[esma1981]

The Scenario: I was in the market to replace my 8 year old Hyundai Getz. The car had been like a mini-tempo for our family for all the airport runs with lots of luggage. The split 60:40 backseat split really helped the cause. Our 1.5 year ANHC iVtec A/T had taken over Getz's job by quite some extent with its 500 litre boot. So the boot space was not as much as priority as it was couple of years back. Our place of work is quite close to our residence so we do not require a car every day. Our combined monthly run for this new car would be no more than 800/1000 kms. So diesel was out of the picture considering the price difference between petrol and diesel cars in our market. Also we were spoilt by the convenience of an A/T already, so the next hatch was most definitely going to another Autobox.

The Options: I would have being writing this post about a silver Honda Brio Automatic if not for the 2/3 months delivery period. I had zeroed in on the Brio as I found it superior to all the Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai A/T Options. Maybe that's also because of our very good experience with the ANHC A/T till now. Had met with a couple of Honda dealers, took the test drive, etc. Then the news of the launch of the Polo GT started pouring in. In the meanwhile there were a couple of features added to the Brio Automatic (V) model. Got a call from the SA that a silver Brio A/T without these features is available as obviously the customers with bookings wanted the new production. The GT launch was just around the corner so I thought might as well wait for it and told the sales person that I was not interested in booking the Brio immediately.

The Booking: So then I finally booked a Hyundai i20 Asta(O) manual petrol with sunroof with a final on road price of approx 8 Lakhs. No, it's not a typing mistake. My dad was more in favour of a manual car suddenly as he didn't trust my 'old school' driver to be given an autobox to drive. Also we both rarely need the car at one time so we thought we will both share the ANHC and the driver will use the i10 and the new i20 occasionally for family runs. So considering that the i20 had the maximum features and space we decided to go ahead and book the car. While taking a test drive of the car at the Prabhadevi Hyundai showroom we had also popped into the VW downtown showroom and took a test drive of the Polo GT. That test drive was stuck in the back in my head. I remember having a big grin on my face everytime I push the accelerator pedal down at Worli Seaface. But my dad thought it was a "Racing Car" and would not be suitable for us. So the Polo GT option was a stale-mate.

The Booking Cancellation: It was just a phone call to a my sister that led to the cancellation of the i20 booking. She drives a VW Golf 1.4 TSI in Australia and was surprised that we had booked a car with all the features in the world but a manual transmission. She almost single-handedly changed my mind and I thought that all the other novelty features of the i20 will wear out for us in a couple of months but we will be stuck with the manual transmission in the Mumbai gridlock for the lifetime of the car. So I assured my dad that I would offer a short A/T driving course to our driver myself and the booking was promptly cancelled.

The Booking (Again): I had seen and read mostly all the reviews about the car on the web by now. I found the TBHP review to be the final push to take the plunge. I was locked on to the Polo GT now like a horse with blinders on. Checked the delivery status with VW dealers and downtown quoted a waiting time of 2/3 weeks. VW showroom in Sion had recently changed ownership and it is now run by Autobahn Automotive. Probably due to them being a new dealership they had a car in stock. My only choice was the white colour as the other 2(red,black) did not appeal to me as much. I was surely impressed by the efficiency with which the entire process from booking to delivery was carried out by VW dealership. I booked the car on a Tuesday and it was ready to be picked up after registration on Friday. All I was able to get is a 5k discount on insurance plus original VW mats and mudguard for the Polo after a bit of pushing. The final on road price worked out to about 9.30 lakhs.

The delivery: The guys at VW seemed much more excited and enthused than us on delivery day and I don't mean that in a bad way. We do not have any pre-delivery rituals to follow so after the now mandatory key ceremony, we just checked all the essentials and drove off.

I think the BHP official review: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...al-review.html and the 2 ownership threads of the Polo GT TSI by
robimahanta:http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-baby-tsi.html
and chase_nt:http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ng-report.html have already covered most of the things I wanted to say about the Car. I'll just add a few bits at the risk of being repetitive.

