Volkswagen Polo

Synopsis

The hatchback segment is the most populated car segment in India. Hatchbacks are good in terms of fuel efficiency and their relatively small size makes it easy to drive on crowded Indian roads. Most of the car manufacturers aim to establish themselves in this segment of cars in India. It’s like the first step of gaining confidence as once your hatch succeeds in the market then people may also focus on your other offerings. That’s the reason why Hyundai, Suzuki are doing well in all segment of cars in India.

German makers, Volkswagen also knows the importance of this segment in India and that’s why they have entered in this segment with their fifth generation of Polo. A car which has a past success record worldwide. Polo introduced Volkswagen in India on large scale. This car competes with already established models like Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ritz, Hyundai’s i10, i20 and others like Fiat Punto and Ford Figo. Polo is not just carrying its body weight but also the ambitious hopes of Volkswagen as it sets the base for other cars from them. This premium hatchback is Volkswagen’s smallest offering in India. This car has to do more than just selling as people here in India attach emotionally with their cars. It has to form a relationship with people to succeed. Volkswagen, Das Auto. Does this car have the ability to make Indians understand what it exactly means? We find out in our complete review of this car.

Exterior

When it comes to its styling, Polo is one of its kinds in its segment. This car feels like a breath of new air. In a very long time, we have not seen a car like Polo which is absolutely simple yet extremely stylish. This is perfect German styling. It’s not a beautiful car, it’s handsome. The strong characteristic styling of this car make it look macho. Strong lines are visible on this car. Volkswagen Polo is just less than 4 meter and its long length is quite visible when seen from either side. The overall appearance of this car is a wide, low stance compact hatchback. Its long bonnet with wider front windshield, bumper and headlights makes it look up-market. Face of this car is very appealing as it looks like any other sedan. Almost hexagonal shaped headlights are not angular at all; they are very sharp and pointing.

Elegant radiator grill with big Volkswagen logo sitting on top of it looks premium with sleek chrome finish on it. Front bumper has black color grille with angular space for fog lights pointing out of bumper on either side which looks aerodynamic, when seen from side of this car. Big wheel arches with R15 size of alloy wheels in top model starts from the low end of front bumper and goes all the way to back bumper. There is also a prominent side line which starts from tip of front headlight in side fender and merges in the tail light. It has body color door handles, side mirrors and sporty roof antenna at the back where it looks stylish with roof dipping down. The rear of the car also looks stylish as it’s in built brake light spoiler is a standard feature of this car. The rear door opener is a big VW logo which along with rear sporty wiper and clear lens tail lamps adds to the charismatic factor of this car.

Volkswagen India has launched refreshed model (Highline) of Polo in India. It features smoked head lamps, new design for alloy wheels, new music system with USB port, leather wrapped multi-function steering wheel, leather wrapped handbrake ever and gear-shift knob, bluetooth connectivity and speed sensing auto volume for the music player.

Interior

Get into the car and feeling of being around a sedan continues. Polo has dual tone interior with black and beige color. Seats are of beige color and are placed a bit lower than normal. Plush fabrics are used inside it with top quality of material. Buttons of power window, AC and other features feels very soft in comparison to its competitor’s. Inside door handles, gear knob, AC vents and many other small things are nicely given the touch of chrome with fabrics used on door panels inside. Three spoke steering wheel may look big in size .It’s blue light illuminating instrument cluster comes along with tachometer ,trip meter and Multi information display including light alarm for open door. The classy aura inside Polo is absent in most of the hatchbacks, may be because we are not habitual of the superior quality which is offered by German’s.

Comfort and Convenience

Volkswagen has tried to make this car as comfortable as possible by offering smart list of features with its well-designed seats. Front seat of Polo is height adjustable with tilt and telescopic adjustable power steering. Head room and knee room for front seats are enough providing comfy ride. It is loaded with features like all four power windows, manually adjustable side mirrors and central locking with remote transmitter. The top model, highline also features front and rear fog lights along with rear washer and wiper which makes it comfortable to ride in rainy and winter season. Volkswagen Polo has powerful air-conditioner which is capable enough to chill its cabin. Rear seats are also very comfortable of this car. They provide ample thigh support as they are low and give perfect angle for your back. No doubt, polo offers the best seats for rear passengers but its cramped knee room spoil the party. There is not much space at the back of this car as bonnet and boot of this car eats most of it space. We wish if it had more space for comfortable seating at the back as there is merely any legroom for three adults.

Dashboard and Storage

Dashboard in Polo also comes in dual tone beige and black color. Centre console is also in black color with some silver accents. The appearance of dash along with nicely designed console feels highly sophisticated. Dashboard has no storage option except a big glove box but it comes in with spacious front door storage compartment with bottle holders. The car has enough place for storage at its back as it has a 294ltr boot capacity .The car also carries a parcel tray at the back as a standard feature with back pockets on front seats to keep essentials in it making sure that you don’t run out of space.

Music System

To make your rides enjoyable, the highline model of Polo comes with a built audio system in center console featuring Radio, MP3 and CD in it with four powerful speakers. The buttons used in this audio system are very up market and easy to operate. The top variant of Volkswagen Polo diesel now features new high-end music system, USB support, AUX port, leather wrapped steering wheel, rear parking sensors and steering mounted audio controls.

