[Mustang.101]

congrats khan, great review & have fun while driving!

[Caramelo]

what is your view about the back seat space. everyone says they compromised on the polo. and punto is better?

[fiat_tarun]

Nice writeup Khan. Loved the writing style. Both the cars are lookers. To me they're like a perfect couple. The Polo the guy and the Punto the girl.. If only they could have offspring..! Looks like you are a hatchback fan with two small cars in your garage. Enjoy them and hope they serve you well..

[carZest]

great writeup khan! you are buying a red figo soon, right?

[khan75]

This thread is turning into an unstoppable avalanche of posts! At this rate, Poloers will incur the wrath of other humans!

More feedback, info and answers to specific queries:
1. There doesn't seem to be a problem with banging the left knee against the center console. It's advisable to sit upright rather than lean back/slouch/have wayward mobility. Sure being over 6 feet tall means that the left leg brushes the console from time to time but then we're driving a car, not a sofa.
2. The highest speed I've driven the Polo at is about 85kph. The max I've driven the Punto at is about 135. The Polo does communicate the interaction between the tire and the road to the driver while the Punto just munches up the miles (or rather kilometers) with relative ease.
At lower speeds in the city, driving the Punto feels a tiny bit like herding an elephant, the car is a bit slow to move around. The Polo is pointy, much like a puppy waiting to explore the world.
3. The Polo does have a plastic sump guard.
4. Spares and service might be an issue with VW, especially for those venturing into the more remote areas of the country. Fiat/Tata's extensive network is definitely at an advantage here. City dwellers shouldn't have a problem though - there are at least 4 VW service centers dotted across Delhi NCR. I expect VW to open more dealerships in B and C level cities soon enough.
5. Visibility along the rear edges isn't too good in the Polo but is slightly worse in the Punto. Most drivers will learn to adapt themselves to make the best of limited rear visibility though.
6. The rear folding seats in both cars are a bonus. With the seats down, boot space is cavernous and can easily accomodate a couple of full size suitcases.
7. It might be a placebo effect but the throw of the low beam headlights in the Polo seem to be a wee bit better than the Polo. The high beams seem equal enough. I'm going to try and run a headlamp test with the original factory bulbs tonight and will post some pics. My Punto's eyes are a set of Philips XtremePowers.
8. A trip to BK Tires in Lajpat Nagar should help me choose the right set of tires. Not that there's anything wrong with the JKs, it's just that I wouldn't feel confident driving a car on tier-II branded tires during the monsoon.
9. Since it's pretty hot in Delhi right now, a test of the HVAC systems is crucial. I can safely say that the Polo has a good HVAC system that does it's job - was 41 in Delhi today (according to the Punto's on-board temperature guage) and I felt comfortable. The full ACC in the Punto does display its strength here - I don't need to mess around to find the ideal settings for the temperature and blower. It's a case of get in and get going. However, both cars are outgunned by the Figo that has one heck of a blower.
10. The Polo's brake pedal is certainly a tiny bit higher than the accelerator pedal but that's just nitpicking. Maybe VW engineers did that on purpose to reduce braking time in the event of an emergency?
11. There was a problem with the rear wiper in the Polo and it shall be replaced in a couple of days.
12. Fuel economy in the Polo is roughly 14kpl with a majority of city driving. The Punto ranges from 11-12kpl in the city to a high of 15kpl on the highway.
13. One more thing that I just noticed today - I knew the Punto had a single reverse light but it seems the the Germans have followed the Italians with this seemingly daft practice. The Polo has a single reverse light in the left rear cluster.
14. Someone asked if the window kink in the A-pillar alongside the rear view mirrors in the Punto helped in side-frontal visibility. Short answer - No.
15. A sedan in India makes very little sense, more so for someone who doesn't have a family (like me). Although I had never owned a hatch in the US/Middle East, I have grown to become a big fan. The easy go anywhere, park anywhere attitude coupled with decent FE numbers has gotten me hooked. The only sedans in India that I like are the Laura and Civic and both are way too big (for Indian conditions, not abroad though). I was at a hairdressing salon over the weekend and managed to parallel park the Polo in a tight space in a nearby street, something that would've been impossible with any sedan (except an Indigo CS maybe>.

