for some, and then, the moment you realise you need to keep your accountant happy, you can potter around town in D7 at 60 kmph without batting an eyelid, hence keeping the engine just about busy to keep the car moving. Dr. Jeckyl and Dr. Hyde in one, tight combo package.


Drive subtly, and you end up with this!
Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img20150806wa0007.jpg

Last edited by frankmehta : 7th August 2015 at 12:41.
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Old 7th August 2015, 13:10   #5
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

There's not much more that I need to elaborate on the other stuff about the car. It's mentioned in oodles in the 1.2 GT TSI Official Review. Even the smaller things...
But I do have my set of observations:
1. Impeccable Engine-Gearbox package (as mentioned in the earlier post)

2. Facelifted Polo has quite an attractive looking front, with it's dual barrel, smoked headlights and that chrome bar running in the lower diffuser.

3. Not a fan of the blackened spoiler and blackened ORVM's. Trying too hard to look different. A black rear diffuser would have done the right job.

4. Paint quality is absolutely top-notch, something I already knew before I bought a VW. Just compare a 3 year old Swift with a similarly maintained VW to know what I am talking about.

5. Love the ALL-BLACK theme in the interiors. In fact, beige should be banned in all cars for being too repetitive and faux-classy. Black is actually classy, and the 'Milan' Titanschwarz fabric upholstery just does something magical in livening up the interiors. I have no complaints in this aspect.

6. A major complaint is the rubber weather guards in the doors. (door seals). They KEEP rubbing against the windows and making a squeaking sound, akin to a rattle. Imagine 4 windows making the same din at different times, and you have a recipe for FRUSTRATION!
Thank you d_himan for the fix, but VW should have fixed this from the factory itself.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...r-rattles.html

7. My instrument cluster (odometer) plastic is already rattling. I hear it on every bump. Irritating to the hilt!

8. Auto-up and Auto down in all windows is a boon. It's a super handy feature to have, and helps prevent someone from keeping the button pressed too much, over-riding and burning the winder in question.

9. The flat-bottomed stock steering wheel is pleasure to hold and twirl around.

10. Night- instrument - illumination is good, but a dimmer would have been welcome. It's available in my Estilo. Wonder how they missed out on it.

11. The doors shut with a satisfying European thump. More of a thud than a thump, but makes you feel well ensconced in silence and insulated from the outside sounds. Love the footlight that comes on with the cabin light. Imparts a very premium feel and lights up the car well in the dark.

12. The rear-seat is a joke, but I rarely seat passengers in the rear, so I'd not crib much.

13. The boot is quite a boon at 280 litres and I am fully satisfied with it. No boot-light sours the deal a little, though.

14. Also, one more niggle. There is a boot open button on the key, but all it does is unlock the boot. Which can be done by the unlock button on the key fob as well. The boot button should raise the boot open by a little, hence increasing the convenience factor.

15. Stock ICE is good, for a change and feels like it is engineered specifically for the car, and not as an afterthought, but I don't ever stick to stock, so don't blame me for changing it. The head unit does have a lot of expandability with BT audio, SD card, Usb and AUX

16. The rear parking sensors are good, but I don't like the fact that you need to physically lower the music volume to listen to them. The stock RCD320 head unit is not CANBUS enabled, so the BCM doesn't have much access to it, other than the controls on the steering.

17. MRF, Goodyear and Apollo tires are standard on Polos and Ventos. So what you get is a lottery. Luckily, I got Goodyear tires, so a tire swap didn't seem necessary. MRF would have warranted an immediate swap.

18. I HATE the new Alloy-wheel design but I am not shifting to aftermarket alloys, keeping the stability of the car in mind. Also,alloys of different weight can have effects on steering feel and I would like to keep that one thing stock.

19. Brakes are good, but the bite from the pedal is weird and not well-modulated. Hence making the braking experience not as fruitful as I would have liked.

20. The DSG box has a characteristic jerk while downshifting and under heavy braking, you feel it downshift 4 times from d5 to d1. The downshift from 3 to 2 is felt the most and is quite a pain sometimes. Not a deal-breaker, but you gotta live with it.

21. The Wiper speed is much less, as compared to it's competition and the wipers feel lazy even at high speeds. The rear wiper works in intermittent mode and is highly welcome, considering that you end up neglecting the rear wiper in the rains, and the blade might get worn out if it keeps running. An intermittent wipe is just fine. Annoying part about front wipers is that you can't lift them to clean the glass. You need to follow a stupid 'service position' ritual which is atrocious, if you ask me. I wouldn't mind doing it, but try explaining this to your car washing guy and you have a recipe for either a scratched bonnet edge (by lifting the wiper again and again to raise it and hitting the edge of the bonnet in the process) or an unclean glass. It's a stupid European quirk which is silly, to say the least.