[esma1981]

The Car: I’ve covered about 600 kms in the car as of today. The prefer the understated and classy design of the GT rather than having a sports kit and stickers. I'd rather not announce to everyone on the road that I've got a more powerful car. I'm sure petrolheads can spot the difference even with the small badges.
The Polo GT has got a very distinct ‘heavy’ feel to it which I’ve not experienced with any of the Korean/Japanese cars owned by us till now and I mean that in a good way. I have still not encountered any problems or small niggles yet in the last one month of use. Everything feels like it's build to last.

TSI + DSG: After slotting the car in 'D' and taking the foot off the brakes(DSG won't go to 'D' if your foot is not on the brakes) you do have to push the accelerator a fair bit to get it going. A driver can drive the car in 'D' with a light right foot without his passengers realizing that the car is turbo petrol. There is a power surge one gets at about 1500rpm but I feel it gets stronger at about 2500rpm. The surge continues till about 4500/5000rpm, but it’s not as strong upto 6000rpm. It's always best to keep the turbo singing to get the best acceleration. The engine sound is a bit throaty and not very satisfying at first. But as you get used to the acceleration that comes with that sound, one tends to deliberately push the throttle a bit more than required even under normal driving just for that feel and sound. That can't be good for the average enthusiast. The TSI is an extremely free-revving and refined engine and I find similar to a Japanese engine.
Driving in 'S' mode is a different story. The car always stays in the turbo zone (above 2000rpm) and a slight press will give you that satisfying push you kind of get addicted too. I've not used the tiptronic too much except for trying out some engine braking as I find it a little tedious to use(I’m used to paddle shifts on our ANHC). The shifts on the DSG are barely noticeable and very smooth. I just love the way the rpm needle moves so quickly between shifts. To sum up, I would say that the TSI + DSG is a superstar!

Brakes: I can understand why the test drivers of the car feel the braking is not sufficient. It's because we all tend to be very heavy on the throttle to find out what this baby can do and get a bit carried away. Atleast that's what happened with me. After the brake pads ran-in (200/300kms as per the manual) I find the brakes to be performing well. I certainly do not feel the need for enhancement in braking (All 4 discs)

Steering: I do most of my driving in the narrow lanes of Mumbai zipping thru traffic so I find the light steering to my liking. The feedback from the steering at high speed cornering is also sufficient for me.

Suspension: The same goes for the suspension at low speeds, the softness suits me. Even at higher speeds, the car offers a smooth ride without bottoming out. Overall the NVH level of the car is very good.

Handling: The car responds very well to steering inputs in cornering and some hard driving and gives the feeling of being in control in most situations. The grip feels sufficient to me from the 'Apollo Acelere' stock tyres and I'm not going to upgrade at least in the near future.

Seating: The space inside is average in front. And poor in the rear. I tend to drive with my seat at the maximum setting for range. My 5 year old son complained of lack of legroom while seated behind me which should give you a fair indication. I sorely miss the driver center armrest which I feel is a must for a A/T. I find the driving position and seat comfort/support on our ANHC much better than the Polo.

Interiors: The dashboard layout does not beg for your attention. It has a very mature and subtle look like most VW cars and nothing looks out of place. The MID does give out a lot of information about single/multiple trips including time/distance/avg./etc. The colours of the lighting on the dash are limited to white and red which looks neat at night. The minimum use of beige colour is a bonus for me as I’m not a big fan of all beige interiors including flooring. The doors cannot be locked from the inside except for child safety lock on the rear doors.

Air Conditioning: The Climatronic system is super effective and I've been using it upto 20 degrees which it's able to reach and maintain with ease during a hot Mumbai day as well. About of the dust and pollen filter, even if it does work, the difference may not be too much. There is barely any loss in engine performance with the A/C on.

Audio System: The sound quality from the stock system (RCD320) is average with a severe need for some tweeters at least as treble is ridiculously low. I am also thinking of adding an amplifier and changing the speakers in a month or two. Bluetooth connectivity has been working fine for me and sound quality is good at both ends during calls.

