[nishchal316]

A Little Background
Just a year back I gave my Chevy Cruze LTZ MT to my brother and bought a Honda CITY CVT VX for myself. I switched over to an automatic car mainly because of the ease of driving an automatic. My brother recently sold the Cruze and I gave him the Honda.I had to get myself a new car and started my search for a hot hatch. It had to be an automatic car but the only hot hatch I could think of was the GT, the VW Polo GT TSI that is. I did not even TD any other car as there aren’t really much options available in the hot hatch performance oriented segment with an automatic transmission.

Test Drive Experience
So I had to take a test drive of the car since I had never driven a Polo before. Even though I always knew that I had to go for the GT TSI, I however still wanted to have a taste of the GT TDI with the new 1.5L engine.

Went to Swami Automotives, Chandigarh for a TD and they did not have the GT TDI for a test drive. I was offered the non GT TDI for a test drive. Went off and could straight away feel that it was a fast car. Those 230nm torque figures really feel like something in such a small car. In fact I started considering it for purchase and had already started imagining the 250nm figure of the GT TDI. In addition one gets to save more on the fuel over the TSI as well.

But the game changed totally after I took the TSI for a spin. The DSG makes lightning quick shifts and the engine simply loves to rev. It was only after some seconds that the sales representative told me that I was doing well over 100km/hr(not encouraging rash driving though). The car felt so balanced and planted that the three digit number felt like I was doing around 60-70km/hr. That’s when I slowed down and my decision was already made in favor of the TSI. This car is faster in 0-100 sprint than the Chevy Cruze and it actually feels so.

I had always been a fan of German cars mainly because of their tough build and ride quality. Even though in the mean while we heard all about the VW Scandal and also the very fact that VW have very poor sales in India and have a market share of just over 1%, all this did not change my decision a bit. The Polo GT TSI had already won my heart.

Booking & Delivery Experience
Went to Swami Automotives, Chandigarh and got booked the Carbon Steel Grey VW Polo GT TSI on 19th December, 2015 by paying a booking amount of Rs 50000. Fortunately they had two GT TSI’s in stock i.e. in White & Grey color. Usually they don’t offer discounts on the GT’s but since I was buying at the year end, I managed to get a cash discount of Rs 15000 on the car along with free mud flaps and floor mats. I am going to keep the car for at least five years so I decided not to wait for the year 2016 car. Overall it was a good booking experience.

Took the delivery of my car on 23rd December,2015. Did not go for finance. A detailed demo of the features and functions of the car was provided to me and along with that I carried out complete exterior and interior inspection of the car.

Straight away went to the local tyre shop to get a new set of tyres. I was considered the Michelin P3ST’s and the Continental MC5’s for a swap. I had installed the P3ST’s on the Honda City and was very happy with the tyres but those were not available in the 205/55 size. So I decided to go with the MC5’s 205/55 R15.The car came fitted with Apollo Alnac rubber which the dealer took for Rs 3200 per tyre and the cost of MC5 was Rs 5800 each. So all in all I paid a sum of Rs 10400.

Cost of Ownership
Car : Vw Polo GT TSI
Manufacture Year : November 2015
Purchased On : 23rd December 2015
Ex-Showroom Cost(Chandigarh):Rs 879937 -Cash Discount Rs 15000 = Rs 864937
Discounted Car Cost :Rs 864937+Logistic & handling Rs 6900+Extended warranty Rs 13230+Insurance(Bumper to Bumper) Rs 14900 = Rs 9Lac Approx.
Final Cost = 9lac + 6% Registration cost(Rs 45840) = Rs 9.46lac Approx.

Planned Accessories
1. JVC KWV41BT Double Din Stereo
2. Focal VW coaxial speakers for the front Doors
3. Polk Audio DB691 6x9 speakers at the rear tray
4. Blaupunkt GTB-8200A active Subwoofer
5. Projector Headlamps
6. Center Armrest
7. Seat Covers
8. 3M Paint Sealant Protection
9. 3M Teflon Coating

Overall Driving Experience
Firstly I am proud to own a German car and it is a beauty from all angles. In a span of just about a month and a half, I have clocked just over 2900 kms. Ever since then this car has surprised me every time I take it on the road. I decided to take it easy on the car for the first 2000kms so I always tried to keep the RPM below the 2k mark. The turbo kicks in as low as 1500RPM so actually even when I need to overtake, there is always enough power even below the 2k mark. The power delivery so effortless that it is really hard to believe that there is only a 1.2L engine under the hood. It's the superb combination of the Tsi engine and the DSG gearbox that extracts so much from such a small engine.

