The Volkswagen Polo was given a major
update recently in the form of an all-new twin-charger 1.2 TSI engine and a
seven-speed, close-ratio DSG gearbox. We drove it from Goa to coastal
Maharashtra and back
·
Engine: 1197cc, 105PS, 175Nm
·
Transmission: Seven-speed DSG Box, front wheel
drive
·
Fuel efficiency: 17.25kmpl (claimed)
I has been three years since the Volkswagen
Polo was launched in India and it has been receiving small updates over this
period. The Polo is a premium hatchback when you compare it with the other
hatchbacks on offer in the country. Its interior feels as if it belongs to a
higher segment and it is not just its fit-and-finish and build quality that
give the Polo a premium feel, but also the safe and secure feeling one gets
from this car on the highway.
VWPOLO
GT TSI front
The Polo has received its first major
update since its launch in 2010: an all-new, twin-charger 1.2 TSI engine
(turbo-supercharger) and a seven-speed close-ratio DSG gearbox, besides a few
exterior and interior updates.
On the exterior the Polo gets a new set of
Estrada alloy wheels, black-finish headlamps and a chrome grille with a GT
logo. On the interior it gets a leather- wrapped steering wheel, gear-shift
knob and handbrake lever. The multi-function steering gets tilt and telescopic
adjustment. Now the air-conditioner has climate control. On the safety front,
it comes with ESP, hill hold and two front air-bags.
VWPOLO
GT TSI side
The first drive in the Polo TSI was from
the Grand Hyatt Goa to the Aravali beach in adjoining Sindhudurg district of
coastal Maharashtra and back to the Grand Hyatt. The route selection was very
good because it allowed one to test the car s capability in each and every
respect. We were on NH 17 in five minutes after leaving the hotel, but it was
after leaving the Goa city limits that I started pushing the car to see what it
was capable of. The NH 17 (Mumbai to Goa) is known as a driving road with a
number of nice corners to test the handling of a car.
VWPOLO
GT TSI interior
NH17 is not a dual carriageway, barring the
new Sawantwadi bypass. When you are driving on a single-lane highway, you have
oncoming traffic to deal with all the time and overtaking becomes a little
tricky. However, the Polo remains unruffled thanks to the twin-charger engine
set-up wherein the supercharger takes care of boost at low RPM before the turbo
kicks in to give boost at the top end of the rev range. The 105 PS of power and
175 Nm of torque on tap from 1,500 RPM to 4,100 RPM from this 1.2 TSI engine
makes light work of overtaking and this is also ably aided by the quick
kick-down times from the DSG gearbox. In fact, overtaking other vehicles went
like a breeze even with four well-built adults on board. The little Polo was cruising
in excess of 160 km/h with ease on the Sawantwadi bypass.
VWPOLO
GT TSI back
The Polo is one of the best handling
hatchbacks in the country and TSI is a pure joy to drive as you can throw it
around corners with confidence and it will not let you down or get you into
trouble. The Polo holds its line even if the road surface deteriorates thank to
its excellent suspension set-up. The road from NH 17 to the Aravali beach was
not in the best condition and in between there were stretches of nasty potholes.
At times I had all the four wheels airborne, where the suspension was put to
test. Some of the potholes I hit during the drive where such that most small
car suspensions would bottom out and send a serious jolt to the back, but the
Polo took it in its stride with a small thud and carried on undaunted.
The
all-new 1.2 TSI (supercharged/turbocharged) engine
Now with the TSI engine and DSG gearbox the
Polo GT becomes a genuine premium hot hatch for the first time in this country.
If you want a fun-to-drive car that is safe and is equipped with an auto box
that sets a benchmark for automatic transmission in the world, it is not going
to be cheap, but you will get your money’s worth.
