Team-BHP - Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by delta5 (Post 3138454)

For a regular Indian highway driver like me who gets splitting headache during monsoons because of the dizzying blinkers/hazard lights, twin rear fog lamps will be a big boon(assuming our fellow drivers use them instead of hazard lamps).

But then you also get idiots driving with their fog lamps on, 365 nights a year because they think they look cool! The front ones don't bother oncoming traffic at least but the rear ones are bright!

Quote:

Originally Posted by herculesksp (Post 3138672)

GT waiting periods have now gone upto 3 months. This is as communicated to me by VW Whitefield.

The more I want to follow my heart and book this car, the more it is going away from me.

Is there that much demand for the GT? Or it is just a matter of slow production lines, I wonder.

My car was the last one out of VW whitefield along with a red one. They had sold a total of just 8 cars. So I guess its more of a production issue than demand. The sales guy said the waiting time is around 2 months for the next lot of cars. I called each and every dealership in Bangalore and was lucky to find a car in stock. I got mine in 3 days after booking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thiagust (Post 3139267)

The cost difference is almost 15-20 rs per litre I suppose. Once I have the car will be doing a full tank run on each and then work out the best option.

The bigger problem is the availability, to be honest. If, in fact, the car gives 25-30% better fuel economy AND better performance on 97 octane, then the price difference is nullified and you get extra driving pleasure to boot!

Quote:

Originally Posted by herculesksp (Post 3138672)

This is not something new with Polo, It happened with the very first lot, the mildly refreshed model late last year and now the GT.

Seems like they are themselves not very optimistic about the demand of their cars, always running low on production or lagging in logistics perhaps.

Went to the VW showroom at Bhubaneshwar for a test drive of the GT TSI.

Here is what happened:

Me: I would like a test drive of the GT TSI

VW Sales person: Sir kindly wait

(After fifteen minutes)

VW Sales person: Sir are you only interested in the GT TSI

Me: Yes

VW Sales person: We do not have a test drive car and the one in the showroom is already booked. I must tell you that there are no offers on the GT TSI.
Instead you can look at cars which have offers!

I cannot understand with such dwindling sales how can VW sales people be so discourteous. One gets the feeling that they are doing a big favour by providing a car for a test drive. Probably they have developed this attitude from big brother Audi which has a showroom just across the road.

Another interesting bit- The sales guy after seeing me going back in my Laura commented that I should have bought the Jetta instead!

Well after days of requesting Volkswagen MG Road Gurgaon to provide a test drive I finally did get to have test drive of GT TSI.

Here is my impression about the car first:

- Car is simply amazing to drive with good ride quality and handling.

- 7G-tronic gear box (DQ 200) is slick and is a joy to drive in S (Sports) mode. D (Drive) mode is suitable more for city drive as gear shift is not aggressive and focus of providing better mileage.

- Brakes were working too quick to my comfort (took me a while getting used to)

- Interiors are for sure of good quality only trouble being VW still provides Indian buyers side indicator stalk still on left.

- Rear seats still :Frustrati lack leg room (if a tall driver like me pulls the driver seat all the way back)

- Colors on offer is Red, Black & White.

- All in all a Lovely car to drive with gem of a gear box that is only seen on high end cars (minus the failure issues known globally). SA confirmed VW is offering 2 years warranty only on DQ 200, which to me looks like is a not a confidence inspiring move.

Here is my impression other than Car(about dealership experience):

Still needs to improve (just my opinion) as the SA didnt turn up even after calling me and confirming me for a test drive. A bit annoying for any probable customer, i must say.

SA did mention they had sold 51 Polo GT TSI till date and there is a good 2-3 months waiting period.

Have had the GT for about 10 days now.

The Good
+ Overall fit & finish.
+ Braking is good even without rear discs
+ Decent music system in terms of connectivity options and features, sound quality alright for casual listening
+ Seats are comfy.
+ Automatic A/C works well
+ Hill-hold
+ Very light steering.

Not so Good
- Overall interior space and especially legroom at rear
- No illumination in the either the glove compartment or the boot.
- No center armrest(s).
- Chrome surrounds on the A/C vents don't help. They reflect on the rear view mirrors causing distraction.
- Seat fabric is dull
- Very light steering. Weighs up a bit on higher speeds but still pretty light.

Some of the unexpected quirks -
• No seatbelt reminder on the instrument cluster
• No temperature gauge
• Horn too loud, even inside the cabin

Performance wise its ok I guess. No comparison to 1.8 Turbo engine on the Skoda. Very silent at idle but gets harsher as the revs pick up. Engine drowns out any hint of turbo whistle.

About DSG – Kickdowns are great for highway driving. For normal city driving, downshifts seem a bit aggressive, it tries to keep the engine above 1200 rpm or so, doesn’t wait until you actually want to accelerate (i.e. no neutral coasting, a gear is always engaged), resulting in poorer fuel economy. Doesn’t seem to utilize the OD gears (6 & 7) as effectively. Manual mode too doesn’t help. Get about 8-9 kmpl in the city. On the highways though, if you stay below 120, can look forward to 13 kmpl or more.

Overall a great car.

Hello,

We're looking to add a second car for use by my better half and myself on short inter-locality jaunts. I've been test driving a small AT hatches - A-star & i10 & Brio -over the past few weeks. The GT TSI review provoked me to try my hand at the machine - more on the grounds of a replacement for my 7 year old Esteem.

For someone who has driven manual transmission cars for 15 years - dad's Premier Padmini followed by the ubiquitous M800 and lately "my own" "my daddy's big car", here are the little things that caught my attention.

1. The AT gearbox combined with the exhilarating TSI meant I had absolutely no qualms about the non-availability of a manual transmission. Believe me, the tiptronic option in "D" mode does more than good to satisfy the average enthusiast (read me).

2. The MID showed the gear engaged and this was easy to see without getting distracted from the "job". Definitely very well thought about.

3. Fabric seat covers shout "quality". A welcome change from the ones in the NA version.

4. Disappointing colour options - VW would've done well to add their magnificent blue and trademark grey, but the target volumes perhaps don't justify that.

5. A "2 month standard" waiting period suggest a possible engine plonk to the good old Polo.

An engineering marvel of a gearbox combined with an engine that generates diesel like torque definitely justify the Volkswagonish pricing, but the missing extended warranty (should've been a standard on this variant) and poor colour options result in a "lemme wait for the T-Jet launch" strategy

Cheers.

I spotted my first Polo GT TSI on the road yesterday, a black one on the Eastern Express Highway in Thane.
I actually didn't notice it as the new model but when overtaking it, the ugly white painted "GT TSI" label on the C pillar caught my attention and thats when I noticed it.

Any of the owner here planning to blank it out somehow? It really spoils the look.