[93000BHP]

Great review mate. So detailed that it looks like an official review.
Could you post a pic of how the armrest has been fitted?

[swami.n]

Awesome review there Gannu with fantastic set of pictures. Read it all in one go.

Probably one of the most exhaustive ownership reviews in the forum till date. Rated *****

Even I have been using the Amway Car Wash and the Silicone Glaze for my cars for the past few years and very satisfied. Mine too being a black car, Once is 6 months or so I get a professional(Read 3M) to polish the car and every 2nd or 3rd week I wash & polish with the Amway stuff myself.

: As per my knowledge, selling Amway products online or in retail stores is illegal as it is a Direct Selling company selling only through its Business Owners(mentioned at the rear of the bottle). Do try to get it from some friend who might be a distributor :-)

[mobike008]

Fantastic Review and Congrats on the car.

I must commend you especially for the detailed review with pictures for all features. That GIF image was a nice touch showcasing the anti pinch window roll up feature and indeed you thought out well before putting up this review which would easily serve as a one stop shop for anyone contemplating a GT TDI

Btw, curious to know did you test drive the GT TSI? Any comparison you would like to make between them?

[Pedaltothefloor]

Very well written review, answers all the questions a prospective buyer may have on this wonderful new machine.

[Gannu_1]

Thanks a lot for the feedback and comments guys. I sincerely appreciate it. She has clocked 350 km today and I am yet to take her beyond the Surat limits thanks to my hectic work schedule and no offs. A Lonavla business trip might just materialise by the weekend if I get the RC card within the next few days. *fingers crossed*

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Problem for rear visibility is the head rests. Try changing them..

Yes, the rear head restraints are the major cause for the poor visibility on the IRVM. I intend to replace it shortly with the L-type ones. I must hunt the market for a pair.

Contrary to what most people think, the head restraints are to avoid the whiplash injury to the passengers in the event of a collision. And not to rest the head comfortably while dozing off.

And congrats on your Jetta too Chethan Sir!

Originally Posted by blurust

Could you please confirm about the hill hold feature.

I can safely say the GT TDI doesn't have a hill-hold function. I have to use the handbrake to slot the gear and move the car from a slope. My parking lot has a small slope and the car moves down the slope everytime I reverse her to my parking slot.

Please take a test drive of the car if you haven't yet. Take your wife along and go for a good long drive with the salesperson. Who knows, perhaps this may change her views.

Originally Posted by kau_therock

Having known gannu for many years now, i knew something big was coming. Pure awesomeness gannu bhai. wonderfully written. Now drag ur ** to pune and give me a test ride

I am not sure kauzy. I haven't got the RC card yet. I am yet to get the SMS/call from the Surat RTO. I have been waiting impatiently. It is a risk to go out of the state with the temporary registration. Cops may pull me over for no valid reason and fine us. It is best to avoid that. I shall keep you guys posted however.

Originally Posted by vaisakhr

Get paint sealant done at 3m. Since its a black car you would have to take more efforts to maintain it.

But as of now do the running in properly don't too hard and take care of the turbo(idling rules for the lubrication).

Thank you for the tip. Yes I intend to get a paint sealant and an under-body coating done from 3M. The nearest outlets are Ahmedabad or Bombay. We are planning a trip during this upcoming Diwali to one of the places - we have 3 days off. Intend to get it done during this time.

As for the engine run-in, I am taking her slowly and not rev'in much. Haven't touched the 100 kmph mark yet and most gear shifts are at 2.5k rpm. The tacho needle never went past 3k rpm yet!

Originally Posted by shetty_rohan

1) Have you got the extended warranty?

No I haven't yet. The warranty can be extended anytime before the present 2-year warranty expires. There's a slight increase in the charges. I don't recollect the exact amount - somewhere in the order of 7.2-8k IIRC was what the salesperson told me.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Does this car have a GTI on the grille? I mean I have seen 2-3 red polos in Pune with GTI insigna on the grill and TDI badging on the rear(?)

Those GTI grilles are aftermarket ones. They cost anywhere between 5 to 7k.

Originally Posted by 93000BHP

Could you post a pic of how the armrest has been fitted?

The armrest installation was a ghetto job truth be told. I settled for an inexpensive universal armrest from eBay and most parts were plastic so it was easy to cut and file them. The armrest is held by four screws which are screwed to the plastic material beneath the handbrake. I shall post a few snaps later.

