[McLaren Rulez]

There are long distance relationships - well this is the automotive version: A long distance ownership review. The car in question is driven by my parents so forgive me if I can't answer questions immediately or very well. I see the car only when I visit them which is approximately twice a year. I must tell you that I'm utterly in love with this machine but I'll try my best to be unbiased here.

The story begins in October 2015, when I decided that the ancient 1995 Maruti Omni that my dad still drove was simply too unsafe, given that he does some highway driving. A word about the Omni though: Safety concerns aside, the car is an absolute gem. Utterly reliable, easy on the pocket and never missed a beat in twenty years. It was the car I learned to drive in too! The joke amongst my petrolhead friends was that it was basically a supercar thanks to its lightweight chassis, mid-engined layout (sort of!) and the fact that it is rear wheel drive.

I had a short window of two weeks when I would be visiting and I wanted to ensure that a new car was booked before I left. The budget was 7.5L on the road in Mysore and low running meant that a petrol would be sufficient. There wasn't enough time to research and buy a pre-owned car. Also this is our first new car buying experience (the Omni was pre-owned) so why not? Safety was an important priority and the car had to have at least two airbags and ABS. As for other parameters, my dad is a fairly sedate driver and so comfort and ease of use was more important than outright performance. Truth be told, any modern car would feel light-years ahead of the Omni in terms of performance, comfort etc. anyway. And thus began the search.


Cars considered
This is an extremely competitive price point and the simple fact is that there are several excellent choices out there. I can easily see why one would buy and own one of the others. If you're looking at buying one of these cars, do test drive them yourself as your priorities make all the difference here. That said, this is how it went down for me.

1) Maruti Baleno: The early frontrunner in my list. It appeared to tick all the boxes: Safety features from the base variant onwards made it great value. Top class engine, new design, lots of space and the Maruti peace of mind. The safety concerns due to its build were there but surely, Maruti had learned its lesson after the Swift failed crash tests. Surely, equipping all the cars with ABS and airbags showed a newfound commitment to safety. Right? Right? Well turns out, I needn't have bothered.

I walked into the Maruti showroom, ready to book the car after a cursory evaluation and finish the process. But there's a catch: The Baleno only retails in NEXA outlets and Mysore didn't have one at the time. I assumed the local Maruti dealer would coordinate and get me a test drive but nope! He suggested I drive down to Bangalore if I wanted to see the car. See the car, not test drive it remember! The local Maruti dealer also lost interest in me after I revealed that I didn't care for the Swift. With no test drive and NEXA displaying no responsiveness at all, the Baleno was dropped from the list. How can I buy a car without even seeing it in the flesh, let alone test driving it? And a 240 km round trip to see a car is simply out of the question. The Polo that we finally bought was test driven twice, brought home to check if it fit in the garage and I also spent lots of time with the display car before I was satisfied.

I'm not the first to say this and I won't be the last but NEXA is ruining the Baleno for Maruti.

2) Hyundai i20: The Team BHP choice from the segment and I could see why. Here was a car that drove well, felt very premium and came loaded to the gills with equipment. Hyundai's after sales seemed to be a hassle free and safe bet. Unfortunately, even with the discounts that Hyundai was throwing in (year end and all that), the Asta variant was out of reach. And the Asta is the only variant that comes with a passenger airbag. I really don't see why customers need to pay for a ton of unnecessary equipment just to get a second airbag.

If Hyundai is reading this, I hope they take a leaf out of Maruti's book and provide a safety option pack on all the variants. Times have changed and customers no longer conflate safety with luxury. (Update: they've done it now. Good going Hyundai!)

3) Ford Figo: And enter the car that nearly made it! The Titanium was within budget and I was prepared to stretch the budget to the Titanium+ (8L or so OTR) because the additional airbags were well worth it.

The test drive was quite good. AC worked very well and engine was very refined. Performance was acceptable. I understand that Ford fans hate the new steering but I thought it was fine. Unfortunately, the interior quality felt poor compared to the i20 and Polo. Don't get me wrong, it is solid but it feels cheap. For me, the car didn't feel special enough for the money. The bigger problem was that my dad didn't like it. He felt immediately at home in most of the others but the Figo's driving position and clutch just didn't suit him.

Just goes to show how important it is to test drive a car yourself. What works for even the finest automotive journalists may not work for you.

