[rtm_8055]

Originally Posted by aa_asif

A lill OT here: Is there even a wildest slightest chance of getting a Polo 1.6 TDi with the Vento's engine plonked in for India. I believe its surely a plug and play.

it would a history repeating just like our good ol' Getz CRDI.

Oh what a car it would be.... Sigh!

No chance. Though the 1.5 TDi is definitely on it's way and will perhaps even replace the 1.2 TDi.

I predict that the 1.5 TDi won't be very succesful since it will be not be affordable to the masses. The existing 1.2 TDi starts only at around 6.5ls and goes up to 8.5, and so that means a fully loaded 1.5 TDi could even cross 9ls.

Time for some updates. This weekend I had art leather seat covers and v-kool 37 sunfilm fitted.

Seat Covers:

The dirt-attracting livon upholstery was really nerve-racking. I had to be extremely careful at all times, and still small stains would magically appear. I could no longer put up with this and so I decided to look for a solution. Art leather seat covers seemed to be a good option, and so I contacted Mr. Gaurav from Car Lounge (Santacruz). He was extremely patient and helpful, and even sent me a couple of pictures through e-mail, which saved me the trouble of going there and having a look at their designs myself. Initially I was keen on a beige-black combination which would blend well with the beige-black interior. However, I felt that might look tacky and cheap, so I decided to stick with a plain beige or black. Beige would look quite nice, and would give the cabin a more airy, pleasant atmosphere, but then black looks great on a white car - especially one that's self-driven and has sporty appeal. So I decided to go ahead and booked black with a wrinkle effect. I'm glad I made this choice as it looks stunning!

The seats took 2 days to arrive, since I wanted them made without the horrible "FOR VW" mark imprinted on the backrests of their existing stock. I requested him to send someone to my house to fit it, to which he kindly obliged. After giving very clear directions and even agreeing to come up to a point to direct his worker to my house, they successfully drove me mad. Not only did a morning commitment become 4 pm, but I was even made to wait on the road for 1 hour to meet his worker.

The seat covers came well-folded in a neat bag. The installation proces took about 2 and a half hours, but went off smoothly. I only got a little paranoid when he left the seats on the dusty floor while working on them (in spite of me providing him with a lot of newspaper for exactly this purpose). Another negative was the remaining glue imprints that he did not wipe off of the seats. The "new-car smell" has sadly gone now that I have fitted these covers. This art leather does not smell good or bad, in fact it does not smell at all.

The total job costed Rs. 4800 + Rs. 100 (tip). I am thoroughly impressed, since the seats look and feel absolutely terrific. The interior now feels even more premium.

Sunfilm:

After some intense research on sunfilms, I decided to go for the v-kool K 37s. I was looking for something that not only does a good job rejecting heat (since my car is parked in the sun), but even looks good cosmetically. The K37 matches these requirements, and so I went to V-Kool Prabhadevi to have a look. These are not RTO approved, but after asking around I was told that they are not noticeably dark enough to really create problems with police. I decided I would fit the sunfilm only on the sides and rear window, since fitting it on the front windscreen itself costs more than twice the cost of fitting the others (combined).

The fitting process went off smoothly. It took about an hour. Driving in and out of the shop was a little tricky, but they set up ramps that are easy to climb with a straight steering wheel. The negative was that they had turned my music system on and had conveniently pumped up the volume without even asking me.

This cost me Rs. 5,400. It looks quite nice in the day - not too dark. At night it looks quite dark, but at the same time makes the car look terrific. I find myself just staring at this new look endlessly! They are not too reflective, and instead give a matte effect. The strict instructions that I followed after installation was that the windows should not be rolled down, or cleaned from the inside for 3 days of exposure to the sun. The visibility from the inside seems just the same, and night-time visibility is not much worse either.

Mr. Sahni was quite helpful. He offered to drive the car in and out of his shop, since it is tricky (as mentioned earlier). I first just wanted to go and have a look at the choice, and didn't expect to fit one that day itself, but while at the shop I changed my mind and decided to get it done there and then itself. He agreed to collect the money from me the next day, since I had not brought sufficient cash. He told me that he gets many T-Bhp members, and offers them the best price from the beginning (I don't know how far that is true, considering he over-charged me slightly). When I asked him why he wasn't a part of T-Bhp, he said since he's not really into cars!