22. Headlight throw is decent. But carmakers must do something about these 55w bulbs. Why not a god 90 w bulb? So owners don't itch to upgrade, hence causing electrical troubles, if not done properly.

23. Fog-lights are good, and when they are off and the headlights are on, the static cornering lights of the respective side come on when the steering is turned that side. Akin to lighting up the road in the direction you are going. Mind you, the fog light bulb only lights up. There is a blank slot next to the fog light bulb where there is supposed to be an extra light dedicated to cornering, but for cost-cutting, typical indian jugaad dictates that the fog light light up for the same. Theatrical dimming in and out of the fog light is still present, though.

24. Glove-box is large but should have been felt-lined to prevent rattles and scratches to sunglasses or iPad or whatever delicate is stored inside. No light inside the glove-box is also a downer.

25. One 12v socket is not enough. One should have been provided at the back.

26. Air-conditioning is adequate and the blower never gets loud. But one sad thing is no ALL OFF button on the ACC panel. You need to turn the fan all the way down to zero once and wait a second and then turn the same knob to switch the whole thing off. Luckily, the fresh-air mode ghost that plagued the Vento isn't there and the unit starts in recirculation mode directly.

27. The IRVM (inner rear-view mirror) is small, and a sign of cost-cutting.

28. The headlight switch too, is sad, and plasticky. The earlier Polo Highlines came with a brushed aluminium finish. Horrible!

29. My handbrake lever is clad in plastic. The website says it's supposed to be clad in leather. PATHETIC!

.............. will update more as I remember them

Last edited by frankmehta : 7th August 2015 at 14:03.
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Old 7th August 2015, 14:28   #6
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Photos!
Some random shots. Sorry, no SLR. Only phone photos!
Attached Thumbnails
Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150724_195956_hdr.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172051.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172054.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172104.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_171941.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_171954.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172005.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172013.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172026.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172045.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150804_172038.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1904.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1912.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1913.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1924.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1909.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_1920.jpg  

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180218_hdr.jpg  


Last edited by frankmehta : 7th August 2015 at 15:10.
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Old 7th August 2015, 15:23   #7
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

List of Modifications:

1. Genuine Golf GTI Steering wheel with Paddle Shifters:
The crown jewel of all my modifications. May have cost as much as Ratan Tata had promised in a "Promise is a Promise," statement :Shocked: But this thing is SO solid and has such a beautiful feel that I actually become emotional every time I use it.
The second, very important purpose of having this wheel installed were the paddles. All the issues that I discussed above with the transmission are addressed with paddles. Because lightning quick gearshifts and manual shifting is the best combination in the world!
It comes with it's own airbag, so no hanky panky with stock airbag. The stock steering is lying with me.
Thanks to Jatin Patel from Wagenwerkz for fitting it with utmost care. Also,again thank you d_himan. You know why!


Some photos of the mini unboxing. THIS IS THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE CAR!
Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180420_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180414_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180528_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180545_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180557_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180523_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180510_hdr.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_180514_hdr.jpg

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Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_194514.jpg

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Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_2002.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_2001.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_2004.jpg

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-img_2008.jpg





2. Stock head Unit replacement in the form of an Android tablet that looks like the stock unit and does everything that a normal Android mobile does.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/7-Qua...913334228.html
This is a 7 inch touch screen and is Chinese, but has pre outs, and looks the part. Also, it's got a capacitive touch screen, which is supposed to be very responsive and a quad core processor with 1 gb of RAM and 16 gb of memory, with 2 usb ports, 2 sd card ports, port for USB DVR, bluetooth, wifi, parking camera, OBD scanner, the works!

Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-screen-shot-20150807-15.13.51.png


3. Interior Auto Dimming Mirror
Very useful because I do drive a lot at night. Connected it. And it's awesome. The whole mirror has a crystal layer, which changes it colour to opaque, when an electric current is passed through it. There are two sensors on the two sides of the mirror. So when the mirror detects a headlight or a bright light, it dims automatically. It's magic. And it's effective. And safe. Should have not been skipped by VW.
Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-20150803_160259_hdr.jpg

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Car-R...315331108.html

4. VW Headlight Switch
Brushed aluminium switch. Replacement for cheap plastic switch.
Name:  Screen Shot 20150807 at 15.20.59.png
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http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-...711452465.html


5. Dome Reading Light For Volkswagen (resembles a Jetta's light)
Replaces the cheap overhead light in the car.
Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!-screen-shot-20150807-15.22.33.png
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/OEM-G...368065077.html


6. Anti Glare Dimming Blue Outer Rear View Mirror Glass
People have a tendency to drive at high beams and this reflects off the stock glass. This glass prevents the light from reflecting and dims the effect on the eyes. Very recommended.
Name:  Screen Shot 20150807 at 15.25.27.png
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http://www.aliexpress.com/item/OEM-O...227500762.html