4) Others: The Jazz and the Punto with safety features were also out of reach. Didn't even bother test driving because the dealer discounts weren't enough to bring them into contention. Briefly considered the Brio but the car felt a segment smaller so it was out too.

5) VW Polo: Enter the VW Polo MPi. First let's get the negatives out of the way.

a) The rear is cramped, especially for the fifth passenger. However, this wasn't a big deal for us as there would only be two people in the car 90% of the time.

b) The engine: Certainly not an enthusiast option thanks to the average performance. The low end response and driveability are actually very good but if you're going flat out, the four cylinder units in the competition are better. The refinement at idle can also fool people into thinking you've bought the diesel! No excuses here, this is a compromise you make if you buy a Polo petrol.

c) VW service: Service costs are going to be higher but I didn't mind that. What about VW horror stories? You can read more about my dealer and what people think about him below. In a nutshell, he seems to be among the better VW dealers so I was happy with that.

And now, let me tell you why I chose the Polo.

a) Top class ride and handling: Easily beats the competition (except perhaps the Punto). Absolutely rock solid feel over all surfaces with confidence inspiring brakes. Simply brilliant! The steering may be too light for some but we got used to it fairly quickly. Stock tyres aren't too bad either.

b) Design: She's a looker, 'nuff said. Classic good looks and the facelift has nice headlamps too.

c) Build and quality: Again, easily the segment best. Everything you touch feels expensive. The dash and buttons feel beautifully made. After back to back showroom visits, my mom (a non-car person if there ever was one) remarked at how much sturdier the doors felt compared to the Figo that we'd seen an hour earlier. And I agree!

I like this anecdote that I read recently where VW India wanted to localize the production of their high quality scratch resistant dashboard. Unfortunately, all the local suppliers they tried made a product that simply didn't meet VW's quality requirements. As a result, VW dropped the idea and continues to import the dash from Germany, despite the cost. No compromises! I appreciate that.

d) Safety: One of only two cars in India (the other is the old Figo) that had a stable crash structure when the NCAP tests were performed. With two airbags, it gets four stars. Possible reason for the dropped fifth star? I'm speculating but I think it's because the Trendline loses some safety kit like ABS and seatbelt reminders (the latter is unavailable, even on the Highline). The Latin-NCAP tested Vento (which gets ABS, seatbelt reminders etc.) scores the full five stars. The newer cars like the Figo, Baleno and i20 hadn't been tested at the time of purchase and I am quite wary of possible India-specific compromises in these cars whereas the Polo has proved that it does not have any such issues. That peace of mind made the purchase decision easy for me.

I do wish they add a seatbelt reminder though. It certainly helps. My folks now understand why it is so important to buckle up (after many examples, videos, etc.) but there are those who remain immune to reason. An alarm that won't shut up works better for these people.

e) The intangible: These are the rational reasons but the heart plays a big part in these purchases too. The Polo was tugging at our heart strings in a way that the Figo simply didn't. I secretly knew I wanted it from the moment I stepped into the display car although I left the decision to the main user i.e. my dad. There was just something about it that I can't put my finger on.


Variant and Price
The Trendline lacks ABS so it was out. The Highline gets all the features of the Comfortline plus climate control, parking sensors, alloys, bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted audio controls and a few other goodies. The Comfortline gets all the safety kit though. I also prefer the all black interiors (very European and easy to keep clean) which you cannot get on the Highline (bit of a missed opportunity there for VW). Parking sensors would have been nice but they aren't essential in a small hatchback. Ultimately, the Comfortline was the Goldilocks variant in the range and we went for it.

The total price (including zero dep insurance and two years of extended warranty) came to 7,56,xxx. The dealer gave me a 45k discount making it 7,11,xxx. I understand that I could have saved some cash by shopping for insurance from the outside (the dealer's insurance cost me 23,xxx) but I was pressed for time and didn't bother. Perhaps when renewal comes up, I'll remember to do that. By the way, the handling charges of Rs. 6000 were not waived, despite me requesting it. I don't think anyone has managed to get it waived from a VW dealer yet.


Accessories and Dealer Experience
The dealer offered free mudflaps and floormats and that was that. Tried to get some seat covers from him but he only offered a discount on them. I decided not to take that up. I'm still looking for good seat covers and door edge guards. Any opinions on options in Mysore? I also bought some microfibre towels and a car shampoo from an accessories shop nearby.