When you start the car for the very first time in the day the RPM rises to about 1.5k, then in about 30 seconds it idles and comes below 1k. Put your foot down and it takes off cleanly. The first two gears shift at around 2.5kRPM mark and the rest usually shift below 2k mark if you are driving in the D Mode. It’s impressive to see how well the gearbox changes gears for maximum fuel efficiency. At 50kmph the gearbox shifts to 5th gear, at 55kmph to 6th and when you reach 60kmph it has already shifted to 7th, But that is of course if you keep your foot light on the pedal.

Since just past 60kmph the car is cursing in the tallest gear, it certainly sips a little on the fuel. I am surprised to see that so far it has always given me a mileage over 14kmpl right from the very first day. It’s not that I drive very carefully to extract the maximum mileage, it still gives me over 14kmpl in Chandigarh traffic with a light foot. I haven't yet taken the car on the highway but i am very sure it will certainly return over 17kmpl. So it terms of FE I’ll rate this car 10/10.

So if one needs to overtake in this car, it’s usually a breeze if you are in the city and if you are driving in the 6th gear or lesser. But let’s say you are at 60kmph in 7th gear and if then you want to take a quick overtake then that can be tricky at times as the car does not really move forward instantly as the RPM is fairly below the meat band. So you press the pedal a bit more and it takes its own sweet time to respond i.e. it usually takes about a second to surge. But one can easily counter that by the putting the gear leaver to the left i.e. the manual mode and switching it to 6th gear and the car surges forward instantly without a problem.

The “S” mode takes the car to another level. When you put your foot down the car only shifts up till it reaches the red line which is insane. But it’s not really required in day to day driving since the car does extremely well in the D mode. So far I’ve only driven in the “S” mode once, that too just to see the difference. So the D mode is more than enough. People have been talking a lot about the jerks felt during downshift and I have literally felt it every time I drive the car. It happens when the car downshifts from D3 to D2. I just hope this thing goes away with time. It’s not something that major but yes it can be felt when driving which could be annoying at times.

Another thing that I love about the car is its ride quality and the Germans so far are the best at it. From the very first day I have been running on the Continental MC5’s 205/55 R15 and I have to say this was an essential upgrade. The grip of the tyres is simply great. On a good road the ride feels incredibly smooth and on patchy roads it’s still comfortable and the suspension does the job very well. But I wish if they had made the suspension a bit stiffer, it really would have been fun on the corners. It is composed still be you do feel the body roll. So overall the ride is great and certainly miles better than the new Honda city.

The interior of the car look classy and are miles ahead of its competitors in terms of build quality. The doors shut with a “Thud” sound which in itself speaks about how tough the car is built. The seats are height adjusting and the steering wheel adjusts for both rake and reach so finding a comfortable seating position in the car isn’t difficult at all. The front seats provide good comfort and the lower back support is also good. The rear seat however is cramped and there is a hug transmission tunnel in the center which makes it a strict 4 seater.

The view of the road from the driver seat is good and if you are coming from driving a bigger car like me then you will find it very easy to maneuver around in the traffic. The rear view mirror provides a decent view of the back. I somehow feel that the side mirrors do not provide that wide view of the back. The A-Pillars are not wide so that is a really good thing.

This Air conditioner cools the car is no time. However it took some time for me to adjust the ac vents so that I get the air at the desired spot. The sound of the fan is quite loud and even at average speed it is loud. Apart from that the cabin is a quiet and engine also feels silent. It's only when you push the car hard is when you can hear the engine sound but that is a sort of sporty engine note which sounds great. Also during the night time if you lower the windows you get to hear that lovely whistling sound of the turbo.

The safety features includes ESP, hill-hold feature, dual airbags and ABS which should certainly be there in such an expensive small car. It’s good to see that even the base variant comes standard with 2 airbags. I am still not very sure about the DQ200 DSG transmission so I have opted for the Extended Warranty. So far I have not heard any issues about the transmission in the polo so I hope they have fixed the problem.