7. And last (for the time-being) and NOT the least!
VAGCOM VCDS Cable

What this cable does is, enable all the desired features of the BCM.
I am going to enable the following:
1. Wiper tear wipe
2. Lane Change indicator from 3 to 4 flashes
3. Rear wiper switch on when car put in reverse gear when front wiper is on
4. Coming home lights
5. Dial Celebration (staging of dials when ignition on)
6. Instantaneous fuel efficiency gauge in Instrument cluster
7. XDS electronic differential lock, which is set at Medium to Strong. This is to enable stronger inner tire braking to prevent understeer while cornering hard.
8. Flashing brake lights on hard braking i.e. when ABS cuts in (currently only turn lights come on)
9. Increase intensity of brake lights (experimental)

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/VAGCO...368710994.html

Last edited by frankmehta : 7th August 2015 at 15:32.
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Old 7th August 2015, 17:12   #8
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 7th August 2015, 17:59   #9
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on your priced possession. Great to see a pedo dontist being a car enthusiast and petrol head. My wife is one, former one though.

Perfect set of mods you have done and probably the most required and utilized. Every penny spent is worth.
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Old 7th August 2015, 18:02   #10
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Congratulations frank. Your GTI looks amazing and looks like you have been planning the mods before the car itself. Your ownership threads are always a pleasure to read.

I have been following your threads and each one of them makes me think about going and buying these cars. However by the time I am able to make up my mind, baam comes the Sale post and a new ownership Thread

Could you also describe your experience with Aliexpress and Indian customs in detail. Would help members who want to purchase the same accessories

Last edited by malgudi : 7th August 2015 at 18:04.
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Old 7th August 2015, 18:45   #11
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Hearty congratulations Frank on the TSI. I am sure its a hoot to drive. I drive the Vento 1.6 Tdi and after that a lot of Petrol cars feel weak to me. I got a chance to drive the Vento 1.2 Tsi for a short distance and I cam out impressed.

I also have to mention, very nice selection of addons.

I think your observation about lack of lower back support in Polo/Vento seats is spot on. Not seen a lot of people feeling/sharing it. But it has pretty much destroyed my back. I am still not 100% sure if this is the only reason, but I have a huge feeling that it is one of the biggest reasons. If you find a solution, kindly do share.

Regards
Rachit
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Old 7th August 2015, 19:37   #12
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by frankmehta View Post

That's it. This is it. THE ONLY reason why I bought this car. 2 reasons, actually, the 1.2 TSI engine and the 7-speed DSG gearbox.

Heart won. Against all odds. And HOW!
Finally frankmehta you could post the ownership review of your GT. Or should I say, "Your just Another Ownership Review" !!

Irrespective, this probably is your ownership of the most advanced technology among all your cars. Congrats on your pick and wish you many more miles and 'Months' of safe driving


Can you please post some of pics of the Android Touch screen which you have procured (if installed) along with the useability and features. I am considering an upgrade and will help me (& others) who are too.
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Old 7th August 2015, 20:19   #13
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

That's a nice review. Congrats on your acquisition and wish you all the best. The heart vs mind debate was spot on. Am going through that for getting a new phone.

The head unit looks very interesting Have you already got it or just ordered? Would it be a straight swap with the existing unit or some other changes will be needed? Looking forward to a detailed update on that.
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Old 7th August 2015, 22:23   #14
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Hello, Congratulations for getting the best enthusiast hatch money can buy today, And really well selected mods aswell, How about adding a bov too? Love the steering wheel, Absolutely stunning! Makes me feel awful when i look at my jetta's steering wheel now.

Also i had a couple of questions.

1. The anti glare mirrors you got, Was it easy to install? I guess you probably had to remove the current mirrors and fit these, Hope so, Also did you opt for free shipping or a paid one?

2. The VCD's cable shows the software 14.10 which seems to be really good! I got mine 12.2.3 recently which still doesn't let me explore everything. The link you have given shows that its the Deutsch Version, Does that mean the language or anything else is different? Or the software it came with it is english only? I might as well get this one then.

3. Can you please post a few pictures of the headunit? And how is the touch responsiveness and everything?

4. Also if you don't mind to let me know from where did you source the wheel? Even a PM would work

Thanks in advance!
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Old 8th August 2015, 01:50   #15
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re: Frankmehta's VW Polo GT TSI! EDIT: Sold!

Congratulations on the new ride frank.

I am a fan of your ownership reviews and have read all of them except the Estilo, Don't know how did I miss it. I am also a Fiesta owner as you and after going trough your Civic thread I am also thinking of selling the Fiesta and buying a Civic and fitting it with CNG as my daily drive is a CNG Esteem which is giving me some problem. GT TSI is also one of my favorite car. I believe if I ever have to buy a hatchback it would be this car.

nIk
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