KPR Cars Mysore was the dealer. And I must say, I was fairly impressed. They were welcoming and eager and their attitude left a very positive first impression. The KPR Cars service team seemed competent and the service area was very well organized. The Maruti service centers we've used feel like barely organized chaos in comparison. Member Chethan BG and other VW owners have all praised this dealer for his service so I hope I have an uneventful ownership experience. Do let me know if I should take any specific precautions on this front.

We did two test drives and the dealer also brought the car home to check if it fit in the parking space. Also spent quite some time simply sitting in the display car and getting a feel for everything. The staff are pleasant, well mannered and were very professional. The Sales Advisor was a tad slow to respond and did make some mistakes but came through with everything I needed in the end. Heck, all it took was a quick question and the mechanic popped down during the demo to show me the toolkit and what it contained, how to remove the wheelcaps and how to change a tyre.


Color and PDI
We wanted a quick delivery so it was down to the cars in stock which were white and silver. Went for the silver, which looks great on the Polo.

I went to the stockyard to do a PDI before even paying the booking fee. The car had 185/60 R15 Apollo Alnacs, which I believe is the only stock tyre. Ran the VIN and found that the car was an Oct manufactured car with 28 km on the odo. No scratches or damage. I asked him to go ahead and paid a booking fee. Did a second PDI on the delivery day. My mats and mudflaps had been added. There were no issues and so we signed the paperwork and took delivery before handing out some sweets to the staff. They brought out a cake and some chocolates and handed over the key in a small ceremony with the entire staff coming out to congratulate us. We asked for a demo and got a fairly thorough one after which we drove out to the Shell petrol pump and filled up the tank.

And so, on the 30th of November, 2015, we brought our brand new Polo home

[McLaren Rulez]

The nice thing about the quick delivery is that I did get a chance to spend some time driving it. Of course, there are a lot of reviews about the Polo with this engine so I won't be too verbose here. The car has done about 1000 km so far, most of it in city conditions.


Design and build
The Polo is a common sight on Indian roads but it still looks very handsome. The new double barrel headlamps with a silver inserts give it an entirely new personality. The side profile is a classic low slung hatch with nice wheel arches and big wheelcaps. I love the wheelcap design, so much so that the plan to swap the steelies for alloys has been dropped. The wide stance and rear lights give it a pleasing derriere. The overall proportions are perfect and I get the feeling that this will age much better than the curvy designs of the competition.

Build quality is simply unmatched. You can feel the sheer solidity in the doors, the hood and the hatch. Paint quality is of a very high order and the panel gaps are consistently small. This is one well-engineered car and it feels like the body can take years of punishment without complaint.


Interiors
The doors open wide but the car is fairly low slung so getting in isn't as easy as the tall boy rivals. The front seats are wide and nicely contoured. Lumbar support and thigh support are both very good indeed. A center armrest would have been welcome but other than that, the front passengers are well taken care of. Rear seat space is a big negative. With tall passengers up front, the rear legroom is poor. The floor hump is large and if you add that OEM front center armrest, the fifth passenger will likely take the bus instead. The recline angle is nice though and rear headroom is good (the Polo has a fairly flat roofline). Boot space is good and the real advantage is that there is minimal wheelwell intrusion, so you get a nice square layout. Lots of storage spaces, a large glove-box and good doorbins too. The rear seat loses out a bit with smaller doorbins and no magazine pockets. Tip: If you're installing aftermarket seat covers, get the type that comes with a magazine pocket.

Interior quality, like the exteriors, is where the Polo stands out! Every part you touch feels well made and if there are cost cutting measures, I certainly haven't found them yet. Every button has a well damped feel to it and the textures on the dash, steering and doors are all very pleasing to touch. The electric ORVM control is perhaps the only part that feels a little cheap.

Equipment levels are acceptable but some rivals give you more toys. The car does get a nice strong AC (no climate control on my trim), a good factory sound system and some goodies like four auto up-down power windows and electrically adjustable mirrors. The new white backlit MID is bigger than the pre-facelift Polos and has a coolant temperature display, which makes up for the missing temp gauge. Practical features like driver seat height adjust and steering rake and reach adjust are available on all Polos, even on the base Trendline. Ergonomics are excellent and everything falls to hand easily. The only irksome feature is the incorrect stalk arrangement (wipers are on the right stalk, indicators on the left). The interiors on the Comfortline trim are all black and I couldn't be happier about that.