I got a chance to extensively test drive a "Squeeze" green Figo Titanium diesel and "Chill" silver-grey ZXI petrol earlier today and would be glad to answer any queries on comparing the three cars. The Figo is certainly a nice car but I couldn't bring myself to like the bland styling and SUV-ish rear. The differences between the two top end trims is essentially down to safety features- ABS and airbags. There are a couple of other gimmicky differences as well, such as "anti drip wiping" but I feel that's just desperation on the part of Ford to differentiate between the two trim levels.

[johnjacob]

Hi Khan, your seventh point is unclear.

Originally Posted by khan75

7. It might be a placebo effect but the throw of the low beam headlights in the Polo seem to be a wee bit better than the Polo.

So which one has the better throw in low beam? The Punto or the Polo?

[poloman]

Khanji, So on Highways you can safely expect a mileage of ~18.
What all information are available in the MID. It is displayed in three pages right? Any niggles or squeaks so far?

[Musicmaker23]

Woah! Your garage is gonna be the envy around town.. the entire post were very well-framed.
Both the cars have this understated elegance & subtlety that lacks in some others (Jazz, Ritz, Getz etc). They look great but i felt that VW did a great dis-service by omitting the European head-lamp cluster . I've seen 2 Polos in the same color here around my place & they look stunning to say the least. The striking red suits the car just right. It'd look anonymous on road in the silvers & blacks.
How would you say is the day to day feel in both cars considering there's a huge difference in level of kit? I know we're not supposed to be driving electronics shops, but a few gizmos never hurt anybody

[sheetumanu]

Originally Posted by khan75

I got a chance to extensively test drive a "Squeeze" green Figo Titanium diesel and "Chill" silver-grey ZXI petrol earlier today and would be glad to answer any queries on comparing the three cars. The Figo is certainly a nice car but I couldn't bring myself to like the bland styling and SUV-ish rear. The differences between the two top end trims is essentially down to safety features- ABS and airbags. There are a couple of other gimmicky differences as well, such as "anti drip wiping" but I feel that's just desperation on the part of Ford to differentiate between the two trim levels.

How about a short (or even long if you have time) comparison between Figo Titanium Diesel and Punto MJD E+ if possible?

[khan75]

Originally Posted by johnjacob

Hi Khan, your seventh point is unclear.


So which one has the better throw in low beam? The Punto or the Polo?

Sorry, I meant that the Polo's low beam spread is slightly better than the GP. This was confirmed when I turned on both headlamps in an alley.

Originally Posted by poloman

Khanji, So on Highways you can safely expect a mileage of ~18.
What all information are available in the MID. It is displayed in three pages right? Any niggles or squeaks so far?

I wouldn't be that confident. Remember this is a 3 pot engine we're talking about which needs to work progressively harder as the revs (and speed) build up so although it is quite efficient, it would probably lose some of the advantage when nearing triple digit speeds. I'd probably wager a guess at 16-16.5kpl unless you plan on driving it in 5th gear at 60, in which case I've wringed out 18.5kpl in the Punto doing the same speed.
The MID displays the fuel consumption, distance to empty, total odometer and time. I'm sure it conveys one or two more things but I can't seem to recollect them. Of course, the Punto's MID is way easier to use, thanks to the convenient toggle button on the right stalk.
No niggles or squeaks so far and I expect it to remain that way. The Punto does have a tiny squeak from the passenger side that only rears its head when going over a large-ish potholes.

Originally Posted by Musicmaker23

How would you say is the day to day feel in both cars considering there's a huge difference in level of kit? I know we're not supposed to be driving electronics shops, but a few gizmos never hurt anybody

I've compared the two cars in daily comfort as well as gizmos in the first post. Let me know if you'd like something more specific.

Originally Posted by sheetumanu

How about a short (or even long if you have time) comparison between Figo Titanium Diesel and Punto MJD E+ if possible?

