[sunikkat]

https://youtu.be/J-fVMyckm6Q

[sarang.vaidya]

Originally Posted by prajnya

I would definitely recommend an immediate swap to Earth1.
I upgraded my 2017 Polo GT's tyres to 205/55R16 to Yokohama AR01, which was the model that is equivalent to earth1's. The tyres have done 35K kms now and i have faced Zero issues till now even when driving on horrible roads in Bnagalore.

The goodyears on my Octavia lasted only 27K kms and was replaced by Earth1's.

Having used Yokohoma S Drives and Michelien's, i would suggest Earth1's for our roads. I would not use softer tyres with a risk of sidewall damage.

I was not getting a good buyback offer from the dealers I checked with hence I have for now decided to live with the Goodyears till they do the job. The car was delivered a week back and the tyres are decent. I have covered around 200kms on them as of now.
I have a trip of around 1000Kms lined up at the start of the next month which should give me a fair idea on the tyres performance once they settle down after their initial run-in.

[vedirah]

Achieved this insane value of instantaneous fuel economy on my automatic 1.0 TSI by driving constantly at 80-100kmph

[velocirpator]

Ever since I bought my first hatchback (an Indica 2000 – remember that one?) over 22 years ago, I’ve always been sold on the idea of a zippy two-box car. Humble as the specs were on that little Tata car, I have the fondest memories of attempting handbrake drifts in it on Palm Beach Road, just outside of Mumbai. Of course I’d never think of hooning a car on public roads today, but heck – those were younger, different days.

Cut to more recent times, when we’ve moved to being a two-car family where we’ve always had an SUV (an XUV5OO W11 Automatic) and a hatchback (a Toyota Etios Liva GD). We bought the Etios in 2012, and it served us splendidly for a decade – not a squeak, or any mechanical/electrical failures whatsoever. A testament of Toyota’s legendary reliability. But being based in Gurgaon, we were faced with the prospect of having to sell it due to the 10-year diesel vehicle rule.

Which is when – after not too much of a search – I zeroed in on the Volkswagen Polo GT TSi. It was a no-brainer really. With hot hatches sadly not being a category of vehicle that manufacturers are focusing on these days (thanks to the obsession with Mini SUVs and crossovers,) there are virtually no hot hatches to choose from. I’ve personally always been drawn to the reliability and heft of German engineering (and the understated sensibility of European design,) which is why I didn’t really consider the Hyundai i20 N Line. And there’s nothing else comparable options in the sub 15L range.



It’s been about three weeks with the GT TSi, and I’m smitten. It’s just such a fun car to drive, with its responsive steering, tight handling, and that sweet 109bhp/175Nm powerplant. I’m using all my restraint to not push that engine, keeping it within reasonable speed and rev limits during the initial 1,000Km run-in. Can barely wait to take it for a long, twisty drive and notching it into sport mode.



It’s certainly not the most practical hatchback out there, but heck does it put a grin on the face! And never mind rear legroom because, face it, it’s a two-person car for all practical purposes. The driver interface – the dashboard, infotainment etc – is nowhere as appealing as almost every recently-launched car, but then this is a decade-old design that isn’t likely to appeal to many. I’m especially fond of the analog vibe though – those solid headlight switches and clean speedo and tacho dials. It gels with the personality of the car: one that means business and is built to deliver a pure driving experience. Leave those large infotainment screens, animated transitions, and multi-hue cabin lighting options for the easily distracted among us.



But great driving experience aside, I do have a few niggling peeves. First, why do car companies choose to provide feeble single-tone horns in a vehicle that’s premium in its segment. Such a shame – it almost makes a mockery of what the rest of the vehicle is capable of! Then there’s the headlights: the stock bulbs for the high-beam are just barely adequate, and could have been so much better with a higher lumen rating. I mean, why cut such silly corners that mute what could otherwise be a fantastic package. These two things needed changing, tout suite. It’s another matter though that it’s so difficult to source the official two-tone horn from VW – it’s one of the first things I placed an order for after taking delivery of the car, and now several weeks later there’s still no word from the dealer on when it’ll be available. Speaking of the dealership experience at Frontier Cars MG Road Gurgaon, it was perfunctory at best: nothing especially memorable and quite transactional. I’m only hoping that the after sales service, when it does kick in after the warranty, is decent. Haven’t heard very good things about the VW after sales in Gurgaon. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Much has been said about the current GT TSi’s differences from its predecessor – the smaller capacity engine and the torque converter gearbox that replaced VW’s legendary DSG gearbox – but the DNA of this legendary little car remains unaffected.

