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Volkswagen Polo TestDrive & Review at Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/volkswagen-polo-testdrive-review/

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Volkswagen Polo TestDrive & Review
Posted by TeamVicky under Car, Polo and Volkswagen. 1 Comment
Introduction
Unlike Maruti or Chevy, Volkswagen is not a well known car maker in India. Before the polo, it has
smaller presence in the Indian market. To be honest, many Indian customers don’t know Skoda and Audi
are part of Volkswagen group (thanks to clear branding). Yet, Polo is house hold name in India. The
roadblocks and extensive PR activity has done wonders for Polo and Volkswagen. Volkswagen has
crafted the branding exercise exceptionally now its the time to actually perform.
Volkswagen has finally launched the Polo in India. The most hyped car and the car which has won
ECOTY (European Car Of The Year) is here. We check out how polo fares in the Indian context

Test Drive
From Mumbai to Pune Via Amby Valley

1 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


Styling
Polo is simply pleasing! the segment buyers cannot take the decisions on their own, it should be a
collective one. The car should be acceptable to all the family members. Sure, with its neat styling Polo
would please all.

The blend of modern and conservative lines makes the polo very attractive. For the Indian version,
Volkswagen has added lotsa chrome – in the front grille and the headlamps.
Design

2 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


The sharp edged headlamps and the prominent grille gives the polo a sporty profile. The side is
characterized by taut lines. Volkswagen design team is said to have insisted on having alloy wheels on all
variants.
Even the base end variant – Polo comfortline (in the picture) comes with aloy wheels. At the rear, the VW
logo stands out, even from a distance you can spot-on the polo. Sadly,the tail lamps reminds me of old
Maruti Zen.
Engine

Two three potters – 1.2L petrol and 1.2L diesel are the engine options for the Volkswagen Polo. 1.2L
gasoline is the same unit which powers the Skoda Fabia and it produces 75PS of peak power at 5400rpm
and 110Nm of peak torque at 3750rpm.
The oil burner which displaces 1200cc develops an identical of 75Ps of max powere at 4200rpm but a
higher 180Nm of peak torque at 2000rpm. The diesel unit is a toned down version of Fabia’s unit to avail
the small car excise duty.
Both the engines are coupled with 5-speed manual transmission. The volkswagen team has said an
automatic variant of Polo is on the cards.
Performance and Fuel Efficiency

3 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


We test driven the Polo diesel much longer than the Polo petrol. But that’s not the only reason i’m
inclined to Polo diesel than petrol. The 1.2L diesel is responsive and has enough grunt throughout the
power range.
As typical of any modern diesels, the turbo kicks-in only after 1800rpm and engine comes to life only
thereafter. But it has strong midrange and more surprisingly impressive top end too. We managed to hit a
maximum speed of 160kmph.
Polo petrol

Coming to the Polo petrol, 1.2L barely manages to pull the polo. You have work between third and fourth
gears to overtake a truck. There is not much room for spirited driving. Also it is not that refined as one
would expect from a Volkswagen.
As per Arai, the fuel efficiency of Polo petrol is 17.2kmpl and the mileage figure for polo diesel is yet to
be revealed.

4 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


Suspession and Tyres
Our test drive polo runs on larger 185/60 R15 tyres which is standard for top end Polo highline variant.
Polo trendline and comfortline sports 175/60 R14 tubeless radials. The disc brakes at the front and drum
at the rear are standard.
The lower variants which lacks ABS tend to lock-up under heavy braking but stopping distance is
impressive.
Handling

The hairpin curves on the way to Lonavala could be the best place to test the handling characteristics of
Polo. Like the punto, the polo chassis runs on much powerful engines in Europe. It caters the 1.2L with
ease.
But the electrical power steering is lighter which is a boon in tight traffic conditions and parking, but even
at high speeds it fails to gain weight.
Polo is nimble and sporty. The enthusiasm of polo driver cannot be stopped by the spiral roads. Polo
moves with confidence and the handling is just about perfect. Only the best handling machines like Fiat
Punto and Maruti Swift pose a challenge here.
Colours

5 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


Candy white, Flash red, Pepper grey, Glacier blue,reflex silver and deep black are the six colour shades of
polo
Styling

Get inside the polo, the dual tone interiors welcomes you. But the wow quotient is missing. The
conventional grey dominates all over the dashboard. The material quality is good if not top notch but the
build quality is exceptional. The peers have to take a note here, polo has raised benchmark to a new high
with this.
Ergonomics

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The adequately sized and shaped three spoke steering is good to hold. The central console is uncluttered
with control knobs meant for AC and music player. The instrumentation too is simple with large tacho on
the left and speedo on the right.
In between them is the multi information which tells you the time,temperature and gear indication (in case
of Polo diesel).
Space and Comfort

Getting inside the polo is easy and the same for finding the comfortable driving position. The seats are
well bolstered and offers good support. The door pockets and space at the central console is not
enormous, though polo sports a decent glove box.
The rear bench has good underthigh support but it is little cramped. The head room is also just about
adequate. Unlike the modern hatchbacks, the cabin is airy. The doors shut with the thud reflecting the top
notch build quality,
Polo boasts an impressive 280litres of boot space with less intrusions. The 60:40 foldable seats enables to
amplify the boot space. Polo also features a parcel shelf.
Ride Quality and NVH

7 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


The sporty driving character of polo does not take a toll on its ride quality. The ride may not match the
Fabia but is definitely impressive. Thanks to the confusions in the Volkswagen map, we had a chance to
drive the Polo in tight inroads and terrains.
Rude shocks never unruffled at the cabin. Even at 160kmph, the cabin remained unsettled. Regarding the
NVH, the pricing tells you all. The sound insulatory materials are cut down for the sake of cutting cost.
Result, noise and diesel clatter reaches the cabin but the Polo’s solid build quality manages to filter to
some extent.
Features

Alloy wheels, ABS with twin airbags, front and rear fog lamps, defogger and wiper at rear, integrated
music system, remote opening, power windows and electric power steering are the features available in
top end Polo highline.
Interestingly, the much needed features – alloy wheels, tilt adjustable steering and central locking are
available in base end Polo trendline itself. Polo is surely an affordable VW.
Variants and Price

8 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


Volkswagen Polo comes in three variants – trendline, comfortline and highlne. Hats off to Volkswagen
team! considering only the 50% localisation the pricing is intelligent. Polo is priced between Rs 4.34 to Rs
5.72 lakhs (Ex-showroom Delhi)
Verdict

After the 250km drive, we are clearly convinced why Volkswagen’s pOlo is accredited all over the world.
Polo is superbly styled, it drives good, handles well and sensitively priced. Also the build quality the
exceptionally good. But are these enough to succeed?
Unlike anywhere in the world, India is a big hatch market and this premium hatchback segment is already
heavily crowded. Polo’s peers like Maruti Swift, Fiat Punto and Hyundai i20 has raised the benchmark
already. Surely, it’s not a cakewalk for polo in India.
Polo doesn’t match the features of i20 or VFM of punto or fun character of Swift. Yet its a good overall
package. If you had anticipated for the Honda Jazz but disappointed by the pricing. Look no further than
VW polo. Polo carries a premium badge and stands out in the crowd.

9 of 10 9/23/2010 3:39 PM


1 Response to “Volkswagen Polo TestDrive & Review”

1 reena Jun 21st, 2010 at 5:34 pm

wel polo seems to be good but not the best at the price it is offered in…

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