I now plan to buy sun shades that I can stick on to my front windscreen whenever I leave the car parked in the sun, to reject any heat from entering the cabin.

Some pictures :

The bag that the seat covers came neatly packed in:



The sticker on the bag, with details of the covers:



The fitting process (notice how he would tend to put the seats on the dusty floor - atleast until I made a noise about it):













The covers did not come with holes for the headrest. The worker had to cut holes himself, but did it well.



The job completed:













The atrocious manufacturer badge on the back pocket. I have also attached a photo of the seal/screws with which it is attached. Does anyone know how I could remove it? The worker told me it's impossible to do so since it's sealed.





My car in the V-Kool store at Prabhadevi, and the ramps with which cars can enter and exit the shop:





The fitting of sunfilm process (sorry for the cell phone's low quality photos):









My car with it's new tints:














Regards,
RTM

[rtm_8055]

General Updates:

- I got a call from someone from VW India requesting my feedback. This was a good gesture and he offered to help me address some of the niggles that I face. He also insists that VW Thane had no right deducting Rs. 5,000 as cancellation charges, unless the car had already been registered in my name or billed (which it wasn't). I will therefore look into this matter.

- The rest handle on the inside of the driver's side door has a slightly loose panel that can be pushed in and out to a slight extent.

- The seat belt buckle on the front passenger seat rattles when the car is in motion and the belt is not in use. The sound it makes it very annoying.

- Today I refuelled for the first time, and on calculating the mileage I am getting a figure of about 9 kmpl. However I am certain that this is incorrect, since fuel was not filled to the brim last time.

- Night time visibility is very bad with the wiper swirls present on the windscreen and hopeless stock lamps. Headlamps of oncoming traffic cause the swirls on the windscreen to distort my vision, which can be quite dangerous.

- The MFD's average fuel consumption is very extreme. On long stretches of empty road it jumps as high as 17 kmpl, but during bumper to bumper traffic it even drops to 4 and 5.

Some random pictures:

A meeting with my friends white Polo 1.6 (cell phone camera):





This was quite thrilling indeed! Maximum I have seen on trip 1 (current trip that resets itself every time the car starts after more than 2 hours):



As requested, some pictures of the dashboard at night (I just realized the car was off and so the MFD is not on):









Regards,
RTM

[noopster]

rtm, what a fantastc review! Kudos. I am pretty sure I didn't write this well when I was 18. Some would say even now

I think the art leather you have put looks fab. I went with real leather (have an aversion to the fake stuff) but it set me back a fair bit more than what you have spent. Good VFM!

Just a couple of points:
- Did you know that you have another trip meter (in addition to current trip 1 and the configurable trip 2)? Toggle the set/0.0 switch and you will see it alternate with the odometer.
- VW Thane has no right to charge you 5,000 as cancellation charges. I suggest you check the receipt they issued at the time of booking- it states all terms & conditions clearly. I remember clarifying this with VW Pune when I booked: cancellation prior to registration meant a full refund, withina time specified (I think 2 weeks). VW almost certainly follows the same policy nationwide.

I felt good reading your review since our cars are almost identical, except I have a boot, ACC and an automatic transmission . Keep postin'!

[Gautam Dhaliwal]

rtm, Thanks for an extensive review.

Can you share the month of manufacture of your car, a friend and i were talking to VW downtown for a Polo 1.6 for him. The dealer told us that there was no car manufactured post April/May.

It would be very helpful if you can share your VIN number.

Thanks

[90BHP]

Originally Posted by aa_asif

A lill OT here: Is there even a wildest slightest chance of getting a Polo 1.6 TDi with the Vento's engine plonked in for India. I believe its surely a plug and play.

it would a history repeating just like our good ol' Getz CRDI.

Oh what a car it would be.... Sigh!

@aa_asif
Hey, there is news of a new 1.5 TDi engine doing service on the polo highline later this year. Apparently this will only be available on the highline version, this version also has few features which were not available on the earlier polo.

