The Volkswagen Polo is one of the most sought after hatchbacks at MotorBeam (after the Fiat Grande Punto ofcourse!). A lot of our readers have been waiting for Volkswagen to update the Polo with more features and a more powerful engine. This has not happened till now and won’t happen anytime in the immediate future as Volkswagen chose to display a accessory rich Polo at the 2012 Auto Expo. The Polo on display was for eye candy only and had a body kit along with some chrome thrown in for good measure. The car on display was a Polo 1.6 Highline and the said accessories are available at VW dealers should you feel the need to jazz up your Polo.

We are still not aware of the reason Volkswagen is delaying the 2012 Polo. The Polo is a fantastic car but has many short comings. For starters the feature list is spartan infront of more established rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20. Factor in the 3-cylinder diesel unit, which lacks any thrust and the price of the Polo seems a little on the premium side. Volkswagen need to offer a more powerful diesel in the Polo and they need to do it soon, because the Swift has stolen the ICOTY award this year and the i20 is heading for the surgeons knife to get the Fluidic sculpture.

The Volkswagen Polo upgrade has been due for quite some time now, we say so as we have spotted on test Polos as long back as May, 2011. A few cars which we spotted had no visual difference, that points us to just two things. Either Volkswagen is conducting regular testing of the current Polo, or the company is testing something new under the hood. According to CarWale, Volkswagen could very well plonk the Vento’s 1.6 TDI unit into the hood of the Polo, thereby giving the Polo the much needed power it always deserved. The company is still researching this idea as the 1.6-liter engine won’t benefit from small car excise benefit norms and will boost the price of the Polo 1.6 TDI quite significantly.

Volkswagen understands the needs of enthusiasts and offers the Polo with a 1.6-liter petrol unit (from the Vento). But with sharply rising fuel prices, customers prefer to opt for diesel and since the Polo comes with a 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder diesel, many simply opt for the Fiat Grande Punto 90 HP or Hyundai i20 Diesel. The Polo 1.6 TDi will prevent power seeking buyers from walking away from Volkswagen showrooms. The company plans to continue the Polo 1.2 TDi which will serve the needs of majority of the buyers. The Polo 1.6 TDI will be available in Highline trim only and should cost close to Rs. 9 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). The 1.6-liter TDI motor produces 105 BHP of power and 253 Nm of torque, which will result in a sub 10 seconds 0 – 100 kmph time for the Polo 1.6 diesel.

Source – CarWale

Volkswagen has come out with a special edition of the Polo in Austria. Known as the Polo Sky, the special edition boasts of many features which can make it quite a hit in the European countries. To start with, the special edition features a big panoramic glass sunroof. Other extra things like the LED daytime running lights, ‘Climatronic’ climate control, rain sensing wipers, 15-inch ‘Riverside’ alloy wheels, ‘Pepper Glass Metallic’ center console finish and a unique ‘Livon’ upholstery feature on the Polo Sky.

The Polo Sky is going to get a host of engine options starting with a 1.2-liter 68 BHP unit. Moving up the ladder, you also can also get a 1.4-liter 84 BHP unit, 1.2-liter 104 bhp TSI unit and the 1.6-liter 105 bhp TDi unit. It is priced at € 17,880 for the lesser-powered 1.2, rising to € 22,480 for the 105 BHP 1.6 TDI with 7-speed DSG gearbox. The pricing is not too high considering the loads of features it is coming packed with. Will this special edition foray into the Indian markets as Volkswagen looks at increasing sales amidst hyper competition?

As posted by us earlier about upgrades to Volkswagen cars, the German automaker has introduced a limited edition of the Polo and Vento in India. The company has launched the Polo Breeze and Vento Breeze which will boast of accessories worth Rs. 40,000/-. This is very similar to the IPL edition launched earlier on in the year. There will be no price hike and these variants will be priced at similar costs as the regular variants. The said variants are being launched to cash in on the festive season and are available from the 10th of September, 2011. Volkswagen will soon introduce a facelift of the Polo and Vento in the country. The Polo is said to get a more powerful diesel engine as well.

The Polo Breeze will be available in all trims in petrol version only. The Polo Breeze features satellite navigation system, Leatherette seat covers and rear parking distance control. The Vento Breeze will be available in trendline variant only in petrol and diesel versions. The Vento Breeze features touch screen multimedia players with GPS, USB and Bluetooth connectivity. Both cars will have Breeze stickers, Breeze pillows and floor mats. The German automaker will also be hosting a Breeze Weekend festival at all its 77 dealerships in India.

