[aniketi]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

You'll be surprised how many 30L cars can't seat 5 adults properly!

Those cars are in different league all together. Those people never buy those cars to carry as many people as they can. Those are generally used with driver and 2 people at back or owner driving alone / with 1-2 family members. Those cars are mainly bought by people to show off / brand image / position. But in case of Polo, buying class is higher middle class and will want to fit at least 5 adults with comfort when there is a need for it IMHO.

Originally Posted by brraj

FYI - here in Bangalore
Hyundai I20 diesel topend cost 9.44lkhs.
Suzuki Swift diesel topend cost 8.71lkhs.

VW Polo GT TDI is priced at 9.95lkhs, Now where should VW place it?

Last i heard is they are giving cash discount of 25k and free insurance.

I agree but both cars you mentioned above has their own market already. i20 is loaded with features and Swift is known for his reliability and fun to drive nature. Seeing prices you mentioned i guess Polo is near 10 L OTR in Banglore, so i assume it will be more costly than those 2 by some margin, specially Swift (Difference is 1.3 L). I don't see its selling in big numbers. Few people will buy it for its power but most people will ignore it due to its price.

VW should have considered 1.5 Liter engine for it with similar power. They could have got tax benefit as well and could have launched the car at least a lac below than the current price. By doing that they could have gained more numbers for sure.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Those cars are in different league all together. Those people never buy those cars to carry as many people as they can. Those are generally used with driver and 2 people at back or owner driving alone / with 1-2 family members. Those cars are mainly bought by people to show off / brand image / position. But in case of Polo, buying class is higher middle class and will want to fit at least 5 adults with comfort when there is a need for it IMHO.

I was just trying to demonstrate that the price of a car and the no. of people it can carry need not be directly related, which your post seemed to indicate.

The Polo 1.6 GT TDI's USP is certainly not its people carrying abilities. The higher price is for the larger engine. Its all about your priorities. If you want a really fast car that can keep up even with cars costing upto 15L, the 10L Polo 1.6 TDi will look VFM. But if your priority is to carry five adults in comfort, then there are lot of other options available.

OT : I don't think its fair to say that people buy expensive cars just to show off their position. If that's the case why would the middle class look beyond the good old Ambassador? Its big, got four wheels, takes you from point A to B and is fairly affordable.

Originally Posted by aniketi

VW should have considered 1.5 Liter engine for it with similar power. They could have got tax benefit as well and could have launched the car at least a lac below than the current price. By doing that they could have gained more numbers for sure.

The 1.5 TDi Polo is not very far away. The 1.6 is just a stop gap.

[brraj]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Few people will buy it for its power but most people will ignore it due to its price.

They have cars for all kinds of people so they dont have to worry about numbers here.

For person looking at

= Price and kmpl = Polo 1.2
= Good GC, Price and kmpl = Cross Polo.
= Enthusiast = GT TDI/TSI

Actually i have to appreciate VW for doing what no other car manufacturer has dared to bring 1.6 diesel in a hatchback.

[radek]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Those cars are mainly bought by people to show off / brand image / position. But in case of Polo, buying class is higher middle class and will want to fit at least 5 adults with comfort when there is a need for it IMHO.

I agree but both cars you mentioned above has their own market already. i20 is loaded with features and Swift is known for his reliability and fun to drive nature. Seeing prices you mentioned i guess Polo is near 10 L OTR in Banglore, so i assume it will be more costly than those 2 by some margin, specially Swift (Difference is 1.3 L). I don't see its selling in big numbers. Few people will buy it for its power but most people will ignore it due to its price.

And why say higher middle class should not show off their cars?

One of my criteria in buying GT TDI was exclusivity. So I will be really unhappy if this car sells like Swift and i20.

On more serious note, this car is positioned as niche. There is not going to be big market for this car. It is mainly for those who care most for 100 BHP and not for seating capacity, good to have features etc.

[dipen]

Originally Posted by GTO

the Polo GT TDI is 2 lakhs cheaper than the Vento Highline diesel.

With discounts in the range of 1 lakh+ on all Vento (except TSI) models, the difference is just a lakh rupees for Between Polo and Vento 1.6 TDI models. Somehow the Vento makes more sense as a car unless you have multiple cars in the house or one is strictly looking at a hatchback only.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by slalom

Regarding the nose heavy feeling do you think VW has equipped the GT TDI with the same suspension set up like the 1.2 tdi's ?

Yep, as mentioned in the review, the suspension setup is more or less identical.

What would be your pick amongst the GT Tdi, Punto 90HP, I20 1.4 Crdi, Liva sportivo and the GT Tsi?

Petrol : Liva 1.5
Diesel : Polo GT

If it was for the wife / family, the i20 CRDi (AT, if it was an option).

Originally Posted by sourav9385

I think the GT-TDI will be up for modding soon.

It's now the perfect car to start modding.

Originally Posted by ampere

I think its time Hyundai does some real tweaking to their I20 mechanical implementation.