Search for this thread:- Polo with bluetooth HU & steering audio controls spotted edit:1.5L, 94bhp Diesel also

[rtm_8055]

Originally Posted by noopster

rtm, what a fantastc review! Kudos. I am pretty sure I didn't write this well when I was 18. Some would say even now

I think the art leather you have put looks fab. I went with real leather (have an aversion to the fake stuff) but it set me back a fair bit more than what you have spent. Good VFM!

Just a couple of points:
- Did you know that you have another trip meter (in addition to current trip 1 and the configurable trip 2)? Toggle the set/0.0 switch and you will see it alternate with the odometer.
- VW Thane has no right to charge you 5,000 as cancellation charges. I suggest you check the receipt they issued at the time of booking- it states all terms & conditions clearly. I remember clarifying this with VW Pune when I booked: cancellation prior to registration meant a full refund, withina time specified (I think 2 weeks). VW almost certainly follows the same policy nationwide.

I felt good reading your review since our cars are almost identical, except I have a boot, ACC and an automatic transmission . Keep postin'!

Thank you Noopster, I enjoyed reading your review just as much. I have yet to sit in a Vento, and would love to notice how different or similar the two cars are.

I am aware of the other trip meter. It pretty much becomes a third one, which is great. Also, since the lower quarter of the MFD screen is dedicated only to this and the odometer, it becomes the most convenient/visible trip meter. It is best to use this one as your primary trip meter.

I have not reveived a reply from Volkswagen Thane. I will pressurize them again tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Gautam Dhaliwal

rtm, Thanks for an extensive review.

Can you share the month of manufacture of your car, a friend and i were talking to VW downtown for a Polo 1.6 for him. The dealer told us that there was no car manufactured post April/May.

It would be very helpful if you can share your VIN number.

Thanks

Certainly:

The 4th character is - "E" i.e - May;
The 10th character is - "B" i.e - 2011.

Regards,
RTM

[morphique]

Originally Posted by Gautam Dhaliwal

rtm, Thanks for an extensive review.

Can you share the month of manufacture of your car, a friend and i were talking to VW downtown for a Polo 1.6 for him. The dealer told us that there was no car manufactured post April/May.

It would be very helpful if you can share your VIN number.

Thanks

Hey Gautam, any more details on what the dealer meant by "there was no car manufactured post April/May"?
Does it mean VW has stopped the production of Polo 1.6? Why? Is it possible to get more details on this?

Originally Posted by rtm_8055

The 4th character is - "E" i.e - May;
The 10th character is - "B" i.e - 2011.

Hope you are enjoying your ride rtm! I have a couple of questions:

1) Does it have one-touch up/down power windows? If yes, is it for all windows?
2) Does it have anti-pinch window feature?

[Gautam Dhaliwal]

Hey Morphique, we called up the VW guys in mumbai and they confirmed that they don't have any car manufactured post May in stock.

This could mean that they have stopped production or that this is their way of managing inventory.

I would assume that the 1.6 doesn't sell enough to justify continuous production. They would produce based on demand and probably want to finish off the inventory that they have, before producing another batch.

[rtm_8055]

Originally Posted by morphique

Hey Gautam, any more details on what the dealer meant by "there was no car manufactured post April/May"?
Does it mean VW has stopped the production of Polo 1.6? Why? Is it possible to get more details on this?



Hope you are enjoying your ride rtm! I have a couple of questions:

1) Does it have one-touch up/down power windows? If yes, is it for all windows?
2) Does it have anti-pinch window feature?

I most certainly am! Although I have only ventured 500 odd kms with her, she's absolutely wonderful.

To answer your questions:

1) No it does not have one touch up/down feature for any of the power windows, not even for the driver.

2) It is supposed to have the anti-pinch window feature, but I haven't tried or found out for myself.

Regards,
RTM

[Omega Man]

Originally Posted by rtm_8055

2) It is supposed to have the anti-pinch window feature, but I haven't tried or found out for myself.

Hey RTM, dont even try it. I did and had my palm swollen for 2 days.

I hope this feature can be activated through VAS.

