Volkswagen Polo - Premium hatchback alternate to sedan fans

The automobile segments had been largely divided with options ranging from the entry level hatchbacks, the SUVs, the vans, and the sedans. All that has changed ever since a more premium level of hatchbacks have made their way on to the roads, including the likes of the Volkswagen Polo. The European car making giant owns perhaps most of the coveted auto brands under the sun, so it really isn’t much of a surprise that they would offer something like the Polo from their stable, and match it to their standards of expertise. Suave, with a special touch of modernity and minimalistic design highlights the Polo, and those willing to shell out the extra bucks will certainly not be disappointed.

Price Range: Rs 4.95 lakhs to Rs 8.13 lakhs (ex-showroom)

Fuel options: 2 (diesel and petrol)

Transmission: 2 (9 manual, 1 automatic)

Color options: 6 (Flash Red, Deep Black, Candy White, Reflex Silver, Shadow Blue, and Pepper Grey)

Exteriors

The Polo comes with a touch of modern simplicity that most of the competitors don’t have now days. Whereas most experiment with jazzy designs, Volkswagen Polo comes with the company idea of being sporty, modern, yet very minimalistic in its design paradigm. The Front grille of the hatchback comes with bold looking headlights, with a chrome plated set of front grilles, with the logo placed bang at the center. The engine lid (bonnet) comes with 2 creases along the sides and that’s just about the tweaking thee. Since the bold and side extending headlamps and even the fog lamps below have been outlined in black high grade plastic, the looks department ensures that heads turn in the direction of this car.

The sidelines of the car are neat and modern. The body colored OVRMs have the upper half colored to the rest of the body, and do not sport the side indicators loaded on them. Instead the indicators have been traditionally placed separately like some of the older model cars known to us. The creasing is one single stroke seen as a slant beginning from the front panel, and extending till the end of the vehicle. To serve the demands of the sportier customer, the side-skirting have been blended really well into the side vision look of the Polo. The alloy wheels blend with the overall neatness too.

The rear face of the Polo, needless to say isn’t the most jazzed edition out there either. The tail lamps are chunky looking fittings which protrude a bit towards the outside but hopefully so much an eyesore. The rear windscreen has a single wiper to keep it water free, and sports an upper spoiler with a prominent brake lamp fitted in. The smartness here is the Volkswagen logo fitted at the center of the boot lid, which is actually the handle to be used for opening the lid.

Interiors

The interiors are extremely Volkswagen in every way. Dual tone dashboard and side door paneling, anthracite light beige fabrication for the seats, chrome plated fixtures such door handles, the ergonomic central instrument panel with matte black finish, all speak of the sophistication the brand stands for. The instrument cluster is neatly laid out with the air conditioning vents placed right at the top, with the emergency indicator button in a strip just below them. This is followed by the infotainment system with its buttons arranged neatly around it, with some space for a large screen to exist right at the center. With the minimal number of buttons, one can hope for a fairly simply control system, with the benefits like SD Card slot, Aux-in, USB, and Bluetooth integration for external devices.

This cluster then follows with the 3-knob air conditioning controls, which includes the temperature control, air speed control, and the air direction control. There are some handy bottle and glass holders with some space for smaller belongings. The driver’s panel has 2 dial design with the tachometer and speedometer sandwiching the digital fuel gauge, temperature, and trip measuring meter. For the higher end models, one would have the advantage of having the infotainment controls steering mounted for easy reach, making the space look a bit more tech savvy. The headlamp adjuster has been placed on the right of the steering wheel, making it easy enough to control.

There are some very useful features for co-passengers too, like the automatic air-conditioning control, making it useful to maintain the right temperature while travelling long distances. Others in general include ticket holders, height adjustable headrests, lane change indicator, rear defogger, rear windshield wiper and cleaner, adjustable steering column, and the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) to name a few.

The engine

The engine on the Volkswagen Polo, comes in 2 options; 1.2-liter TSI petrol engine, and the 1.2-liter In-line diesel engine, both mated with a 5-speed manual transmission, except for a single automatic transmission. The petrol options is the 1,198cc machine with a 73.9 BHP of top power output, and an efficiency rate of 16.5 kmpl of fuel. There is also another 1.6-liter highline engine option, which had a higher displacement capacity of 1,598cc, and a power output of 100 BHP, though dishing out the same level fuel efficiency.

The diesel engine is the 1.2-liter In-line CRDi machine, with a 1,199 cc displacement capacity, 73.9 BHP of output power. With the same 5-speed manual transmission, the engine boasts of a higher fuel efficiency of 22.07 kmpl. The GT edition of the diesel operated engine has a higher displacement capacity of 1,598cc, and a lower fuel efficiency figure of 19.07 kmpl.