Engine
The Polo makes less power than its rivals, has one less cylinder and has a rather noisy unit, especially at idle. All this on a car that weighs in on the heavy end. The engine smoothens out once you set off but is still definitely more audible than its rivals and this dampens the premium feel a little. Three pot units are inherently less refined and it applies to the Polo too. Flat out performance is on the slow side too if you compare it against at the 0-100 times of its rivals, especially the Baleno.

Where the Polo engine makes amends is in the driveability department. The bottom end and mid range are both strong so there is no need to downshift to first for speed breakers. Third gear pulls well at city speeds and the initial throttle response is excellent. In fact, relaxed drivers will enjoy the characteristics of this engine. Even on the highway, it's a good cruiser and I felt the power was adequate for most overtaking situations.


Gearbox and clutch
The gearshift in the Polo is lovely and you'll enjoy slotting the stubby little lever into its gates. The clutch is light (although the travel is a bit long) and makes city driving effortless. Reverse gear is a bit weird (push down and then left and forward) but other than that, the 'box makes you feel at home quickly. The dead pedal is hard to use if you have large feet. I ended up putting my foot on the floor instead.


On the road
A Polo strength, one that makes you fall in love with it. This car masks speed in a way that I couldn't quite believe. The car feels supremely planted and there just isn't any drama at high speeds. The speedo is the only clue that tells you how much you're pushing because wind noise and tyre noise are well suppressed too. Rough roads aren't a problem at all and the suspension dismisses bad patches with confidence and authority. The stability and superlative ride give the Polo a genuine "big car" feel. The steering feels good to hold and is a fairly direct unit, if a little over assisted for some. Body roll is well controlled too and the Polo put a smile on our faces on the drive up and down the tight twisty roads of Chamundi Hill. The brakes are superb and have a nice progressive nature with good stopping power and no fade.

Low speed ride is okay but the Trendline does better here since it has tyres with thicker sidewalls. All round visibility is good and the light steering and clutch make parking and city driving very convenient. Ground clearance has not been a problem so far and the Polo doesn't sag, even when fully loaded with passengers and luggage. Night driving is also a pleasure with good illumination from the double barrel headlamps and fog lamps.

Simply put, there is very little you can find wrong with the Polo's on-road behavior. It truly shines in this department.


Fuel Economy
The car hasn't gone for too many long drives but within the city, with intermittent AC, the FE is roughly 13 kpl. Couldn't do a more thorough measurement but I expect this to improve after running in. Right now, it is using Shell's premium petrol but I think I'll switch to ordinary fuel soon.


Likes and Dislikes
+ Looks stunning, especially in silver. Very happy with this color.
+ Blinkers on the wing mirror: Look fabulous, and you can also see a bit of them from the inside.
+ Built superbly and none of the competitors even come close. Also a car that feels much more expensive than it is.
+ Serviceability: The engine bay is well laid out and I think this is a car you can enjoy working on at home. Gannu's DIY threads also show you how you can add stuff to this car without resorting to jugaad.
+ Factory Music System: I'm no audiophile but even at high volumes, the sound seems good to me. Comes with USB and aux inputs.
+ Ride and handling: In a word, brilliant. Great brakes too making this a relaxed vehicle at high speed.
+ Safety: Good build, enough kit. Top marks to VW.
+ AC: Quite the chiller. It isn't hot now but looks like this unit can cope.
+ Boot: Well shaped and comes with handy hooks.
+ Seats: Very comfy over long drives. Great support!
+ Power windows: Four auto up down with anti-pinch.
+ Rear wash/wipe: An absolute necessity on our highways.
+ Headlamps: Great illumination. Don't think we need an upgrade.
+ Ground Clearance: Seems to be good, even with five aboard. Not much sag in the rear suspension.
+ Interior storage: Large glovebox, enough cubbyholes. The back misses seat pockets though.
+ Gearshift: Feels very good to change gear in this car. Light clutch too.
+ Driving position: Height adjust for driver's seat plus rake and reach adjust for the steering in all variants. Makes it easy to find a driving position.
+ Six wiper speeds and a good windscreen washer too.
+ Lane change indicators.
+ All black interiors: I love 'em!
+ 15,000 km/1 year service interval.

