VW Polo GT TSI undergoes some cost-cutting

Thanks to moderator Suhaas307 for bringing this to our attention.

Since the start of 2015, VW has resorted to some shocking cost-cutting measures on the flagship version of its Polo hatchback - GT TSI, which costs nearly Rs. 10 lakh on-road Mumbai. Among other things, the new GT TSI will no longer be equipped with a leather-wrapped handbrake lever or fabric on the door pads. The car now comes shod with either MRF ZVTVs or JK tyres, which are inferior to the Apollos (that they replace) and are cheaper too.

Such cost-cutting measures are not welcome on a car that is available at a significant premium over its regular version and the other competitor hatchbacks in the market. Strangely, the brochure has not been updated yet and continues to show leather-wrapped handbrake as a standard feature.

VW are notorious to silently re-jig the feature list from their cars time and again. Earlier in 2011, the company had silently deleted features like one-touch up/down power windows, anti-theft motion sensors, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever chrome accents etc. from the Vento sedan. Interestingly, the initial batch of its premium D-segment sedan - Jetta, came with cruise control as standard on the Comfortline variant, however, soon VW deleted this feature too.