Reverse Sensors: Reverse sensor volume is very low for me and I'm hoping there should be some way to increase the volume. Also there is no visual display for the reverse sensors which is very inconvenient for me as I like to see the direction of the obstacle in crowded areas so that the car can be adjusted accordingly.

Safety: I’ve not had a chance to test out the ABS and ESP yet. Although ESP does jump in to prevent traction loss during high acceleration. That’s the only time I’ve seen the ESP light flickering on the dash.

Fuel Economy: Haven't got any dependable numbers yet that I can share. Will update soon.

Finally here are a few of my Likes and Dislikes:

Likes:

• TSI Engine + DSG Gearbox Combo(No brainer)
• Overall fit and finish
• MID Display
• Boot space

Dislikes:

• Lack of rear legroom
• No driver center armrest
• No visual display for parking sensor
• No 60:40 rear seat split folding

[esma1981]

I've added a few pictures which I clicked specifically for this report. They are taken at one of the favourite places to drive in Mumbai(i.e. Marine Drive) and at my favourite time to drive in Mumbai(i.e. Late Night).

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Achyuth Vaibhav]

Ah! Another GT! but this time in the royal white! Congrats esma for the most enjoyable hatch <10 lakhs. Great Pics. Now waiting for more pics. Enjoy your Polar Bear!! Or should I say polar beast! Wish that more and more GT's add to the pile.

Drive Safe.

Cheers,
Achyuth

[mango_pal]

Up at last! Nice.
And you said it wouldn't be good. Huge understatement.
Fantastic pictures to boot! The white IMO looks the best, especially with the contrast of the blackened headlights.

Even I'm a huge fan of the understated styling; those who know the car will appreciate it. The others will just think its another small B-segment hatch.
Perfect wolf in sheep's clothing.

About the speakers, VW Downtown told me to avoid altering the stock music system. As it "might" affect the warranty. They were very vague about this, I will need to learn more from the service guys.
Will they find out if there's a change in just the speakers for instance?

To add tweeters would mean drilling holes in the plastic, which would almost certainly void the warranty. I'm unsure about the amp.
If you have any information about this, do tell us.
But yes, the stock system is as average as it gets. Especially without tweeters on an otherwise fully loaded car.

Oh, and congrats!!!

[Suraj25]

Originally Posted by esma1981

To sum up, I would say that the TSI + DSG is a superstar!

Congratulations esma1981!
I think white polos look the best. White contrasts the black headlamps really well! How does the ANHC perform when compared to the GT? Which one do you feel has better acceleration?

[esma1981]

Originally Posted by Achyuth Vaibhav

Or should I say polar beast!

Thanks Achyuth. Actually that's not a bad name for the car. I might just keep it

Originally Posted by mango_pal

Oh, and congrats!!!

Thanks mango_pal! I think I'll get better at this with time and more posts.

I will check with my dealership as well about the warranty and let you know. Also I won't be making any changes soon so we can both do it together when your GT arrives.

Originally Posted by Suraj25

Congratulations esma1981!
I think white polos look the best. White contrasts the black headlamps really well! How does the ANHC perform when compared to the GT? Which one do you feel has better acceleration?

Thanks Suraj25. That's the reason one sees the white Polo more than any other colour.

In terms of in-gear acceleration, I find the GT to be quicker than the iVtec City. The City I drive is a A/T which has a conventional torque converter. The Polo again has a huge advantage here with the DSG Gearbox. To sum up, I can safety say that the Polo A/T outshines the ANHC A/T in this regard.

I'm planning to do 0-100 runs on both cars in the coming few days. I will try to keep it as scientific as I can and with update the thread with the best times.

[volkman10]

After a weeks gap, another GT ownership here!
Congrats on getting the hottest and the best looking hatch currently in the market. White is one of the best colours suting Polo.

Drive Safe.

Cheers!