There has been an all of a sudden increase in the spottings of Volkswagen Polo with test plates in and around Mumbai and Pune. The company has been testing a new version of the Polo for quite some time now and we had uncovered this back in May, showcasing the new features of the upcoming model. The increase in the spottings of the car suggests that the launch is just around the corner. The new Maruti Suzuki Swift has certainly impacted the sales of the Polo to a certain extent. Add to that the Volkswagen Polo is commanding a waiting period of close to three months without even selling as much only suggests some supply constraints from Volkswagen. The German automaker may have restricted supplies to make way for the new model.

The facelifted Volkswagen Polo could be launched within a week’s time and will boast of more features. A more powerful powerplant could debut on the Polo but that is yet to be confirmed. The Polo is said to get a better audio system along with steering mounted audio controls. A price hike is unlikely as the Polo hasn’t been doing very well, selling less than even the Vento in the previous month at just 2615 units.

Volkswagen Polo 1.6 - Click above for high resolution picture gallery

Car tested: 2011 Volkswagen Polo 1.6 Highline

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 7,10,660/-

Volkswagen offers the Polo with three very different engines in India. Although not tarmac scorching, the motors in the Polo do a good job offering a decent mix of performance and mileage. However the Polo 1.6 is slightly different. It is the car for the enthusiast and boasts of the magic 100bhp figure on its spec sheet. Besides the engine, the Volkswagen Polo 1.6 is exactly the same as its 1.2 sibling, there is no difference whatsoever. We have already tested the Polo Petrol (review here) and Polo Diesel (review here), so we will keep this review limited to the performance of the Polo 1.6.

The interiors are exactly the same as other Polos. Fantastic build quality along with classic instrumentation are highlights of the Polo’s interiors.

The only differentiating factor between the Polo 1.2 and the Polo 1.6 is the badging on the tail gate.

The Volkswagen Polo 1.6 is powered by a 1598cc, 4-cylinder, petrol engine which also does duty on the Vento. The in-line motor produces 105 PS at 5250 RPM and 153 Nm of torque at 3750 RPM. Torque figures are right between the 1.2 petrol and 1.2 diesel motors which produce 110 Nm and 180 Nm respectively.

Unlike its siblings (which do not revv past the 3000 RPM mark in neutral), the Polo 1.6 freely revvs all the way to 6300 RPM, but only when in neutral.

Start the engine of the Polo and the 1600cc instantly comes to life. NVH levels are very low and you can hardly feel the car is idling. Getting in to gear is very effortless thanks to the light clutch and smooth gearbox. The electric hydraulic power assist steering (the diesel is all electronic), makes it a breeze to park the Polo even in the smallest of spots. The low end response from the engine is decent and you never feel the lack of grunt even in city driving. However, you can’t drive off from second gear and the car just stalls if you try. Shift around 3000 RPM and you will make decent progress. But remember this is a 1.6 liter and you wouldn’t buy one just to cruise around town, so lets get to the highways and open roads.

The Polo is q-u-i-c-k and how! Mash the throttle in any gear and the car makes instant progress, rushing towards the redline. The NVH levels all of a sudden go for a toss and the sporty growl from the engine is instantly vocal. The tyres are really inadequate for the car and keep spinning in glee as you unleash all the horses. Volkswagen claims the 0 – 100 kmph dash is done in in 11.1 seconds which is very quick, making it the fastest hatchback on our roads today. The Polo 1.6 will hit a top whack of 180 kmph with ease and feels quite stable at three digit speeds. However the 1.6 motor only revvs till 5900 RPM, after which the computer just cuts off further acceleration inputs. This is quite disappointing as hot hatches should revv atleast to 6500 RPM if not 7000 RPM.

The Polo is slightly heavier than its 1200cc, 3-cylinder petrol sibling, but it does not show. Brakes are very sharp as well and the ABS system is perfectly calibrated. Handling is razor sharp and the car goes exactly where you point the steering. But again, the Apollo Acelere feel undertyred and give up way before the chassis does. Volkswagen should have slapped on wider rubber on the car, considering it has been positioned towards enthusiasts, who rarely care about fuel efficiency. Talking about fuel efficiency, the Polo 1.6 returns a decent 11 kmpl under mixed driving condition. Expect 10 kmpl in the city and 12 kmpl on the highways.

Look closely. Yes its the Maruti Suzuki Swift which has its eyes set on the Volkswagen Polo 1.6.

Traffic light starts are where both the cars excel. The Swift has been known for its performance in both petrol and diesel guise. The 1.3L G13B and the 1.2L K12M which have both done duty in the petrol Swift are quick. The latter doing the job in the Swift after the stricter emission BS4 emission norms kicked in. But how does the Polo perform vis-a-vis the segment leader? Mind you, we are only talking performance.

