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-   -   Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/135550-volkswagen-polo-1-2l-gt-tsi-official-review-476.html)

I wholeheartedly agree.

After trying everything under the sun, I have come to the conclusion that the most sensible modifications that one should consider for GT 1.2 TSI Polo are:

1. Stage 1 remap - stage 2 is pointless, especially considering the proximity of the alternator to the stock downpipe.

2. Damper upgrade - Sachs / Meyle / Bilstein B6 - necessary because the stock suspension on the car is lousy! This car deserves good dampers!

3. Steering with paddles - transforms the driving experience and makes it far more enjoyable to hustle, whether in city limits or on back-roads.

4. Brake upgrade - stock rotors will warp in no time so an OEM+ big brake kit for the front axle is mandatory.

Every other modification can be avoided, in my personal opinion.

Is there a reliable source (online link?) to procure this steering wheel? Is it available in Bangalore or always imported? Much appreciated!

That is my next upgrade. Could you guide me in sourcing the required parts, or entire kit and what that would cost? Because the nose dive has reduced significantly, i started feeling the need for OEM big break kit. Your support will be much appreciated.

There are many on instagram. Our member Fluidic joy (Prerak), #that.red.sells on insta also sources OEM MK7 GTI wheel.

I'd strong suggest against it. The steering with the airbag costs upwards of 70k. It's an unnecessary about of cash to cough up on a wheel that has GTI written on it.
If you're really adamant about it, then I'd suggest you try and source out the wheel from a BlueGT. It's the 1.4L variant of the GT we have here. They come with the GTI wheel, but instead of GTI, they have GT written on it, which looks a lot better, and less tacky IMO.

How much does this one cost? Also are there any other VW wheels with paddle shifters which came on some normal VWs in India.

I think the high variant Vento's come with shifters. I have the regular VW wheel with shifters on them.

Well if you have such source please mention the prices here with the model/type of steering, it would help everyone here. :)

If you guys are looking for leather wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, look-up that.red.sells (linked with BHPian fluidicjoy IIRC) on Instagram. I procured one some months ago via them for approximately 30k INR for my GT TSI. I find it worth the price. Installed it DIY in 15 minutes at home. Price may have varied now with rupee conversion fluctuations and general inflation. Delivery was within 2 weeks.




(Disclaimer - the film on the console has since been removed :D.)

Comes just as a pnp OEM wheel with nice leather and brushed aluminium buttons.
Does not include the horn pad + airbag. Install the existing one into it.

Sure, I can try and help. I had bought these parts in 2018-19 if I recall correctly. All the details are on my thread which is pending an update actually.

Since the GTI spec calipers were not available, I purchased the brakes that come stock on Audi’s S1 variant (the A1’s hot variant).

The kit consists of larger red calipers, taller carriers and larger OEM pads. It was around €200 odd including shipping. Duties are extra.

For ease of reference, please check 4yourdrive.de - it’s a German website which stocks OEM parts for VW cars. Be sure to read the fine print so you know that the parts suit the car. Alternatively you could drop them an email and seek clarification.

The 288 mm rotors were made by EBC and I had them sourced from United Motors Chennai (Brembo dealer).

Try and avoid the 312 big brake kit as it will be overkill for the Polo even though it is an option.

Our 2017 Polo GT TSI completed 63,000 kms this month. The engine-gear combo still puts a smile on my face (like others too have mentioned).

During the annual service, I had flagged some 'tak tak' sounds coming from the front wheels especially upon encountering bumps.

The service centre said the lower arms and balance rod bushing needs to be replaced. It cost us around Rs 9,500.

Another complaint was about the sound from the steering wheel. The SA said the steering rack should be replaced too. Has anyone faced this issue too? It costs over Rs 17,000, so didn't authorise that immediately.

Apart from these, in the two previous years, replacements include ABS sensors, brake rotors, rear suspension and both front & rear wipers. Also switched to Yokohama Earth-1 from Apollo Alnac 4G (same dimensions - 195/55 R16)

I think this is a known issue with the Polo. I got mine replaced under warranty, but I'm not sure if they actually replaced it, because they didn't mention in any documentation.

The sound was reduced a bit initially but was back. Its not much and only at certain angles/ speeds/ types of surfaces and also mixed with the instrument cluster rattle sound (which is also common with Polos)

Mine's a 2015, done 74k or something.

Steering rack for the polo is around 10k max. ASC charge atleast 200% as a markup. If you're particular about going via only the official route then you don't have much of an option.
Else you can always try using other sources.

For example, I got my struts installed at Mates and Modes which is a performance garage based in Mumbai that work extensively on VAG cars. In the process, the head technician pointed out that my steering rack was pretty busted up as well. They got a brand new VW OEM piece for 9-10k, which is almost half of what the service centers charge.

This was an incredible advice and this is why this forum rocks. As suggested, I reached out to the customer support of VW and lo and behold, after a couple of email follow ups and one call, they agreed to change replace the AC control under warranty!

The process (SA did all of this. I had to do nothing but take the car to the service center):
- Changed the battery to the official one
- Lodge a claim with the warranty company for replacement and get the unit replaced.

The above took 7 days. The car was in the workshop for the entire period.

The catch: The battery was not in stock! It took almost 2 weeks to get the battery in the first place :).

Now imagine being stranded and not having an official battery to replace a dead battery. This warranty policy is stupid and no wonder they agreed to replace after the push back.

The SA was incredibly supportive throughout and very transparent. Kodus to the service center.

I am relieved that I got this replaced but I am not too pleased with the process and the non sensical warranty policy. I have a brand new battery and a month of wasted time as a result of this.

Overall, the peace of mind that you are looking for as a customer is sorely missing with VW.

Hey guys,

My Polo GT just completed 40k kilometres and its been a fuss free ownership for the most part. However, there is this one recurring issue which has been bugging me.

For more than a year now, there's been a peculiar humming noise coming from someplace near the fuel pump, which is audible only during driving and the noise sets in only after 10-15 mins of driving. It tends to get quite annoying especially when there's no music playing.

I was able to locate the noise from outside the car and it was somewhere near the fuel pump. I've taken a video of the same- please excuse the improperly taken video recording.

I brought this up with the VW ASC a while back and they had a look and advised to replace the fuel pump. It's been close to a year since they replaced it and the issue still persists. I've brought up the same issue multiple times with them and I get the standard response after analysis saying that it's normal with all GTs.

This certainly did not exist when I bought the car in 2021 and has only cropped up now. Has anyone else here experienced this?

Humming noise near the fuel pump on Polo GT TSi