Bottomline: the current Volkswagen Polo GT TSi remains a brilliant little car, if you love driving a car that begs to be driven.

P.S: The Team-BHP sticker worked perfectly to cover that unsightly dealership contact details sticker on the rear windshield, and matches the car’s Flash Red almost perfectly!

[sal]

Well.. I do not know what to say but extremely disappointed with Volkswagen.

My booking of 3 months (booked Feb 1st 2022) for HP MT has been cancelled today, because as per the sales staff "Volkswagen has stopped sending manual cars"

They made me wait for 3 months, and i have writted about this to Volkswagen, not that it may help.
I dont get how are people getting their cars here in a month!

Anyhow what would be a good alternative "performance" wise? I am planning for Honda City ..

[k491]

Originally Posted by sal

They made me wait for 3 months, and i have writted about this to Volkswagen, not that it may help.
I dont get how are people getting their cars here in a month!

Did they give you a choice to go for the Polo GT instead of the Highline MT?
Almost all bookings were offered to opt the GT.

[sal]

Originally Posted by k491

Did they give you a choice to go for the Polo GT instead of the Highline MT?
Almost all bookings were offered to opt the GT.

No they did not, they said "Manual cars will not be coming in anymore, Sorry Volkswagen has come to this decision. Hence your booking has been cancelled".

Moreover I needed a manual car - personal preference.

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by sal

Well.. I do not know what to say but extremely disappointed with Volkswagen.

My booking of 3 months (booked Feb 1st 2022) for HP MT has been cancelled today, because as per the sales staff "Volkswagen has stopped sending manual cars"

They made me wait for 3 months, and i have writted about this to Volkswagen, not that it may help.
I dont get how are people getting their cars here in a month!

Anyhow what would be a good alternative "performance" wise? I am planning for Honda City ..

My friend from Jaipur, Rajasthan has booked Polo Highline plus 1.0 Tsi MT from a dealer in Ahmedabad /Vadodara, as there weren't any stock nearby. The dealer has a small stock of polo, Infact he had 2 red polos out of which my friend is taking delivery of 1. If you are that intrested to get one you can get from there.

Look for contact details online of the dealer and get your car booked urgently. The insurance for the same is available for 22500 online from united India insurance on policybazaar including all the covers.

[vivek.ks]

Last Batch of Polo Delivered in Bangalore

The last batch of Polo was recently delivered in Bangalore. This was done during a planned event where all the dealers from Bangalore had participated. The event was held in Lalit Ashok, Bangalore and was well planned and executed.

Around 26 cars were delivered on Saturday, 23rd April. VW Management had planned for a lunch for all the customers. Post the lunch there was an event hosted by RJ Prithvi from Fever 104. There was quiz content along with a few videos showcasing Brand Polo and Brand VW. All in all, it was an interesting, fun way to take delivery of the car.

Few pictures from the event

[nerd1200]

Originally Posted by sarang.vaidya

I am getting the GoodYear Assurance TripleMax tyres with section 195/55/R16 as stock.

Did you notice what the manufacturing month is for the tyres?

[sal]

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

My friend from Jaipur, Rajasthan has booked Polo Highline plus 1.0 Tsi MT from a dealer in Ahmedabad /Vadodara, as there weren't any stock nearby. The dealer has a small stock of polo, Infact he had 2 red polos out of which my friend is taking delivery of 1. If you are that intrested to get one you can get from there.

Look for contact details online of the dealer and get your car booked urgently. The insurance for the same is available for 22500 online from united India insurance on policybazaar including all the covers.