There's the problem - I haven't driven an MJD so I wouldn't know how to describe it at all. I have a Punto 1.4 E+.

[better4worse]

@ Khan75 - Damn!.....considering, I was the one who requested for this new thread, I am pretty darn late on it (read..entry on Page 4). First things first, Excellent first post on a thread about two absolute stunners! Like one of the bhp-ians mentioned...nicely collated and very crisp not to forget the humor. Thanks again for drawing out an objective comparison with numbers. (..Tell me you're a 'consultant' somewhere ! ).

Well I still got some more questions for you..(hoping I haven't missed them in any of your previous posts.)

a. You chose a petrol 1.4 GP against the popular choice 1.3 MJD Punto... any particular reason for that ? I ask this, cause I personally come from a ' all no-nonsense (read Maruti's) petrol cars in the garage ' kinda background much like most of us and the temptation of a stunning looking Punto coupled with a super 1.3 MJD is nearly irresistible. What tripped you towards a petrol ?

b. Again same question, but for VW Polo this time... why Petrol and not Diesel ?

c. On GTO's Punto thread, you have mentioned that Punto Accesories Store comes alive in late summer along with the Sports Diesel Polo. Any idea on the month ? Do share more details on the Sports Diesel, is one to expect an engine spec change i.e. apart from the cosmetic exterior/interior changes ?

-B4W

[EssYouWe]

Originally Posted by better4worse

a. You chose a petrol 1.4 GP against the popular choice 1.3 MJD Punto... any particular reason for that ? I ask this, cause I personally come from a ' all no-nonsense (read Maruti's) petrol cars in the garage ' kinda background much like most of us and the temptation of a stunning looking Punto coupled with a super 1.3 MJD is nearly irresistible. What tripped you towards a petrol ?

b. Again same question, but for VW Polo this time... why Petrol and not Diesel ?

He bought the GP second hand and got a friggin awesome deal on it.

The Polo diesel won't be out for a couple of months.

[khan75]

EssYouWe got it right. I'll expand on that (answers are inline):

Originally Posted by better4worse

(..Tell me you're a 'consultant' somewhere ! ).
Naw, I'm a painter!
Yep, I used to be a strategy consultant and still juggle with numbers as part of my job.

Well I still got some more questions for you..(hoping I haven't missed them in any of your previous posts.)

a. You chose a petrol 1.4 GP against the popular choice 1.3 MJD Punto... any particular reason for that ? I ask this, cause I personally come from a ' all no-nonsense (read Maruti's) petrol cars in the garage ' kinda background much like most of us and the temptation of a stunning looking Punto coupled with a super 1.3 MJD is nearly irresistible. What tripped you towards a petrol ?
My 1.4 EmotionPack is probably the cheapest Punto on TBHP. Tell me, if you happen to find one in mint condition for 4.6L, would you still buy the 6L+ oil burner variant?

b. Again same question, but for VW Polo this time... why Petrol and not Diesel ?
Because the diesel variant won't be out for months?

c. On GTO's Punto thread, you have mentioned that Punto Accesories Store comes alive in late summer along with the Sports Diesel Polo. Any idea on the month ? Do share more details on the Sports Diesel, is one to expect an engine spec change i.e. apart from the cosmetic exterior/interior changes ?
I remember one of the Fiat sales managers at the Auto Expo had indicated a tentative release of the store during the early summer and the Punto diesel sport sometime during the summer. I think the engine is very slightly detuned to suit Indian conditions and will pump out roughly 85-86hp. I'm still hoping they realize their folly and release a proper petrol sports version with 100+hp.

-B4W

[neoonwheels]

Nice to see unbiased and practical comparison between Punto and Polo. Not a single point is biased towards any of the cars. No non sense comparison

[sheetumanu]

Originally Posted by EssYouWe

The Polo diesel won't be out for a couple of months.

Moreover, going by GTO's review Polo Diesel sounds quite disappointing as well.

@Khan75: Where do you put up in Delhi? Would love to sneak a peek at this stunning couple