Related Thread

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I am having a hard time thinking of this as a good buy at this price.
Of course if it was 120BHP engine, okay, got it. But 104BHP. Heck many C segment cars offer this

1. The power to weight ratio of the Polo GT is on par with the Passat. Forget C2 segment sedans.

2. Spend 25K on a remap / powerbox and you have your 120 horses

Originally Posted by brraj

I am still not sure if Brake assist and EBD is present as their website does not mention it.

I believe it does. Will reconfirm with VW and update.

When asked service guys they told they use semi-synthetic oil and not synthetic oil.

Yes. However, our test Polo revved noticeably nicer than a regular Vento. Hence, the comment that it *might* be running synthetic lubes.

Originally Posted by satan's_valet

After Swift, Polo is the car which can be modded tastefully without altering its original looks. Can't wait to see some modded versions of this HOT hatchback.

+1. Love the Polo's clean & timeless lines. Good wheels & subtle enhancements make it look killer.

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

I thought the Polo Petrol engines were imported from SA and the TDI are from Germany. I remember having read this in the Vento reviews. Have VW changed this of late ?

Thanks for the correction. Erroneous statement removed.

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Going by your review, the ARAI mileage (as opposed to Vento) is lower and the car feels agile. Could VW have tweaked the mapping a little bit here?

No clue, but not ruling it out.

One more thing to nit pick . Even the Swift has a redline of 5000 rpm.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by jalsa777

The explanation for the difference in the fuel efficiency is down to different drag coefficients. When the body shape is same, a sedan will generally have less drag than a hatchback due to its boot.

I don't think that's the reason. Lets take the case of the Polo & Vento 1.6L petrols.

Vento : 15.83
Polo : 15.96

If it was down to Cd, the difference would reflect there as well.

Originally Posted by brraj

Actually i have to appreciate VW for doing what no other car manufacturer has dared to bring 1.6 diesel in a hatchback.

Lets not forget the monster Getz 1.5L CRDi!

Originally Posted by dipen

With discounts in the range of 1 lakh+ on all Vento (except TSI) models, the difference is just a lakh rupees for Between Polo and Vento 1.6 TDI models.

Ah, good point. However, considering that BHPians are already reporting a 25K discount on the GT TDI, there's a good chance that they'll match (or come close to) Vento levels soon.

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Well why haven't you given a comparison with the Punto 90bhp?

Same reason we haven't included the Vista D90. Having power is one thing, but performance entirely another. The Punto 90 takes a LOT more time to reach 100 kph than the alternatives considered in the opening post. Even a stock Swift is quicker.

[voyageur]

Originally Posted by GTO

• 5-speed MT for old school enthusiasts. This would be the primary reason I'd pick the TDI over the TSI

A true wolf in sheep's clothing. Available in 3 body colours (white, red & black).

Nicely written. Kudos !

Including MT was one of the welcome moves by VW for people like us.

I wonder Why there is no legendary VW blue included in the body colors . IMHO, that suits the polo well.

VW service still remains a nightmare.

Cheers

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by GTO

Yes. However, our test Polo revved noticeably nicer than a regular Vento. Hence, the comment that it *might* be running synthetic lubes.

To reaffirm and remove any doubts both Vento & Polo 1.6 TDi engine use synthetic oil only. Castrol Magnatec Professional OE 5W-40 Rs. 970 a liter.

[D'Artagnan]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that the amount of attention for this car has come down? I'm basing this on the amount of comments & pages this thread has gone into and from the time of its launch date we've come only four pages in. By now we usually have many members commenting their thoughts about the car and going into many details of engine, steering feel, clutch play, mileage etc
The Grand i10 had a lot more interest and is still continuing to do so by a rumour that a diesel AT is on its way. The 1.2 tsi polo has also run into many pages from the time of its review.

Why is it so?
Is it because 'POLO' is old?
Is it because the 1.6 tdi has been tediously discussed in the vento page?
Is it because its an expensive hatch that people are wary and aren't willing to discuss much?
Or is it because both 'POLO' as a car and '1.6 tdi' as an engine has been discussed to length already?

Stellar review as usual GTO!

[anandpadhye]

Thanks for the review, GTO.

Sad to hear the clutch is hard - however fun the engine may be, I am done with hard clutches. I simply don't understand why these guys can not engineer them appropriately (especially when they have engineered magical stuff like DSG).

BTW, I drove my colleague's Rapid TDI - it's absolutely stock and has a real bad turbo lag. So the same engine in Polo shows much lesser lag?

[radek]

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that the amount of attention for this car has come down? I'm basing this on the amount of comments & pages this thread has gone into

Or is it because both 'POLO' as a car and '1.6 tdi' as an engine has been discussed to length already?

I think the reason is as per your last point. Normally, there is a lot of discussion about features of a car. In this case, there is no feature that is new. And how much can you discuss about how Vento engine is mated with Polo?

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Thanks for the review, GTO.

Sad to hear the clutch is hard - however fun the engine may be, I am done with hard clutches. I simply don't understand why these guys can not engineer them appropriately (especially when they have engineered magical stuff like DSG).

BTW, I drove my colleague's Rapid TDI - it's absolutely stock and has a real bad turbo lag. So the same engine in Polo shows much lesser lag?