Thanks but nah bro.
Its like "maar sehen karlenge par dhoka nahi" situation happened with me.
Gonna stick with Tata/Honda for future in India, no wonder Volkswagen keeps losing potential customers/enthusiasts like me !

[vedirah]

Originally Posted by sal

Anyhow what would be a good alternative "performance" wise? I am planning for Honda City ..

To be completely honest with you, there is nothing in the market that beats the 1.0 TSI at this price. The engine is one of the best I've driven so far, and being an enthusiastic driver I can tell you nothing comes close to the way the Polo TSI drives.

An alternative to consider might be the Hyundai i20 N-Line. While it may not have the best engine, it ticks most other boxes. Imho, it would be a better choice than the Honda City if driving pleasure is on the top of your list. Why don't you also take a look at the Kushaq/Taigun and Slavia/Virtus twins? The lower trims that come with the 1.0 TSI motor will be within budget I believe (considering Honda City is an option for you). I would also suggest to look at used Polo TSI - some rather new Polos are already in the used car market in Bangalore afaik.

Good luck!

[k491]

Originally Posted by vedirah

Why don't you also take a look at the Kushaq/Taigun and Slavia/Virtus twins?
Good luck!

The quality on the newer cars is pretty subpar, even one of the SA agrees with that statement. when you put the tiniest pressure on the inside handle on the taigun, you can easily feel the handle flexing at joint, even the 8 year old Suzuki Swift handle has better sturdiness than that. The center console feels very cheap.

I had asked for Kushaq 1.5 DSG testdrive, the car had clocked 7.5k kms, I was doing 80 kph and was approaching a speed breaker, I applied the brakes like i usually do with my Rapid or friend's swift, the car didn't slow down and I went over the hump at 60 kph. The front left suspension was damaged and was making noises(not good ones) going over tiny potholes.

I was initially set on booking the Skoda Slavia 1.5 DSG but after the test driving the kushq I gave up on the MQB A0 IN platform vehicles, they wouldn't last long if you drive them regularly in a spirited manner (especially if the conditions are bad in frequently travelled roads).

Octavia is out of my budget as I am buying my first car with my own money.
I was very lucky to book one of the last Polo GT TSIs.

Originally Posted by vedirah

I would also suggest to look at used Polo TSI - some rather new Polos are already in the used car market in Bangalore afaik.

Me and my friend have been on the hunt for a good Diesel Polo GT or Diesel Octavia for close to a year now, the used car market is obscene in Bangalore.
2 Days ago me and my friend visited Autobahn Cars (BTM layout) to check if they have any Octavia diesel available, they said they a 2016 Octavia Petrol with 20k kms clocked and quoted 15.2 Lkhs . I convinced my friend to go for petrol despite his reluctance to go for Petrol car. They asked us to come next as the car was with the customer.
We called the next day only be to told the car was booked at customer place and was even paid advance. We went to another used car dealership in Domlur with our usual request, Skoda octavia or Diesel Polo GT, to our surprise, there was a 2016 Skoda Octavia Petrol with 20k kms driven and now the quoting price was 17.5 lkhs. We even compared the pics and came to the conclusion that it was the same car. Why lie to us instead of asking a higher price?
Another dealership told us that recently a Polo GT owner asked for 15 lkhs to sell his 2018 Polo GT TDI.
Unfortunately this is the sad state of used car market.

[vivek.ks]

Are there any specific instructions on how to run the new engine?

I am currently driving below 2.5k RPM with speeds between 40 and 50 most of the time. Today during a drive on NICE road the speed was maintained between 60 to 80. Overall the drive was nice with 15.5 kmpl for the drive.

[sinharishi]

Did a short drive to Jaipur covering 650 kms in 3 days. No issues whatsoever except that I had to make my dad sit in the rear seat.

Onward journey was done with some spirited driving, got 12.2 kmpl. Return we started early AM so roads were relatively empty and I could maintain steady speeds, got 15.9 kmpl.

Continental UC6s are doing a great job, the steering feels nice with 205/55/16 tyres. Will be taking her for 15,000 kms service in May.