The car is also good on features like climate control AC, height adjustable seats, RCD 320 stereo with 4 speakers, cornering fog lamps a lot more. The particular model I purchased also comes with auto folding side mirrors and cruise control which were much needed features in such an expensive car. The only disappointment for me is that just 3 months prior to the purchased they had put these 2 new features in the car and now 2 months after they have come up with more goodies like the touch screen music system, Auto dimming rear view mirror and Rain sensing wipers which I wish where there in my car. Anyhow the car now comes loaded with features.

The music system in the car is mediocre to say the least, at least for me. The bass is very good but the mids are just below average, Treble is just about ok since the car does not come with tweeters. For most of the people the audio is fine and won’t require an upgrade but for an Audiophile like me it just doesn’t do justice to my ears so I would certainly upgrade soon. Also if you increase the volume over 20, it becomes more irritating and one could hear the distortions. Its sound acceptable if you listen to music at low volumes but if you love listning music on loud volume then you will be disappointing. If I compare the audio with that of the new Honda City then I would say that the Honda city has a lot better sounding system. Here is my rating for both the sound systems:
New Honda City: Bass = 7/10, Mid = 8/10, Treble = 9/10
Polo: Bass = 8/10, Mid = 5/10, Treble 7/10

Likes So Far
1. Powerful engine, feels a lot more than just 1200cc
2. 7-speed DSG gearbox is a blessing
3. Superb fit and finish
4. Smooth ride
5. Good Fuel Economy
6. Beautiful looking steering wheel which is good to hold
7. Windows can be rolled up and down by long pressing the lock and unlock button on the key
8. Just the right size car for our Indian roads
9. All the windows are one push up and down

Dislikes So Far
1. Should have been more engaging to drive, after all that’s what you expect from a GT
2. Not very different looking from the regular Polo
3. Jerks felt at times when the car downshifts from D3 to D2
4. Horn does not work if the the key is not inserted in the slot
5. No push button start or keyless entry
6. Cramped rear seat, huge transmission tunnel make it even worse


Some Photos

This is the reason I went for the GT TSI







Beautiful looking alloy wheel

Now riding on the Continental MC5 205/55 R15

Still Plates


The headroom for a 5'7'' passenger

Knee room for a 5'7'' passenger & the front seat is adjusted for his height

Good sized boot for such a small car


RCD 320 comes with 4 speakers and supports USB,Aux-in,SD Card and CD ofcorse

The 7-Speed DSG Gearbox

Flat botton steering wheel looks classy and is great to hold in hand

Impressive Fit & Finish all around










The Heart of the car is a 1.2L TSI engine

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by nishchal316

Cost of Ownership
Car : Vw Polo GT TSI
Final Cost = 9lac + 6% Registration cost(Rs 45840) = Rs 9.46lac Approx.

Congrats nishchal316 on your latest acquisition and welcome to the GT club

There are no 2 ways about the fact that as on data, there is no other auto tranny better that DSG in Indian automobile industry. When that gearbox is mated to the revelation known as the 1.2 TSI engine from VW, seldom does any other hatch back come close

Wish you a happy motoring and drive safe, coz GT is a special fast car.

[anandpkumar]

Congratulations nischal316! That is one special car.

I had test driven this one extensively when I was on the look out for a new car in late 2014. I was keen on the Vento TSI, and since the dealer did not have the Vento TSI for test drive, he offered me a test drive of the Polo TSI. One of the best hot hatches to own in India today. Did you consider the Fiat Punto Abarath during your search?

Congrats again, and enjoy the pocket rocket!

[DevSoms]

Congrats Nischal,

This has been and is currently my dream car. Somehow have not been able to go ahead and buy it as this will be my sole car used for all purposes and the back seat issue of lack of space is something that i am worried about.

Anyway, wishing you all the very best with this beauty!