There is no bad turbo lag, in fact you hardly feel in turbo kick in GT TDI unless you observe it carefully.

Clutch is not that hard. I face more problem with position of the clutch rather than hardness.

For most of the occasions, clutch is great except for stop and go traffic. I have to keep adjusting my foot on the clutch because clutch can be fully depressed only with tip of your foot (toes). There is some odd shape in footwell that obstructs your foot if you are pressing the clutch using your midfoot.

[Ph03nix]

Originally Posted by brraj

They have cars for all kinds of people so they dont have to worry about numbers here.

For person looking at

= Price and kmpl = Polo 1.2
= Good GC, Price and kmpl = Cross Polo.
= Enthusiast = GT TDI/TSI

Actually i have to appreciate VW for doing what no other car manufacturer has dared to bring 1.6 diesel in a hatchback.

GC of the cross polo is same as the normal one!

Also after using a Polo TDI for over a year and 26K kms, I disagree that the suspension is balanced. It is plain soggy. With a 168mm clearance on paper, it should have been a great ride for Indian roads. The fact is it scrapes away to glory with 4 average sized adults in it.

Also there is quite some body roll in the corners when driven hard. Actually body roll lessens when the car is loaded since the suspension springs are compressed by 10-20%.

I have another car, an i10 which I am forced to take to regular trekking destinations with bad roads. Even with 5 on board I have no GC issues with it at all.

[avinash_clt]

Originally Posted by GTO

Many will be cross-shopping between the GT TSI & GT TDI, both of which are targeted toward enthusiasts. My pick would be the GT TDI due to the following reasons:

• The diesel is fast. It has enough power to keep the enthusiast in you happy
• TDI makes the same horsepower & significantly higher torque
• Diesel's fuel-economy will be noticeably higher. It's a double whammy for the TSI as petrol is the more expensive fuel
• 5-speed MT for old school enthusiasts. This would be the primary reason I'd pick the TDI over the TSI
• There are strong, valid concerns over the long-term reliability of the TSI's DSG gearbox
• TSI petrol currently has long waiting periods
• We can safely assume that the diesel's resale value will be superior to that of the TSI


A true wolf in sheep's clothing. Available in 3 body colours (white, red & black).

You just nailed it. Exactly the same reasons why the choice was made over the TSI. Since I had driven the vento, always wished VW should plonk the engine under the already capable Polo Chassis. It would never be a overkill compared to the Getz Crdi. Since the rumours started floating around somewehre in Nov 2012 , I was eagerly awaiting for this car. But then GT TSI came out first. Was tech-laden, brilliant hatch. But it never connected like the manual TSI on the vRS. The idea didn't budge in to go for TSI. While the TSI was anticipated, launch of TDI was a shocker. Had a test drive, grin across my face, grin across the sales guy's face and wala it was booked.

Have clocked nearly 3,000km in the first month of ownership. Did Chennai-Bangalore-Chennai and car was brilliant on the highways. It had enough grunt at speeds of 140+kmph that you wish there was an extra cog , just for the engine to a be a little more relaxed while cruising at higher speeds. And in city driving conditions also it is managable. Long travel clutch and medium hardness can get to you if you're migrating from a petrol, but again manageable. Also being a hatch , it can squeeze through gaps and maintain overall pace similar to a vRS in the same stretch of highway.

The main sore point I felt was the brakes. The car begs for it. My old Verna CRDI felt to had much better brakes. I felt the Vento also to be more sharp-footed while braking. And this observation is made after my upgrade to 205 Yoko S-drives. Even with the grippier tyres, torque steer is still present and needs to a be a little cautious.

Its overpriced, but that's mainly due to higher excise duties. But it's practical, it's efficient, it's quick , it's reasonably stable, drivable and once 1.5tdi comes in it will be a unique piece of machinery. One pround owner of the GT TDI

[nidhin0816]

Excellent review

I feel the pricing is slightly on the higher side, but nevertheless with 1.6 under the hood and government regulations to consider seems like an overall package.

I am keen to know the comparison along side the mighty Fiat GP 90HP.

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by avinash_clt

The main sore point I felt was the brakes. The car begs for it. My old Verna CRDI felt to had much better brakes. I felt the Vento also to be more sharp-footed while braking. And this observation is made after my upgrade to 205 Yoko S-drives. Even with the grippier tyres, torque steer is still present and needs to a be a little cautious.

Congratulations!

Having driven Polo 1.2 Tdi for 3+ years, I must say that I am not very happy with the suspension setup. Not that it bottoms out with load - In fact, I did not face problems getting it through "scientifically designed road humps". Problem is that after about 40K kms of usage, the front suspensions becomes softer and results in excessive rocking at times. This aggravates further since it is "nose heavy". I have heard that spacers are used to solve this problem locally.

I totally agree with you on the Brake setup. This car is heavy and very much deceptive, in terms of the speed we perceive. It needs nothing less than all-wheel disk brakes.

Try Suspension and Brake upgrade from Pete's - You will have an excellent ride!

All the best! Drive safe!