The Volkswagen Polo 1.6 is the faster car of the two, period. Any number of drag races you do, the Polo will beat the Swift (our test car used the G13B motor with a free flow exhaust. We don’t believe the K12M would have shown any different results in outright performance) hands down. Not that the Swift is slow by any standards, but the Polo 1.6 is quick, very quick indeed. The Polo 1.6 is not tall geared like the Swift which helps it build up revvs very quickly. Even on paper the Polo is the faster machine, having more power and torque and weighing almost the same as the Swift.

The Polo 1.6 is Rs. 18,000 costlier than the Polo 1.2, which is priced at Rs. 6.93 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). At this price point, the car is tremendous value. Even after paying the extra excise duty applicable to big cars (1600cc engine), VW has been able to price the Polo 1.6 competitively. If you care about fuel efficiency you would buy the Polo 1.2 . Other than that, there is no reason whatsoever for not paying those extra 20 grands and getting the faster Polo 1.6, which also happens to be the fastest hatchback in the country.

Volkswagen Polo vs Fiat Grande Punto - Click above for high resolution picture gallery

Few people would disagree that the Volkswagen Polo and the Fiat Grande Punto are the two best hatchbacks one can buy in India today. Both cars have their USPs which make them a desirable option for buyers, but when it comes to choose between them, its extremely difficult to get a winner. If you are in this dilemma, fear not, as we intend to answer this very question in this road test review comparison between the Volkswagen Polo and the Fiat Grande Punto. So grab some pop corn and soda, this is going to be a long one!

Styling - The Volkswagen Polo looks very well proportioned. It is a mini-Golf lookalike with the overall no nonsense, simplistic design. The front looks sharp with the distinctive new Volkswagen family face, whereas the side shows a distinctively sporty front overhang and extremely short rear overhang. The rear shows a broad shoulder line with the Polo’s tailgate being opened with the VW logo. The rear does look a bit old fashioned but overall a pleasing car to the eye, specially in the colour red.

The Fiat Grande Punto was born exactly six years ago and still looks like a masterpiece. If the Polo looks stunning, than the Punto simply looks super-stunning (such a word doesn’t even exist, but as you know, the looks of the Punto can’t be described). The mini-Maserati front and the bold side profile are totally eye catching. The rear could have been better, but we aren’t complaining. The Grande Punto looks smashing from all angles, in all colours. If there is one car we would buy for pure looks, without even bothering to know the specifications and features, it would undoubtedly be the Grande Punto.

Both look equally stunning when viewed from side. The Polo features an in-built rear spoiler. Fuel tank opening on different sides for both the cars.

Interiors - If the styling competition was swept away by the Fiat and your expecting it to perform on similar linesl when it comes to interiors, I have some bad news. The Volkswagen’s interiors are much better. Both cars feature 3-spoke steering wheels, but the Punto’s dashboard does show its age. The Polo’s dashboard design is simple yet elegant, the Punto, whereas looks slightly confused. The black color doesn’t really offer airiness in the cabin, something the beige interiors in the Polo manage very well. But when it comes to function, the Punto performs much better.

Both cars feature foldable keys, but that is all what is common. The Punto is so well loaded with features. For starters, there are audio controls on the steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, climate control air-conditioner and electrically operated outside rear view mirrors. The omission of such features on the Polo are very surprising to say the least. Volkswagen will launch an updated version with the addition of a few features but at that time, we will also have the Punto Evo, which has a better looking interior than the Polo. Come to the plastics and one feels that Fiat could have used better quality plastics, come to the Polo and it excels in plastic quality and feel. Everything feels solid and on par with a D-segment car while the Tata influence seemed to reflect on the Punto!

Ride, Handling, Braking - Both the cars featured here ride on 15-inch wheels and have one of the best ride and handling combination. But there has to be one car, which is better than the other. It was difficult initially to judge as both the Punto and Polo are so close in terms of handling and ride balance. However, the Grande Punto emerges as the winner here. The Punto is sharper than the Polo and no matter what, it just never gives up. Whether your throwing the car through a set of curves, or your driving over potholes, the Punto feels right for the job. Mind you, the Polo is no less and handles beautiful too, but tends to loose grip on very sharp turns.

Both the cars feature anti-lock brakes with decent sized tyres. The Punto has wider rubber at 195mm, whereas the Polo makes do with 185mm rubber. Again the Punto is the better decelerating vehicle and stops dead in its track at any given speed without a hiccup, mind you, the Punto is heavier than its competition here. In the Polo though, the car tends to loose its line slightly with the anti-lock system working over time to keep things in check.