[nishchal316]

Update 1 : 3M Paint Sealant Protection, Teflon Coating and Car Care Products

When I bought the car I did not go for Teflon coating and because of that in just a few days I could see a lot of scratches on the car. So finally day before yesterday I got time and got the 3M Paint Sealant Protection done on the car. It is one of the treatments they provide for new cars and gives the car a glossy look. Firstly tar or other marks are removed using 3M's GPAC. Then the Car surface is glazed using 3M polish and after that 3M paste wax is applied for protection, shine and gloss. The whole process took about an hour and the work was done cleanly by the professionals at 3M Chandigarh. Strangely 3M does not provide Teflon coating so I went to the VW service station for that and they did the 3M Teflon Coating on the car.
Cost for the 3M Paint Sealant Protection : Rs 3700
3M Teflon Coating at VW Workshop : Rs 1800



After the 3M Paint Sealant Treatment


I also decided to purchase some care care products which I ordered online and include :
1. Meguiar's NXT GENERATION CAR WASH(532ml) : Rs 470
2. Meguiar's Ultimate Compound(450ml): Rs 1000
3. Meguiar's Ultimate Polish Pre Waxing Polish(470ml) : Rs 900
4. Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Wax Spray(450ml) : Rs 1000
5. Meguiar's Foam Applicator Pad(4 Pieces) : Rs 500
6. Formula 1 Super Mitt : Rs 260
7. Tyre Cleaner from a local shop(500ml) : Rs 160
8. 3M Microfibre Cloth : Rs 250

I usually use all these products once a week, usually on Sundays. I firstly clean the dirt from the car using the car wash and the the super mitt. Then I massage the surface with the compound using the applicator pad which is then followed by polishing which is done before waxing and lastly a quick wax spray is all that is required to make the car shine which is done using the microfiber cloth. All this takes over an hour and a lot of effort if you are doing it yourself without using machines and then my arm keeps paining. The products however do just the right thing they should to make the car look as new as day one.

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by DevSoms

Congrats Nischal,
This has been and is currently my dream car. Somehow have not been able to go ahead and buy it as this will be my sole car used for all purposes and the back seat issue of lack of space is something that i am worried about.

Certainly the lack of space in the rear row is one of the main issues for people who look for a spacious hatchback. I think this is the least spacious car in it's segment and competitor like the Hyundai i20 is the way to go in that case. The back seat in the polo is strictly for two and if people in the front are tall then you can forget about the the knee room as well.

Originally Posted by anandpkumar

Congratulations nischal316! That is one special car.
Did you consider the Fiat Punto Abarath during your search?

No I did not consider the Punto because the car had to be an automatic. In a few months time i'll be moving to gurgaon and I can't even think of driving a manual car there. I know the punto is a fast car but only because of the lack of automatic transmission, I did not consider it.

[nishchal316]

Update 2 : Got Some Accessories Installed

I always liked the sound of the horn on the previous polo so changed the stock one to roots which costs Rs 550



Supercharged Badge



Volkswagen Door Protectors from Aliexpress


Germany Rear Tail Logo

[anandpkumar]

Nice decals! I like the look of the door protectors. Wish we could get a logo with the Indian flag colours - though I am not sure if the Indian law allows this use

[nishchal316]

Update 3 : Received the Head Unit, Speakers and Sub Woofer

I wasn't very happy with the sound of the stock music system in the car so planned to upgrade. I felt the current system is just about average and does not do justice to my ears as I usually like listening loud music. The bass from the stock speakers is good but the mids felt lifeless and since there are no tweeters in the car, the treble is just about average. I didn't feel like adding an external amplifier so decided to change the HU and add good speakers so I went for the following :

• JVC KW-V41BT - Rs 23000
• Focal IC 165VW Coaxial Speakers - Rs 8999
• Blaupunkt GTB 8200a Active Subwoofer - Rs 5800

I'll try to get these installed tomorrow and will post a full review regarding the same.

The JVC KW-V41BT DVD/CD/USB Receiver with 7-inch WVGA Touch Panel Monitor and Built-in Bluetooth Wireless Technology


Focal IC 165 VW Coaxial Speakers with integrated crossover & tweeters

Connects to the stock VW connectors




Blaupunkt GTB 8200a Active Subwoofer

[prateekswarup]

Congrats nishchal! Welcome to be GT club Seems that TSI is really picking up on the forum!

Nice door protectors. Look forward to the HU review!

Drive safe and wishing you a funtastic driving experience with the polo!