- Noisy engine.
- Rear seat space: The fifth passenger won't like this car very much.
- Only a lap belt for the fifth passenger: I understand this is a segment norm but still, how much could it possibly cost!
- No height adjustable seatbelts or seatbelt pretensioners.
- Spare key: Ordinary key, not a remote.
- Spare tyre: It uses the 14 in wheel from the Trendline. The Comfortline and Highline use 15 in wheels. Again, segment norm but was that really necessary?
- Folding rear seat: Does not split and you need to flip the base and remove the headrests to get it to lie flat, which can be a pain. There's still a small lip (not a flat floor).
- No ISOFIX points. If you have kids, that's an annoying miss.
- Mirrors don't fold the other way. Thanks to Thebat for confirming this on the Polo review thread.
- Wipers must be brought to service position before they can be raised. Hopefully no one forgets this and tries to raise it by forcing it past the hood.
- Indicator on the left stalk, wipers on the right. Expect to turn on the wipers a few times inadvertently before you internalize this layout.
- Single reversing light.
- Not a very usable dead pedal.
- Naked underbody. I'm wondering if I should get some sort of aftermarket engine guard.


Problems so far
Yes, we have had one and it was a tapping noise from the back on rough roads. I was quite annoyed (especially after falling for the whole VW build spiel) but luckily, it turned out to be a badly fixed number plate. The screw was tightened and the noise disappeared completely. Otherwise, it has been a trouble free car so far.


Features worth noting
The Polo has loads of hidden features (many of these are covered in the Vento thread). The service position for the wipers is the annoying one but there are more.

1) The memory locks work by letting you press the lock button and when you close the door next, it will lock. Great if you have your hands full of stuff when you leave the car. Bad if you have kids who may inadvertently lock the key inside the car!
2) No fuel release or internal boot release. They are only controlled by the central locking and once unlocked, the fuel lid/boot can be popped open from the outside.
3) No internal locks: There is a child lock facility but other than that, the doors are always openable from the inside. For safety, according to my dealer. Auto-locks kick in at 15 kph so doors can't be opened from the outside until the ignition is turned off.
4) Long press on the lock/unlock button on the key closes/opens all four windows.
5) There is no temperature gauge. The MID has a digital readout of the coolant temperature.
6) The roof: It doesn't have spot welds like other cars (which have a pair of black strips to hide the welds). VW has a laser seam welding process that results in a stiffer roof making it safer.
7) Reverse gear needs you to push down on the gear lever and then move it left and forward. Not obvious to a valet though, is it?


Final thoughts
All in all, I am very very happy with the Polo. If you can find an honest dealer (easier said than done admittedly!) or a good FNG, I believe that the it makes a lot of sense. The engine is a weak point but it isn't too hard to live with. I've already recommended the Polo to another shopper and he went in for the diesel.

The Polo has been built with a lot of thought and care and I genuinely love the way it feels like a bigger and more expensive car. VW has taken a bit of a battering lately but I really do believe that the fundamental philosophy behind their cars is exactly what it should be. Focus on quality instead of the features, build a car to the highest standards possible and put a smile on the customer's face.

I've attached some pictures below. Apologies for the quality, I'll give the car a proper photo shoot in the future.











Comments, questions or feedback are welcome and I will do my best to respond. Drive safe

[GTO]

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

[S2!!!]

Let me be the first one (on the thread) to congratulate you for your new Polo. It's good to see that most of the premium hatchbacks are now adding safety features to their standard equipment across variants. I'm quite surprised with the way NEXA has ignored Mysore. It seems that they are spreading their dealership network and hopefully will reach more cities and towns in 2016.

You did mention that you were open to considering used cars as well. I'm guessing a drive in the Polo was enough to seal the deal but still, could you share some of the cars you considered (pre-owned) and your experience there?

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Let me be the first one (on the thread) to congratulate you for your new Polo. It's good to see that most of the premium hatchbacks are now adding safety features to their standard equipment across variants. I'm quite surprised with the way NEXA has ignored Mysore. It seems that they are spreading their dealership network and hopefully will reach more cities and towns in 2016.