[himanshu_j]

Originally Posted by Omega Man

Hey RTM, dont even try it. I did and had my palm swollen for 2 days.

I hope this feature can be activated through VAS.

Sadly, it can't be activated through VAS. Neither can the one touch up/ down because that requires the four- button module found on the earlier Polos as opposed to the newer two-button module on ours.

Were you able to get the other features activated?

[Omega Man]

Originally Posted by himanshu_j

Sadly, it can't be activated through VAS. Neither can the one touch up/ down because that requires the four- button module found on the earlier Polos as opposed to the newer two-button module on ours.
Were you able to get the other features activated?

Hi Himanshu

Thats sad.

I dint know that the anti-pinch feature is not present on our Polo. I told my wife it was there and while trying to show-off, heard a crunch from my palm. Was swollen for 2 days and pain lasted for a week.

No, I have not been able to visit KSM Motors. Does not seem like I can make it this month too. Maybe next month. Will keep you posted.
Cheers

[rtm_8055]

Originally Posted by Omega Man

Hey RTM, dont even try it. I did and had my palm swollen for 2 days.

I hope this feature can be activated through VAS.

That's precisely why I haven't/won't, but thanks for the heads up!

An Update

I gave the car to the service centre to have a few issues rectified. Most issues were rectified, and that too well, but the entire process took a lot of time and the courtesy, politeness and patience of the Service Manager/s was lacking.

Issue #1 - Roof lamp would occasionally not switch off when doors shut/car locks like it supposed to while toggled to the middle setting.

Rectification - Yes. I haven't faced this problem after the car has been returned.

Issue #2 - Panel on armrest on driver's side door slightly loose.

Rectification - No. Although the Service Manager returned the car saying the panel had been removed and re-inserted properly, the panel is still loose. I don't think they paid attention to this, though I admit that it's not such a big issue to worry about or even notice.

Issue #3 - Right Hand Side Front Fog Lamp was permanently filled with moisture inside, and hence fogged up.

Rectification - Yes, fog lamp has been replaced. However, initially I got a call saying this could not be done as it is not covered in the warranty. But after making a bit of a scene and even sending pictures of the fogged-up fog lamp on the day of delivery itself, he re-considered and told me he'd approach VW India again. Waiting for approval from VW India took 4 days, but was eventually done.

Issue #4 - Activation of Auto Door-Lock at 15 km/hr (through VAS).

Rectification - Yes, Auto Door-Lock is activated and works perfectly.

Issue #5 - Debadging of "VOLKSWAGEN" lettering on the left hand side.

Rectification - No. I was told that it would leave a mark/residual outline, and so they would advise me against doing it.

A good wash of the car and vacuuming of the interior was done, but overall the car was away for far too long (waiting for VW India's approval of the fog lamp replacement), and waiting for an hour before collection was another sour point.

Regards,
RTM

[rtm_8055]

I have two thoughts that I'd like to hear opinions on.

Everytime I operate the washer and wipers, the windscreen tends to collect washer fluid lines/smudges. They dont go despite repeated attempts to wash and wipe, and in fact only get worse. They are most prominent in front of the driver's side, and hence visibility (especially at night) becomes a hassle. Does anyone know why this is happening? The washer/wipers are supposed to clear the windscreen, not make it worse!

Also, the interior somehow manages to collect/show dust really easily (especially on the black surfaces and seats). Would anyone be able to recommend a small vacuum or something of that sort that could help get rid of the dust that keeps appearing inside the car?

Regards,
RTM

PS - I really wish I wasn't so finicky about taking care of the car. I get paranoid at the slightest

[theragingbull]

Originally Posted by rtm_8055

T
Issue #4 - Activation of Auto Door-Lock at 15 km/hr (through VAS).

Rectification - Yes, Auto Door-Lock is activated and works perfectly.

Issue #5 - Debadging of "VOLKSWAGEN" lettering on the left hand side.

Rectification - No. I was told that it would leave a mark/residual outline, and so they would advise me against doing it.

hey RTM!
Did you take your car to the Lalbaug workshop? Even I want to get the Auto Door-Lock done. It's possible in the 1.2 Highline too, right?
And I got the debadging done from them only. There's no issue. No marks.