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Guys.. need your help !
I am facing a weird problem ( if it is stupid:??) with my car. Whenever I park my car with left/right signal ON and switch off the engine, the signal light still remains ON ( without blinkers). Even in my parked car without ignition ON, if I turn down the signal light, it remains ON. Is this a bug in general or in my car only ?please:

Guys, any update on the facelifted Polo's release date? Also, what are the current offers for the Polo Diesel?

The A/T is expected to come with the same 1.6 with the 6 speed transmission. This car was spotted at the VW service centre with the HU similar to the HL vento with parking sensors. No timeline revealed though.

Also spotted a new silver Polo HL Tdi the other day with the smoked head lamps and new 15 inch alloys. One thing is for sure that the front profile looked way cooler than the current one thanks to the smoked head lamps and the alloys are similar to the new Fabia's. A glaring omission was the rear wiper. Could not really peep inside the car though.

Though this may not be mentioned anywhere, this is actually a feature like in the 3 series. If you are parked in a lane that is narrow, then you have the indicator light of the side that is road facing, ON. I have used the same from time to time on the 320d.

This is an 'european' feature and hence seen in VW, BMW, etc.

Cheers!

I recently TD'ed a Polo 1.6 petrol, I must say I was left dissapointed.
For starters the pickup was not good, but I would have discounted that given the fact it was at AC fan speed 3 initially, so I switched to speed1 which seemed sufficiently cool enough, but even then although I was in 3rd gear and trying to gain some momentum the car didn't oblige, the experience on the whole was no where near to that which I get on a City, ivtec.
The most positive part of the TD was the gear stick, very smooth, although it had long throws. I did not much notice the high clutch bite issue, maybe the TD stint wasn't long enough for that.
The ride quality is no doubt very refined, and the interiors feel very classy, but the lack of peppiness and grunt from the engine was overbearing.

What you've highlighted is true as there are a few owners who complain of a 'lag' initially in the 1.6 engine.

However I find it strange when you say the gearbox has long throws !

AFAIK, Polo petrol gearbox is the benchmark in the segment with short throws and a slick transmission

i believe the TD car offered to you was not in its prime condition. Polo 1.6, though not as eager as the Fabia 1.6, is also an eager beast.

Also, i am surprised by your claim of long shifts. Polo is suppose to have the one of the best in class gear ratios in 1.6.

The TD car seemed very new, the sales guy at the dealership had to arrange it for me (don't know from where), since he said that very few people TD it. so much so that it didn't even have most of it's protective body cover removed (haven't seen this on any other TD car, kind of a white film on the metal body), Although I didn't check the odo.
The gearshift were slick indeed, but compared to the Swift i TD'ed after it seemed longer, not much of an issue.

The lack of basic USB/AUX, steering controls, auto AC were a letdown though, and the sales guy told that he could give me a max amount of INR5000/- for turning in the stock stereo HU.

Will be going to TD the 1.2 variant and finallize my call tomorrow. Swift/Polo.

Fan speed does not affect the load on engine, switching off A/C surely releases some horses, the 1.6 engine is powerful enough not to be bogged down by compressor. Polo might not be as punchy as Palio 1.6 used to be, but it still is not a weak car.

The gearbox shared with Vento is benchmark for the segment in terms of shift action and throws, in no ways it can be termed inferior than the Honda City's gearbox.

Engine power wise, Polo 1.6 is certainly less punchy than Honda City. It does not come close to Palio 1.6 even and the new City is better than Palio. I thought the Verna 1.6 was similar to this VW 1.6 though the rated power is much higher. But the gear box in Polo is simply the best. Nothing in its segment holds a candle to it, not even City.

Where Polo 1.6 is better than City is the quality of interior plastics and suspension. Also its a nimbler car in the city with smaller proportions and steering geometry. As an overall package, its one heck of a car.

Anybody have some news on 1.6 AT time line?
Thanks

So which one did you finalize eventually. I personally like the Polo a tad bit more than Swift, though most people may disagree.

Fell sick this weekend couldn't go out to take Polo 1.2 TD

But after all the research the equation is simplifying for me, Polo vs Swift.

Polo
(+ves)
- Good ride and comfort
- Classy looking interiors
- Great exterior profile and fresh appeal on roads
- VW German (would be great to have my first car, a german brand)

(-ves)
- Cutdown on many features inside (steering controls, ACC, music HU w/o USB/AUX) which essentially boils down to ~10k market upgrade just for the stereo
- The servicing cost, VW sales exec claimed atleast 6k per service is expected, realistically it would be ~10k (including parts/reflillables)
- Higher running cost, FE is expected ~12kmpl (that is a flat loss of over 2k per month given my daily running)
- Lower resale value (I do not intend to keep a car for 10years, would probably be replacing it in 4-5yrs)
- Initial price premium of over 50k (translates to more, from EMI perspective)
- Engine isn't as peppy as Swift, not to mention the lack of horsepower, the 3pot engine wont fare well against the Swift's on a highway (which is imp for me, I need the horses to be there when I need them, Daily highway commute)
- The NVH of Polo 1.2 engine is on the higher side.


Swift
(+ves)
- All nit-bits and useful features found in premium hatchback segment.
I liked the black patterned interior plastics.
(except bluetooth control for mobile, i'm not a drive n talk person)
- The engine felt very lively on a TD, just loved it. The gearbox, soft clutch, steering. It all seemed like a perfect package.
- Can't go wrong with serviceability of Maruti cars, cheap to maintain and repair. Low running costs in this respect.
- Amazing FE in this class. 14-15kmpl expected, given my 50/50 highway/city commute and my heavy on pedal driving style.
- The engine seems refined and I like the high revving nature (I'm used to high revving new City)
- All this great package at a lesser price.

(-ves)
- In terms of car years, the car is a century old.
- Nowhere as good looking as Polo
- It is not German, run of the mill Maruti
- Ride and comfort not at par with Polo
- The color options in the car aren't that great (It is a big point for the ladies in my house)

Note: All comparisons are relative to Swift. I'm not even considering Diesels.

Apologies for the long post, but do correct me if I'm wrong somewhere.
Need opinions.
These decisions can be real head-aches... :Frustrati
Esp when it's pertaining my first car, want it to be perfect.

Hope you are feeling better now, it is a very dicey weather.

In the polo petrol, I don't call it noise. It's actually an orchestra of the lower level. I love the sound of that car above 3k rpm.

Now for your choice, you have already mentioned all the pros and cons of these cars. You have to weigh them as per your priority.

In terms of service, though vw May be expensive, it also has a relatively longer service interval.

In terms of power, yes swift has a peppier engine, but if you are open to it, there are tuning boxes available for polo petrol. And trust me that car becomes a rocket after that.

Do note that there can never be a perfect car. But there is always a car that will touch your heart. Go and visit each of these cars one more time. M sure your heart will automatically make a decision.