You did mention that you were open to considering used cars as well. I'm guessing a drive in the Polo was enough to seal the deal but still, could you share some of the cars you considered (pre-owned) and your experience there?

Thanks S2!!! Safety features are indeed filtering down to even the base versions. In fact, if ABS had been offered on the Trendline, I would have happily taken one home.

Regarding NEXA, yes it is a bit of a shame that Mysore still doesn't have a dealer. There are plenty of Balenos and S-Crosses on the roads here though, all presumably driven over from Bangalore and registered here afterwards. That hassle plus the long waiting period put me off the Baleno.

Although I considered it briefly, we didn't look at pre-owned options at all because of a lack of time.

[W.A.G.7]

Congrats! That's a nice car for your parents. And happy to see at-least one member who is satisfied with VW; in a sea of dissatisfied people. I believe, that a VW car with a manual transmission is still a better bet than most cars out there. Much better than the DSG Polos out there. Maybe I am biased towards manual transmission over an automatic!

They do make some good cars and a compelling case in itself to buy; but as you said, their reputation is a hit or miss. Either you get very lucky with a good car and a good dealer or you go the horror story way. However, what mainly pulls people towards VW; I feel is the "premium" feeling that you get when you sit in a VW car. Everything seems to be sorted out perfectly.

Enjoy the new car and do check out the many mods that Gannu_1 has done. Some of them are very useful and nice.

[prateekswarup]

Congrats on your new Polo. A very well worded review and your admiration of the car really seeps through the pages.

Surprised at no NEXA considering the IT crowd present at Mysore. Your comments on Chamundi Hills brought back memories of Sunday drives and breakfast at Green Leaf on KD road!

The Polo is truly a well put together car. However, couple of things that need betterment are :

-the headlight intensity, highway driving
illumination is quite so-so
-underbody protection, seems very vulnerable to me
-VW service is a hit or miss, depends on your area. Good to see that Mysore guys are good. Solves a lot of anxiety issues.

Many congratulations and wishing you many smiles from the beauty.

[McLaren Rulez]

First updates and it's not great stuff. A couple of weeks ago, my dad accidentally reversed too close to a gate and the driver's side mirror took the hit. Fortunately, the rest of the body was untouched but here's what it looked like right after.



Off to the dealer then. Unfortunately, the dealer only had the black Trendline mirrors without electric adjust in stock and so the car was out of action for several days. Eventually, we got the new mirror installed. Here it is halfway through that process.



Dad says he's very happy with the end result but the cost was rather steep too at 6k. Ouch! I checked on AliExpress before we went with the dealer and ordering online doesn't seem to be any cheaper.



A bit disappointed with the steep price but it is what it is. Here's the Polo, all fixed up.



Aside from this little blip, the ownership has been completely uneventful. As I had predicted at the start of the thread, the running has been fairly low. Dad does have some Bangalore trips planned and I think he'll enjoy those. I can't wait to make a trip back and drive her myself

[McLaren Rulez]

6 month update
It's been just over six months with the Polo and it's covered a shade over 2500 km so far. Good thing we didn't get the diesel eh? Took a trip down from Mysore to Wayanad over the weekend before dropping it off for its initial service.

Additional impressions so far:
+ Really loving the build quality with each passing day! Everything feels as good as it did the day it came home.
+ Black interiors look good with minimal cleaning.
+ Glad we got what is still one of very few cars to pass crash tests, especially in light of the disastrous NCAP performances last month.
+ AC performs well, despite the sharp sun and no sunfim.

- The lack of outright power from the engine is an issue past 100-110 kph. It starts to strain at this point and its general unrefined nature is a bit of a fly in the ointment.
- Fifth gear should have been taller. 100 kph is something like 2900 rpm.
- The horn: It's hard to press with the thumbs alone, unlike the pre-facelift Polos. Bit of an issue on our roads.

As for fuel efficiency figures, these are all MID reported but we're seeing a consistent 12-13 kpl in the city and 17-18 on the highway, which given that we're not trying to be efficient (AC always on, heavy right foot, etc.) is commendable.

Service
The free check-up turned out to be not that free with VW asking if I wanted AC cleaning, wheel alignment and balancing for a total of Rs. 1600. I declined all of it at first but accepted the wheel alignment for Rs 350 after the SA insisted. In hindsight, I should have been firm and refused. Just wondering if any of these are actually necessary?