Originally Posted by swami.n

As per my knowledge, selling Amway products online or in retail stores is illegal as it is a Direct Selling company selling only through its Business Owners(mentioned at the rear of the bottle). Do try to get it from some friend who might be a distributor :-)

Yeah even I thought so too but turns out even popular e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Snapdeal are retailing some of the Amway products! Some time back their products could only be bought through registered members but may not be the case now.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Fantastic Review and Congrats on the car.

Btw, curious to know did you test drive the GT TSI? Any comparison you would like to make between them?

Thank you!

I did not have a chance to test drive the TSI nor did the Surat dealer have one for a TD. They were of the opinion that not many TSIs were sold so far - only 3 or 4 of them. The waiting periods shot up recently and some customers who had paid for the TSI either cancelled it or bought the TDI instead. I haven't driven an automatic car before although I would like to sometime. I came across some complaints about the DQ200 DSG from other rides so did not want to take a risk since this was the first car.

[prakhar1998]

Excellent Review Sir. Just like you, Even I am a sucker for European cars. They are always a decision take from the heart, rarely by the head (Especially in India). Having owned 4 European cars, I can tell you, you are going to have an excellent time. Even I have the Polo, having driven it 2-3 times (My wife drives it otherwise), I enjoyed the drive, the light steering is definitely a boon in the city, the 1.6 petrol engine in my car is a little old but is a gem. Sometimes it gave a good competition to the Laura TSI. Drive carefully, VW is unreasonable and the service is extremely expensive. One scratch to fix and your pockets will feel lighter. I have tried the all window up and down feature, it has always worked for My Skoda's and Passat, but didn't seem to work for the Polo. I'll give it another go, it is an excellent feature, especially during those hot afternoons. Congratulations and enjoy the punchy drive.
Cheers!

[isiv]

Congratulations on the new VW. Wishing you the best with it.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

- A quick walkthrough of some of the components in the engine bay:

This is the first time I ever seen this level of detail in an ownership review. Way to go!

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

- I would like to point out something here. Notice that the MFD is conspicuously covered at the top and bottom with the plastic:

Again your attention to detail is amazing... seen few owners who are so brutally honest about their possessions in an ownership review.

But the fact is very few cars get sold in the same guise as everywhere else in the world, especially the developed markets. Manufacturers strongly believe localized for India => strip it of every darn thing that gives a feel good factor, even if it's just a few paise of savings.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Now THIS, is what you call a classy instrument cluster. This is available at Vagtune for an aftermarket purchase at 38k INR! The GT models at least deserved this bit IMO.

This one seems to have quite a few extra bits, visibly the analog temp and fuel gauges. Will these work correctly without any other modifications? Will installing this mean your warranty remains unaffected? If both answers are yes, then I'd say go for it. You've spent 9.5L, a 0.4L extra to get more status info on your machine should be worth it.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

The Polo sold elsewhere have the inverted L-shaped restraints. Another classic case of cost cutting? You bet!

I never realized the L shaped headrests actually cost more.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

The spare wheel is an alloy

This is an excellent move by a manufacturer in whose geography the concept of non-alloy spare wheels originated (If I'm not mistaken). I remember reading an interview with the CEO of one such manufacturer and the chap had the gall to say - not only will the spare be a non-alloy, it might even be a different size; since the sole purpose of the spare is to get you in 'limp' mode to the nearest service center. Hah!

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

- 2 spare fuses and bulbs are bundled enclosed in a polyurethane packaging:

Cost cutting on the packaging?? Check out the spare bulb enclosure on t-bhps' VW Golf review.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Opening the bonnet reveals the engine bay.

Duh...

Thanks once again for the incredibly detailed review. Do keep this thread updated with your experiences as you go. So long!

[90BHP]

A perfectly crafted review of the perfect hatch in the market right on your first post makes it a perfect debut! This deserves to be on the home page for sometime mods... Salute !

[brraj]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Yes I intend to get a paint sealant and an under-body coating done from 3M.

While i was speaking to vw service engineer he told under-body coating is not required as its already done.

[aneezan]

Excellent and detailed review. At par with an official review. Thank you very much.
A hatch which fits the bill on almost all parameters, save the rear seat leg room.

[raajks]

Originally Posted by blurust

congratulations gannu on the new buy.
The report felt like an official review here at the team bhp. well done. i am glued to the thread.
I am in the market to buy a new car and I am very very confused on which one to buy.
I love polo and GT TDI is sure a blast to drive, I wanted to close my search with it but wifey hates polo for the amount of money they charge and space inside.
Another issue is the VW service costs and attitude of people here in VW guwahati.
I have one question though. Could you please confirm about the hill hold feature.

