Team-BHP - Volkswagen Polo : Test Drive & Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by formel_eins (Post 1935437)

@Amartya, A*S*S plays a major role in deciding car. Just because Skodas service is bad makes no logic to say that VW should not be trusted. Would you doubt service of Jaguar because TATA is the parent company? Horror stories of Skoda haunt some of its customers, same cannot be said for VW owners. Lets take-up Punto for instance, which is being serviced by guys who treat Indicas and sumos, only a thought of it sent shivers down my spine and was a deal breaker for me. VW dealers have been satisfactorily servicing premium cars from their stable, this boosts confidence and makes you believe that a Polo would also be treated in a similar way. Well thats my take and reason of belief in VW.

lol: The VW dealer in Pune is indeed a FIAT dealer few years back (Jay-Vijay). And BTW the staff I could see there is almost the same (Spotted few familiar faces).

Quote:

Originally Posted by poloman (Post 1935535)

I think people in India lose too much sleep thinking about the A.S and make wrong buying decisions. In India what I feel in terms of A.S is Maruti V/S rest. So if you are paranoid about A.S buy Maruti other wise which ever car you like not worrying about the brand. No one can match the availability of spares and mechanics for Maruti cars. This is the reality.

A*S*S of maruti is cheap?? atleast not for the cars like swift. It is quite comparable to the cars in its league. Its true they have a very large network but that does not make them cheap, checkout one of the links http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-000-km-5.html

VW has done a commendable job by keeping the service interval at 15K, atleast its clear that they are not here to rob. I wish they had taken some tips from GM which provides free service

Quote:

Originally Posted by extreme_torque (Post 1934880)

Starting to see a few of them on Delhi roads and looks like a spiritual successor to my Palio, more so than the Punto. The same classic hatchback styling with minimal curves but gorgeous overall.

P.S. The build quality is evident when you see it in person. It looks better screwed together than the segment benchmark Jazz. The shutlines all over are very tight.

You spoke my words mate, it looks so much like a car and doesn't looks like it has compromised every bit of exterior panel to increase the last 1mm space inside the car :D . In my view the best looking hatchback on indian roads period.

PS: looks are very subjective and no ones has to agree with me if they think otherwise :P

Just took a friend's top end diesel Polo for a long drive and noticed the following points:
1. The AC is REALLY GOOD!
2. The fit and finish is EXCELLENT.
3. Ride quality is good, but Punto is better.
4. Gear shifts are nice.
5. Handling is good, but not as good as the Punto.
6. Boot release and windows opening/ closing on remote is a neat touch.
7. Shoulder room available in between front seats is good.
8. Height adjustable seat belts are missing - The point I disliked most.
9. No electrically adjustable mirrors, no audio controls on steering, no dead pedal and no USB do such injustice to an otherwise good car.
10. The diesel engine is loud inside the cabin, but the Punto's diesel engine is slightly louder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by formel_eins (Post 1935875)

I never told Maruti is cheap. :) What impresses me is the availability of the maruti spares even in corner shops even for cars that are 20 years old. You can confidently take a Maruti car to every nook and corner of the country. My initial impressions of VW are good. But I am sure you are bound to face some problems with part availability if something goes wrong. I was in a VW service bay and in the work chart I saw lot of cars with status 'waiting for parts', mainly Jetta and Passat.

First of all thank you Team-BHP for finally enrolling me among your midst.
I had been looking for a decent review on Volkswagen Polo for a while when I stumbled onto this one and was I surprised.
I have yet to come across a so comprehensive review and I feel it was an honest one too since you were the only one who observed that the space under the bonnet is more then what the engine and peripherals occupy, which was my observation too when I checked it out at the showroom.
With a lot of test drives in similar segment cars (Figo, Punto, I20 etc.) I finally managed to get a test drive at one of the dealers and booked the Highline. The challenges of owning a Volkswagen Polo began literally instantly.
Challenges
Delivery
The delivery period was given as 75 to 90 days. I currently own an Alto (Excellent vehicle) which has served me well couldn't ask for more. I was considering selling this car around this time as the insurance and car loan were getting over. But then the delivery which was expected to be sometime mid-june to end-june has moved completely by 1 month. And I am having no info other then what the dealer is stating. I have even considered to downgrade to the Trendline if the delivery can happen sooner.
I would appreciate an honest opinion/info on the delivery schedule from a reliable source.
Color
I got to see only the Red, White and Silver colours, I googled god knows how many times to get a picture of 'Glacier Blue' but no luck. please post a picture of the Polo in Glacier Blue.
Insurance
Although your FAQ was very useful, I eventually had to renew the insurance on my Alto this weekend along with the NCB. Now I understand that only on change in ownership can the NCB be transferred. I am still a little confused at the procedure on transfer of NCB at the point of sale. How does it work?
Car Loan
Another point which was well described in your FAQ. I did my bit of shopping around and have used all the tactics of negotiations and have got something quite reasonable. Now how do I nail it? Do I complete the formalities and wait for delivery? Are the interest rates likely to change within the next month?
Finally the last blow Road Tax
Its been in the news that Road Tax is likely to increase very soon, which has as always upset my financial plans. Although it hasn't been implemented as yet, would it be applicable even though I booked my car before the announcement.
Final Query: Since the dealer has been sitting on my booking amount (50K) and probably earned a modest interest can I ask him to give me some freebies on delivery - although dont know what to ask for, Any Ideas?

@sudipc, surely you have taken the right decision and welcome to Polo bandwagon group:D. Only thing worrying is waiting period, I am being patient for around 2.5 months since I have booked. I thought of canceling the booking at one point of time but couldn't. Finally, decided no other car is as good as POLO to be my first car:). 3 pot engine looks under powered and a bit noisy and peppy but not a deal breaker. Further, got confident in POLO after reading much of reviews of Team-Bhp mates here & kudos to chethan for posting black polo pics to which i finally decided on Car color.

Quote:

Originally Posted by formel_eins (Post 1935875)

One can have an AMC for Polo by paying Rs.20K - 3 years/45k kms. This covers almost all cost. Works out to 1% of the invoice value per year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carfanatic007 (Post 1936295)

So here goes pics of the paper Polo :D

They should have atleast sent a miniature model (1:50,000). It could have filled up the show case! :D