Opening
If you find your Maruti Swift tossing and turning in her bed tonight, be sure that a Volkswagen Polo has passed by your house today morning. Yes, there is a strong and tough Maruti competitor in the market. After Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i-series models, the Volkswagen Polo is definitely a car that will make a big difference in consumer buying patterns. Cool looks, defined features and above all – “the brand Volkswagen” with “the GERMAN ENGINEERING.” Good enough to make people re-consider their buying decisions.
Appearance Exterior
The Volkswagen Polo has cool looks and a well-defined body with sporty aerodynamic looks. The beautifully crafted body not only makes it look stylish and elegant but also offers better handling at high speeds. The front grille boldly flaunts the Volkswagen logo while at the back you can tilt the Volkswagen logo to open the boot. Volkswagen Polo has uncanny broad headlights that really mark a strong presence. On the back the rear tail lights gel with the over all body design. The top end model comes with fog lamps for added safety and better vision in bad weather conditions.
I really liked the nice and sophisticated design from Volkswagen. If Maruti Swift is all curves, Chevrolet Beat is all funky features and Ford Figo is bold design, Volkswagen Polo is cool, refined urbane design well suited for people with chic yet stylish lifestyle.
Appearance Interior
Now if the outside impressed me, the interiors really took me in! The seashell upholstery in nearly white beige colour and dual tone interiors were very impressive. The dashboard is also done in two-tone with chrome finish on the gears and other knobs. Volkswagen has ensured that even a small car segment buyer should have a feel of plush lifestyle and luxury.
The top end model comes with 2-DIN music system but the same is not available in other two models. Volkswagen offers 60/40 split folding passenger rear seat. So that means, you can carry your entire luggage for complete overseas vacation in one car. The rear seat back rest folds down completely and splits for more flexibility. But I guess you would hardly need to do that, as the boot is really something to reckon. A space of 294 litres is good enough and definitely beats other cars in its segment. Boot space really makes you take those weekend trips or out of town trips that you have been thinking about for a long time.
The top end VW Polo model comes with ABS, front and rear fog lamps, central locking, high mounted third tail lamp and air bags for front two passengers.
The dimensions of all VW Polo variants are the same except that the Comfortline and Highline versions come with R15 tyres whereas Trendline is with R14 Size tyre.
VW has ensured similar looks for all variants with no mentioning of variant name on backside. That’s a good idea which matters a lot in maintaining uniformity of importance to all Polo owners.
The top end model and mid-variant even come with anti-theft engine immobiliser adding double safety to your car. The car’s looks are very elegant and classy that boasts of European design combined with superb German engineering.
Performance Drive
The Volkswagen Polo comes in three variants – Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. All the Volkswagen Polo variants are powered by a 1.2L 3-cylinder petrol engine that delivers power of 75PS @ 5400 rpm and maximum torque of 110nm @ 3750 rpm.
Currently Volkswagen is offering only the petrol model with 1.2L engine option. It will launch its 1.2L diesel variant and 1.6L petrol variant after looking at the market response to the car. The car is capable of reaching 0-100 kmph in 14.2 seconds.
The engine is docile kind and quite unlike Ford Figo. It definitely reminds me of a new Maruti Swift but since the car is a little compact on the exterior as compared to Swift the handling is really easy. I have to really watch out while driving Maruti Swift as I always feel the car to be a little broader on the outside. Volkswagen Polo has done away with unnecessary curves and bloating of its body shape which makes you feel easy to drive.
The car delivers acceptable acceleration while you feel stable while driving it. It handles curves well and the clutch and gear are comfortable to use too.
We all still await a formal introduction of Volkswagen Polo by the company and definitely a longer term feedback about the mileage. I was told that till date only one model was delivered and the bookings made so far will be delivered within a month’s time.
The table above gives a brief comparison of the Volkswagen Polo with other competitors like Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Swift, Hyundai i10, etc.
In general, we can say that the feature and pricing offering of all these cars is more or less similar. Hence, the main advantage of the VW Polo is Brand value, tough build quality and style.
Though many of the competitor models offer similar features and low price, the Polo makes distinctive choice for build quality and design.
Conclusion
Volkswagen Polo is here to stay! You may find some features missing as compared to other models but the car definitely has own class and style. Premium hatchback buyers definitely have one good and solid option to change their loyalties to a new brand. VW Polo is truly an intelligently designed car. Anybody having a check of the Polo will surely appreciate small but important features like boot opening with logo, locking of bonnet puller with closing of driverside door, Height of boot opening door and provision for short heighted people to pull it easily and importantly no mentioning of variant on backside and many more.
All in all, a good car at a good price.