[nishchal316]

Update 4 : 3000kms Completed , FE Report and Driving Impressions

Just a day back I completed 3000kms on my 2 months old Polo GT TSI and I am very impressed with the FE I am getting with the car. So far I’ve been taking it easy on the car and every single time it has returned me a FE over 14kmpl. Since the last refueling again I had been driving with a light foot and the car has been driven only in the city. I got it refueled the last time it showed 20kms distance to empty and calculated the FE till I again saw the same. The air conditioner had been turned on for just about 10% of the total distance.

• Fuel : 16.54 ltr @ Rs 1000
• Distance Covered : 255kms
• FE displayed by the MID : 15kmpl
• Actual FE : 15.4kmpl

Covering these 3000kms has been a breeze so far. Firstly the steering wheel is amazing to hold and is very accurate and points the car exactly where it should be. The suspension does a great job of absorbing the bumps and pot holes. The car mostly glides over most of the rough patches and only the sharp ones are actually felt inside. The ride certainly feels amongst the best in the segment. However the soft suspension spoils the fun of driving it aggressively. I wish they had made it a bit stiff, that would have made the whole driving experience much better.

The engine keeps on impressing yet again and the DSG is mostly in the right gear to make a quick maneuver. The jerks when the gearbox shifts from D3 to D2 are still being felt and I will try to talk to the people in the workshop about it. Most of the times jerks are felt when downshifting from D3 to D2 but I also felt the same jerks from D4 to D3. Has anyone else also felt the same? At first I used to feel that the brakes need some time to engage well but was actually the jerks that made me feel that there is something wrong with the brakes. The brakes are also good and responsive but for such a fast car they should have provided all disc brakes. Overall the car is very fun to drive and I am enjoying every bit of it.

[nishchal316]

I did another FE test and this time around the aim was to have fun with the car so it's been driven aggressively. Again the same was method used and the car has only been driven in the city with air conditioner turned on for about 30kms. So far I am very impressed with the result.

• Fuel : 16.66 ltr @ Rs 1000 (petrol was 0.32Rs cheaper this time)
• Distance Covered : 197kms
• FE displayed by the MID : 12.7kmpl
• Actual FE : 11.8kmpl

[nishchal316]

Update 5 : Music System Review


So the setup includes a Head Unit which is basically a DVD/CD/USB Receiver with 7-inch WVGA Touch Panel Monitor and Built-in Bluetooth Wireless Technology. It has 3 Pre-Output Terminals (Front + Rear + Subwoofer) with Maximum Power Output of 50W x 4 (Front & Rear).

It has 11 preset equalizers to choose from and has Bluetooth to play music via mobile phones and also to receive or make calls. It also has support for reversing camera which I have not installed yet. If you have a Korean or Japanese car then the steering wheel controls work but for VW cars, they do not work. So for that I have to purchase a JVC to Polo steering control interface which I will install later.

Firstly the 7-inch touch screen is wide enough and is easy to operate and comes with a remote. The touch quality is also impressive. You can either have it running automatically when you start the car or when the car is in ignition mode or you can manually turn it off and on by long pressing the home button which is usually do.

There are a few important button right below the touch screen which include the volume up & down button on the left, ATT Home & Phone button in the center, Display turn on & off and CD eject button on the right.

So when you turn on the system you see the JVC logo and it takes about 35 seconds for the songs to start playing. The home screen displays time and includes a number option to choose from which are the settings menu, Bluetooth Audio menu, Bluetooth Phone menu, Radio, Disc and the USB. One can play songs, watch videos and view images.

Once you play a song one can easily play next track and switch between folders with the options provided on the screen where the song is playing. Searching for a song or maneuvering through the folder is fast and fluid and the system loads up the names of the songs quite fast. It’s only when you select a track or press the next track is when you find a slight delay. If a song is playing and you press next on the screen, it can take 2 to 3 seconds for the song to play. Initially the delay got me irritated because the tracks used to play instantly with the stock HU but with time I have gotten used to it and it’s not really a deal breaker.

This HU has so many setting to choose from and is a blessing for an audiophile like me. Somehow I was never comfortable with adding an external amplifier in the car. Even though it saves money if you just add an amplifier for 5-6k and a pair of components for another 5-6k keeping the stock HU, I just wanted to make a good sounding system without adding an external amplifier.