[androdev]

Originally Posted by esma1981

Finally here are a few of my Likes and Dislikes:

Likes:

• TSI Engine + DSG Gearbox Combo(No brainer)
• Overall fit and finish
• MID Display
• Boot space

Dislikes:

• Lack of rear legroom
• No driver center armrest
• No visual display for parking sensor
• No 60:40 rear seat split folding

Very balanced observations. Thanks for sharing. My old fabia has a center armrest which is not very useful in an MT car. I guess Vento comes with an armrest that can be fitted to Polo? Might be worth exploring because an armrest would be a great addition to an AT car.

[mango_pal]

Originally Posted by esma1981

I will check with my dealership as well about the warranty and let you know. Also I won't be making any changes soon so we can both do it together when your GT arrives.

Sounds like a plan!

In terms of in-gear acceleration, I find the GT to be quicker than the iVtec City. The City I drive is a A/T which has a conventional torque converter. The Polo again has a huge advantage here with the DSG Gearbox. To sum up, I can safety say that the Polo A/T outshines the ANHC A/T in this regard.

I'm planning to do 0-100 runs on both cars in the coming few days. I will try to keep it as scientific as I can and with update the thread with the best times.

Yes, the GT is most definitely quicker than the City AT.

Are you sure you want to push your 600km old car to do a 0-100? :P
Where do you plan on doing the runs?

[EagleEye]

Congrats on your purchase, Esma. It was good seeing your ride in person too.
The car looks mean and runs mean too, I'm sure. Are you planning to do any mods/decorations?

[agambhandari]

A great car it of course is! Congrats!!

AT is certainly very useful to tackle the traffic in cities like Mumbai.

This is finally the Premium AT hatch that the market needed. The only competition(in the same segment) is the i20 AT which is really ancient(in terms of the tech used) compared to this.

[4nd3r50n]

Loving it..may the tribe of GT TSI owners keep increasing on T-BHP! That was a crisp, concise review and hit the right notes. Please do update the thread as you can and wishing you many satisfying miles in your white beauty.

[esma1981]

Originally Posted by volkman10

After a weeks gap, another GT ownership here!
Congrats on getting the hottest and the best looking hatch currently in the market. White is one of the best colours suting Polo.

Thanks volkman10, I too like the Polo for it's understated and clean looks.

Originally Posted by androdev

Very balanced observations. Thanks for sharing. My old fabia has a center armrest which is not very useful in an MT car. I guess Vento comes with an armrest that can be fitted to Polo? Might be worth exploring because an armrest would be a great addition to an AT car.

Thanks androdev, It was a pleasure doing my first ownership report for TBHP. I thought about the vento armseat as well. Here is the thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post3160264 I'm still on the lookout for it and will update the thread if I find something from an OEM.

Originally Posted by mango_pal

Are you sure you want to push your 600km old car to do a 0-100? :P Where do you plan on doing the runs?

I'll be at 1000kms by the end of this week. I've got a couple of places in mind. Will PM you the details once I'm back from my trip.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Congrats on your purchase, Esma. It was good seeing your ride in person too.
The car looks mean and runs mean too, I'm sure. Are you planning to do any mods/decorations?

Thanks EagleEye, I should say likewise for your pumpe duse Laura. Yes, I'm having fun with the car. No mods for now. Will wait till the warranty as anyways the DSG situation is a little dicey. Also I'm not soo much of a decoration guy. So I'll probably stick to the generic look for the lifetime of the car.

Originally Posted by agambhandari

The only competition(in the same segment) is the i20 AT which is really ancient(in terms of the tech used) compared to this.

Thanks agambhandari, Altought the tech quotient on the GT is much more higher, the price difference between the two is just about 50k after discounts. So for a auto enthusiast, this one's a no brainer!

Originally Posted by 4nd3r50n

Loving it..may the tribe of GT TSI owners keep increasing on T-BHP! That was a crisp, concise review and hit the right notes. Please do update the thread as you can and wishing you many satisfying miles in your white beauty.

Thanks 4nd3r50n, will try level best to keep the thread updated.