Performance - Theoretically it would be unfair to compare these vehicles as both feature very different powertrains. The Polo makes do with 3-cylinder engines, which when read on paper feels slow and noisy. The Punto on the other hand feels decently fast on paper. But come on the road and things change dramatically. The Polo feels the bigger engined car and the Punto seems to lag a bit. The petrol Polo is very revv happy. Although slightly coarse, the Polo’s petrol unit never feels underpowered. On the Punto 1.2, you do feel the lack of thrust. Fuel efficiency of the Polo petrol is much better than the Punto 1.2 petrol, with the car easily returning 14 kmpl compared to the 12.5 kmpl, the FIRE engine offers.

The Polo TDi again features a 3-pot motor, which is very torquey with a hint of inital turbo lag. Power delivery is linear and the car feels quick once the turbo spools up, albeit a bit vocal. Do we even need to talk about the 1.3 liter Multijet unit which does duty in the Punto? In 75hp form, it feels decent and never underpowered. In 90hp form, it feels quick and in-gear acceleration times are vastly improved. Still want more? We even tested a 105hp Punto, you can read more about it here. Both these engines are very closely matched but the Mutijet is more silent of the two. We choose the Punto 90hp over the Polo for the more power and overall refinements of the national engine of our country.

As can be seen above, the Swift (Our Support Vehicle) is still the king when it comes to engine performance and managed to keep up with us through out the test. But both the Polo and Punto outdo it on the corners. The clutch feel on both the cars is light and well calibrated. The Polo feels so much better going through the gears. The shift action is butter smooth, making the Polo’s transmission easily the best for small cars in the country. The Punto’s shift is decent as well, nothing that we complain about but certainly not butter smooth like the Polo.

Conclusion - Volkswagen offers the Polo in 7 variants, across three engine options. Fiat offers three engine options too but across ten variants. Both these cars appeal to a different class of buyers, but ultimately, it comes to whether you think from the  heart or the head. The Polo would appeal to those who want a no nonsense hatchback which would return very good mileage, never break down and offer excellent quality. Servicing a Volkswagen is much more expensive than a Fiat, but you know the dealership will do a better job than what Tata Motors would, as Fiat cars are like step siblings in a Tata workshop.

However, if your the kind of person who thinks from his heart, than the Grande Punto is for you. The Punto is slightly cheaper to buy, much cheaper to service and almost equally cheap to run (the diesel). It also offers you more for what you pay and turns heads where ever it goes. Simply for this reason, if we had to chose between the two cars, it would be the Fiat Grande Punto that would win our vote every single time. Its sad but a car of this potential does not do numbers it should and hopefully once Fiat sorts out the chink in it’s armour, the Punto has what it takes to be a best seller, it’s done it internationally and there is no reason it shouldn’t in India.

The Volkswagen Polo is currently powered by a petrol and diesel motor. While the 1.2L petrol does a decent job, the 1.2L diesel lacks the thrust expected out a premium hatchback. Now our reader Aseem informs us that a more powerful diesel engine could end up in the Polo to rival the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Swift. There is absolutely no confirmation on this yet but we have spotted the Polo undergoing tests several times. There was no difference in the car visually but could it be the new Polo 1.5 TDi which we are speculating about here?

The new 1.5 liter engine in the Polo would essentially be the current Vento 1.6 liter diesel engine which has been reduced to capacity to comply with small car excise norms. The 4-cylinder motor would produce 94bhp of power and has been tuned to be fuel efficient. The Polo weighs significant lesser than the Vento, so even though power has been reduced from the Vento engine, driveability shouldn’t suffer. The company will launch the more powerful diesel motor in the Polo highline only as customer buying lower variants seldom care about performance. At a premium of Rs. 35,000/- over the current Polo TDi, the 1500cc diesel powered Polo would also feature audio controls on the steering wheel and a new audio system.

The Volkswagen Polo has been widely acknowledged as one of the best hatchbacks in India. It has fantastic handling and exceptional quality. However many people complained about the equipment level in the car. But Volkswagen is one its way to address it. The company will launch more features in the Polo including steering mounted controls (audio and phone), Bluetooth connectivity and a new audio system to name a few. There is no confirmation from Volkswagen yet and we spied the car undergoing tests en route to Chakan. The Polo undergoing tests was very fast, which makes us believe that Volkswagen might be testing the 1.6 liter diesel (from the Vento) in the Polo. Although this hasn’t been confirmed yet but more features in the Polo are not far.

Edit (13/05/2011) - We spotted the car yet again and this time we took high quality pictures. This new Polo is being tested with many new features including window controls on the remote. However that feature won’t make it to the final version. The music system of the car was locked and was not working.