The MOS-FET Amplifier in the HU along with the Focal IC 165VW Coaxial Speakers produce great SQ. These are 2-way coaxial speakers and have integrated crossover and tweeters. Max power is rated at 120w and RMS power at 60w.The reason I went for the Focal VW speakers is because they are specially designed for VW cars so they connect with the standard VW connectors, therefore there is no wire cutting whatsoever and is a simple plug and play procedure.

The sound quality is simple phenomenal. Currently I have a pair of Focal speakers installed in the front doors and the rear doors still have the stock ones and the front speakers simply put the stock ones in shame. The focal speakers are a lot louder than the stock speakers and I simply cannot hear anything from the back. It feels like only the front speakers are playing and they simply overpower the stock ones.

The real difference can be heard using the fader/balance option when you only let your front speakers play for some seconds and then you only let stock one’s at the rear play. There is simply no comparison between the two. There is no need of adding and external amplifier, the focal speakers are that good. The bass is punchy, Mids are excellent and the treble is enhanced by the integrated tweeters in the speakers and all of this is well amplified by the JVC head unit.

What adds more to the party is the Blaupunkt GTB 8200A active subwoofer. The build quality of the sub is impressive and it also saves a lot of space in the boot. I am not one of those who like to shake the windows of the buildings and I just look for good deep bass inside the car and this subwoofer is perfect for people who are looking for just that. Firstly it is so small that when I opened the box I was rather disappointed after seeing the size but is simply blew me away with the output.

The max power is rated at 200w and RMS power is 75w which rather seems less but this thing really packs a punch. The installation was easy and simply as the Subwoofer is connected with the HU using the RCA cable and the only other thing required was the power supply from the battery.
The output is more than enough for a car of this size. It produces punchy deep bass inside the car and doesn’t shake the windows of the buildings either. People who love the 10”or 12” subwoofers will however be disappointed and this is certainly not for them.

On the subwoofer there are 3 knobs for increasing or decreasing the Gain, Phase & X-Over. The HU further lets you play with the X-Over , Bass Boost and one can also turn on & off the subwoofer right from the HU.

So overall I am very satisfied with my setup and for me the SQ is just what I wanted which is impressive. The JVC HU provides all the necessary options for tweaking the sound and extracts the best from the speakers. There is no navigation though which I can live with, the ones with navigation cost over 35k. I am further planning to add the same pair of Focal speakers in the rear doors which would further enhance the listening experience.

Please refer to the video below for listening to the Sound Quality of my setup and also for a brief walk around through the User Interface of the HU.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENQIKhN8HmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy_rR0P_M7E

The remote that came along with the HU

Home screen and the audio playing screens

All the settings to choose from

The boot space after installing the sub woofer

Still a lot of space to spare

[nishchal316]

Update 6 : Front Armrest & More Speakers Installed

I always felt the need of an armrest in the car so ordered one from aliexpress. It’s a high quality armrest and comes with a cup holder for the back passengers and a storage compartment. The seller shipped the order within 24 hours and I received the same within 5 days. The installation took about half an hour. Even though I did not have the required tools for installing it, I was able to do the whole installation with just 2 screw drivers.

• Cost of the product: 69.42$
• Shipping by FEDEX: 17.06$
• Custom duty and other charges paid: Rs 1089

Here is the link of the product: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/20111...896319688.html

Only 2 screw drivers were used in the installation

This has to be placed in the slot and screwed up tight



After the installation

High quality product


Custom duty paid


Focal IS 165 VW Component Speakers with tweeters

I was planning to add another pair of Focal IC 165 VW Coaxial Speakers but then changed my mind and have got installed the Focal IS 165 VW Component Speakers. Max Power is rated at 120w and RMS at 60w.

These also have integrated crossovers and come with tweeters which I have gotten installed on the side pillars. The components are now installed in the front doors and the coaxial are now shifted to the rear. The components produce a lot more bass than the coaxial and have an excellent mid range. The tweeters also produce excellent treble and the whole setup has now taken the game to another level. The sound is simply great and when I feel the need off extra punch I turn on the subwoofer. I am extremely happy with the sound. If anyone wants to hear the sound of my complete setup I can make another video, just let me know.

• Cost of Focal IS 165 VW Component Speakers : Rs 11999

Focal IS 165 VW Component Speakers

The plastic had to be cut so as to fit these tweeters properly