If you love driving, I would say go ahead and buy the GT TDi.
It is a blast to drive and you would have a lot of fun!

Space in the Polo is at a premium and the rear seats does not pamper it's passengers.
My wife had similar impressions and was pressing for the Jetta but the power to weight ratio of the Polo make it a more fun car to drive.

My White GT TDi arrives this Friday after registration
I am finding it hard to contain my excitement

Gannu, Excellent review and a great write up! Hoping to pen my thoughts down once I get my hands on my Polo GT TDi.

[Gannu_1]

Thanks guys. Now that I've started going to our company's gym daily morn, the car clocks 22 km on a daily basis. If I take her to the company (twice or at the most thrice a week), another 40 km to and fro. So that totals to more than 1000 km every month which does not include other trips. I believe that is a reasonable amount of distance every month.

We intend to go somewhere this upcoming Diwali when we have 3 days off. Haven't decided on the place yet. It shouldn't be too far anyway.

Originally Posted by isiv

Cost cutting on the packaging?? Check out the spare bulb enclosure on t-bhps' VW Golf review.

Indeed. If you meant the Vento there, the spare bulbs and fuses were enclosed in a blue plastic casing.

Originally Posted by brraj

While i was speaking to vw service engineer he told under-body coating is not required as its already done.

Oh this is news to me! Are you sure about this? Anyhoo, I intend to get the 3M paint sealant done at one of their 3M Car Care outlets at Ahmedabad or Bombay. I'll see if there is indeed one done by VW else I shall get it done. It isn't that expensive either.

Originally Posted by raajks

My White GT TDi arrives this Friday after registration
I am finding it hard to contain my excitement

Many congratulations in advance! I know how it feels to wait until you take the delivery of your new ride. Do post an ownership log here.

[sandeepmohan]

Before I get to the comments, please get rid of the Disclaimer. This is the only thing ruining what is otherwise a well written and detailed initial ownership log of your first car.

Your mother did the right thing, two wheelers are dangerous. I picked up the new KTM motorcycle. Nobody in my family knows anything about the bike, like, how fast it goes and what not. I know it accelerates faster than most cars on our roads and I intend to ride responsibly cause I know for sure I will crash if I don't.

Now that you got your new ride, that too a performance diesel, there should be a drive to Palakkad lined up around the corner right?

I too am a big fan of European car design. All of them are timeless designs. Something the Koren's, Japanese and whoever else can't match. I have to say that I have started to like some of the new Hyundai (Elantra, new Santa Fe) cars. Poaching that chap from Audi seems to have done a lot of good for Hyundai.

The Ford Ecosport is killer if you were to look at it as a complete package and at the price they are offering. I look at it as a hatch on stilts. The 1L Ecoboost is an achievement as far as power-on-paper go. In feel, it is far from the real deal 123bhp that Ford claim. I don't believe a wait of 1 year is justified for an EcoSport. It is not so special. Going by the hype surrounding the EcoSport, it was known early on it would be a success. Ford could have easily planned for higher production for this model.

The Fiat Palio GTX is still a car to own. It won't be anywhere as fast as the VW Polo GT series. Where it scores over the GT is the handling and steering department.

What VW India have done with the GT tag; build two of the fastest hatchbacks. All you have to do is take your pick on petrol or diesel. I still vote for the Tsi. That engine-gearbox mating can't get any better. If you want power and economy, choose diesel. The Tsi was already a riot, the diesel can only be a riot on crack.

I am not so sure about handling at speed aspect about the GT. It got a little nervous when I was pushing over three digits. The steering was scary and the suspension could have been firmer. No complaints with the brakes though. That drum at the rear is more than capable. A little correction on the brakes, which I believe is possible, should solve the problem on brake pedal feedback. As you own a GT, you are the better judge.

Drive safe.

[petrolveins]

This is an amazing review and VW would be proud of it and by far one of the best reviews that I have read outside of the official reviews! The length and breadth of the review conveys your excitement on owning this machine.

Though it's a cliche by now, the understated, clean and matured looks of the car is a killer combination to have but for the reliability and the mindset of "1 million rupees on a hatch" thinking. Please keep up updated on the niggles front if you find any during the usage.

[W.A.G.7]

Originally Posted by shetty_rohan

I guess you would have seen something like http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...medium_3-1.jpg which is just modified grill.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Those GTI grilles are aftermarket ones. They cost anywhere between 5 to 7k.

Thanks guys, I didn't know that these grills were aftermarket ones and that they are available in India. Next time I see the car, I am going to get a pic...