Engine and Gearbox

The Indian version of Polo comes in with three engine options. Two of these are petrol engines and one is a diesel engine. These different engines cater to different people. All three engines available in Polo are mated with five speed manual gearbox. The petrol engines are available in two states. One is a regular 1.2L petrol engine and the other one is a powerful 1.6L (discontinued recently). The three cylinder 1.2L petrol machine is specially designed for Polo. This engine produces a maximum power of 73.94 bhp at 5400rpm with maximum torque output of 110 nm coming at 3750 rpm. This 3 cylinder engine produces less power in comparison to its competitor’s, even i10 manages to pull out more power from its kappa unit.

The sports version of 1.6L petrol engine (recently discontinued) is a four cylinder machine. This engine offers a massive power of 105 bhp at 5250 rpm with ample amount of 153 nm of torque coming at 3750 rpm. This engine is capable enough to make this car the fastest in its segment. If we talk about the diesel engine, the company has introduced an all-new 1.5 litre diesel engine, which develops maximum power of 88.73 BHP @ 4200 rpm and maximum torque of 230 NM @ 1500-2500 rpm. The ARAI certified mileage of Polo 1.5 diesel is 20.14 KMPL.

Acceleration and Performance

The 1.2 L petrol engine is as good as it looks on paper. The car never seems to be starving for power. This three cylinder engine feels enough refined but it’s a bit noisy. It has enough amount of torque which makes it a good city car. Even if pushed hard, it feels very relaxed. It’s surely not as responsive as Maruti’s swift and Ritz but once you pass the initial phase its road presence feel better than its competitors. It does 0-100 just under 15 sec, which is not that bad. If you want a faster version of polo, get into its 1.6 L version and you will notice the difference. This four cylinder engine is far more responsive and quick. This engine feels very nimble and there is thirst for speed in it. It reaches a speed of 100km/hour within 11 seconds which is undoubtedly unbeatable in its segment.

With this engine Polo is the best car in its segment for highway cruising. Now, let’s talk about the diesel engine. The power and torque output from this engine and Fiat’s Multijet engine is virtually identical. When you drive the diesel engine in Polo it feels less refined than engines offered by Ford and Fiat. It’s far behind from the refinement level of those four cylindrical engines. Polo has also a major turbo lag, below 2000rpm this car is a disappointment. You can’t think of beating Swift or even Figo with this engine. It gets well after 2500 rpm but till then you have to work on it to move it faster. Just because of its good power it manages to reach 100km/hour in less than 17 seconds. When pushed hard, noise of this engine is audible inside the cabin, which is a major issue on highways.

Mileage

The less responsive nature of Polo’s diesel engine helps it to give an optimum fuel efficiency of around 15-20km/l whereas its 1.2 petrol engine manages to give around 10-15km/l . Surprisingly, the 1.6 Petrol (discontinued recently) motor due to its four cylinders manages to return a mileage similar or even more than its smaller petrol unit.

Variants

Volkswagen Polo is available in 9 variants: 1.2 Petrol Trendline, 1.2 Petrol Comfortline, 1.2 Petrol Highline, 1.5 Diesel Trendline, 1.5 Diesel Comfortline, 1.5 Diesel Highline, GT TSi, GT TDi and Cross Polo Diesel. The top of the line Volkswagen Polo Highline variant comes with Dual SRS Airbags, Alloys, ABS, AC, Leather Interiors, Rear washer/wiper & Parking sensors.

Shades

Volkswagen Polo is available in six shades: ‘Candy White’, ‘Flash Red’, ‘Copper Orange', 'Carbon Steel', 'Reflex Silver' and 'Night Blue'.

Safety Features

Polo comes with a set of ventilated disk brakes at the front while drum brakes are doing duty at the back. ABS, dual front airbags and immobilizer are offered in top model of Polo to enhance the safety features of this car.

Ride and Handling

Volkswagen Polo’s handling is very precise. Its 4.97 meter of turning radius makes its handling perfect for city conditions. Car has got new suspension which eats every bump nicely without making any sound. Its ground clearance (165mm) is specially revised for Indian roads as it’s able to pass big speed breakers and potholes. Its long length with a wheel base of 2469mm makes it one of the safest hatches with optimum suspension for high speed cornering.

Verdict

The base model of Polo starts under five lakh rupees (ex-showroom, Delhi). It is quite competitively placed but it offers fewer features than its rivals. This car is surely a head turner, its capable enough to grab attention in public. This is the only USP of this car. Relatively high price of its GT and diesel versions; it’s not a value for money car. It is not as powerful as other hatchbacks in its class. At this price what you get is a car from German makers which is strongly built and looks sophisticated. There is another issue; there is huge gap in prices of these three variants from each other. It gives advantage to other cars to fit into these gaps. Looking at its quality, fresh look and superior German engineering, this car should be able to get a good number of buyers, especially youth.

2015 Hyundai i20 Elite Diesel vs. 2015 Volkswagen Polo Diesel