And finally, some pictures of the silver beauty.

One of the best views of the post facelift Polo. Love the new front end...


... mainly because of these lovely headlamps.


Complemented by a tight rear end!




Open roads, anyone?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

6 month update
It's been just over six months with the Polo and it's covered a shade over 2500 km so far. Good thing we didn't get the diesel eh? Took a trip down from Mysore to Wayanad over the weekend before dropping it off for its initial service.

Could you let me know what else was done as part of the 6 month check up?
My sister has the Aug edition of the Polo MPI which has run around the same as your car and she skipped the check up. Was wondering if it will affect the warranty, knowing VW.

The balancing, alignment and AC cleaning are not required in 6 months. That was their usual money making stunt.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by tharian

Could you let me know what else was done as part of the 6 month check up?
My sister has the Aug edition of the Polo MPI which has run around the same as your car and she skipped the check up. Was wondering if it will affect the warranty, knowing VW.

The car was washed and they did a general inspection and top up of fluids. With my running, I don't think there was anything to top up.

Skipping it shouldn't affect the warranty. Make sure you get the first service done before the one year mark though i.e. don't make it one year and a few days because that's technically a late service.

[BODHI25]

Great ownership report Maclaren Rulez and congratulations for your purchase. 👍🏻
The 3 pot engine is noisy but bearable as the engine noise doesn't sounds that bad in my opinion. The best thing about this engine is its drivability in city which I enjoy a lot!
I also own a 1.2 MPI pre facelift model and I'm very happy with my purchase as of now and my one will be complete 2 years on June 11.

Petrol variant doesn't comes with the sound deadening or the heat insulation cloth like the diesel variant of the Polo. If possible order one through the service centre and get it fixed in your Polo as that material will eliminate 30-40% of the engine noise from the cabin and the cabin will be more silent. Costs around 1.5k excluding the tax and I will suggest every 1.2 MPI owner to get it fixed as this will reduce the noise from the engine while idling and the cabin of your car will be more silent.
Personally I'm very happy with sound deadening cloth or heat insulation cloth as the noise has reduced significantly!


Here's the picture of the sound deadening or heat insulation cloth in my Polo 1.2 MPI.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by BODHI25

Petrol variant doesn't comes with the sound deadening or the heat insulation cloth like the diesel variant of the Polo. If possible order one through the service centre and get it fixed in your Polo as that material will eliminate 30-40% of the engine noise from the cabin and the cabin will be more silent. Costs around 1.5k excluding the tax and I will suggest every 1.2 MPI owner to get it fixed as this will reduce the noise from the engine while idling and the cabin of your car will be more silent.

Hello Bodhi, that's great to know. At the moment, the noise doesn't bother me or my dad at all so we're happy to leave it as it is but it looks like you've found a cheap and effective fix for those who care about the noise!

Congrats on two years with your Polo. Do put up an ownership report as 1.2 MPi reports are relatively rare on this forum

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by BODHI25

Petrol variant doesn't comes with the sound deadening or the heat insulation cloth like the diesel variant of the Polo. If possible order one through the service centre and get it fixed in your Polo as that material will eliminate 30-40% of the engine noise from the cabin and the cabin will be more silent. Costs around 1.5k excluding the tax and I will suggest every 1.2 MPI owner to get it fixed as this will reduce the noise from the engine while idling and the cabin of your car will be more silent.
Personally I'm very happy with sound deadening cloth or heat insulation cloth as the noise has reduced significantly!

Attachment 1514314
Here's the picture of the sound deadening or heat insulation cloth in my Polo 1.2 MPI.

I didnot know things like these are available as accesories.
Since when is this available?

Also, is the benefit only during idle or during city/highway driving also?

Nevertheless, I will get this fixed in my car asap. My car is a 2012 model, hope it fits.

[Samfromindia]

Lovely review of one of the most iconic hatches on our road today Wishing you thousands of happy miles with her. I am surprised to find that the replacement ORVMs for polo costs a hefty 6K+, while ones on my Ecosport (which has turn indicators plus blind spot view edges) costs 2.5K only. VW should really consider lowering the price of spares to a more sensible amount.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

I didnot know things like these are available as accesories.

I believe the part of the diesel model will be an exact fit for the petrol one. The petrol polo is not silent, and this seems to do the trick. Will tell this to a friend who owns one.