[nishchal316]

Update 11 : 7500kms completed / First Check-up Done

Yesterday my 2015 Polo GT TSI got its first checkup done at 7500kms and thankfully these 6 months have been hassle free. The more I drive it, the more I fall in love with this powerful German machine. Here are my impressions on the basis of these 6 months :

+ Effortless cruiser in city and on the highways
+ Comfortable ride
+ Decent mileage
+ Effective AC in over 40 degree temperature
+ Accurate & Precise steering wheel
+ Engine sound when accelerator pressed hard

- Suspension tuned for comfort, not meant for cornering hard
- Famous jerks form the DSG when down-shifting gears still persist
- Air Conditioner speed keeps changing itself
- Side mirrors don’t provide a wide view
- Piano black color in the center console attracts a lot of dust
- Wish it was a bit spacious

The engine is really something that puts a smile on your face every time you rev it. It never feels like it is running out of breath and the performance is just superb. In the Honda City CVT I always had to press in the accelerator just a little bit more to reach my desired speed but the Polo does it with so much ease and reaching 70-80kmph speeds is just so much effortless in the Polo than the Honda City. Even though it is lesser in power as compared to the Honda but due to less weight and turbo-charging, it just feels a lot more powerful.

I always drive in the “D” mode as it is more than adequate for all conditions. You will only require the “S” mode during a drag race, otherwise “D” mode is just fine. The engine is very much silent, it’s only in the second gear that the rpm gets close to 2500 before shifting to third and that’s when it becomes a bit noisy inside the cabin. In the “S” mode the car becomes a beast and responds to the pedal inputs very quickly and the engine roars making a very sporty noise.

The suspension is tuned for comfort and it does the job very well. The rough patches on the roads are absorbed well and only the big pot holes are felt inside, the suspension absorbs most of the bumps very well. Since it is a GT I wish they had made the suspension a bit more stiff, which would have really helped to play around with the car better. But as far as comfort is concerned, it rides great.

I had been feeling the jerks when the car downshifts from third to second gear from the very first day and it has now become a daily affair. As far as I have understood, it happens more often when you are braking hard from a good pace (let’s say from 60 to 20kmph) and when you are braking on rough/patchy sections of road. It also jerks when you press brake while going over a speed breaker. Has anybody else also noticed the same? Still no solution though.

One problem I keep facing is that the blower speed keeps increasing and decreasing by itself even when the AC in not in auto mode. When I start my journey I keep the temperature constant and blower speed at 2, in just about a minute it automatically reaches to 3 and when I put it back to 2, in another minute it itself shifts to 1 and I am always fighting for the desired speed. Has this been happening with anyone else?

I get a good mileage of around 14kmpl in the city with AC on if I drive with a light foot. With mix driving I usually get around 11.5 to 13kmpl in the city which I think is still good. Still I wish we had a DSG + Diesel Motor combo in the polo because in that scenario I would floor the Pedal more often.

So far the tyre upgrade has been a boon. Firstly the ride is a lot better and so is the handling. Secondly most people complained about the light steering wheel on the polo but after the upgrade the steering feels just rightly weighted for city driving and is certainly not as light as at the time of delivery. Overall I am happy with my purchase and I am totally in love with the GT TSI.

Service Experience
I went to the VW Workshop in Chandigarh with an appointment but still had to wait for 50 minutes before being attended by the SA. Anyways I left the car at workshop at 12P.M. and the car was ready at 3P.M. Overall it was just an average experience. Even the car wasn’t cleaned up properly at the time of delivery. Since it was just a checkup, no money was charged though.

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by nishchal316

When I start my journey I keep the temperature constant and blower speed at 2, in just about a minute it automatically reaches to 3 and when I put it back to 2, in another minute it itself shifts to 1 and I am always fighting for the desired speed. Has thiweighted for city Overall I am happy with my purchase and I am totally in love with the GT TSI.

Congrats on completing 7500 kms with your Polo TSi, you have listed all the pros and cons beautifully and what you have stated matches with my observations. I was contemplating exchanging my Vento TDi with a GT Tsi but have to wait till next year, the TSi is a hoot to drive. All it needs is 205 tyres, Bilstein B6 suspension upgrade and a better set of brakes.

TSi is the best premium hatch right now, reliability and vw service aside, this car has every thing going for it. I have completed 50k kms on my Vento and there is not a single squeak or rattle anywhere, the newer cars have squeaks within 20k kms and i get irritated with these noises big time.

Do upgrade the suspension to B6 some time down the line and a better set of braking system, it would totally transform the car. The TSi needs a stiffer set up and better brakes. I got brembo pads+ rotors for my Vento for 10k and they have a much better bite and braking compared to stock brakes.
Have fun in the sports mode.

[karan85]

Congrats on completing the 7500 mark. Your pros and cons actually reflect what I feel about the car. Sadly 80% of my driving is bumper to bumper traffic in Gurgaon. Its only on the weekends that my car gets to see 6th or the 7th gear being put in and yes the engine gets smoother as it crosses 60 kmph; 70 to 80 being the smoothest.

I too have observed the variation in the fan speed. Earlier I thought that the speed went down without it showing on the console but now I have realized that over a period of time it goes down from 4 to even 1 sometimes on longer drives. Really don't understand the reason.

Regarding the jerk from D3 to D2, I kind of got used to it, to the level that 90% of the times I am able to predict when it is about to happen and the jerk is stronger when you are braking hard.

Did you also observe that the jerk is more pronounced when the AC is on as compared to when its off? I have somehow felt it to be more pronounced over the past month with AC on all the time with blower at high speeds and when I switch the AC off the jerk is minimal.

[nishchal316]

Update 12 : Installed Pegasus Premium Leatherette Car Seat Covers

I wonder why VW does not provide Leather seats in such an expensive car. Nice seat covers certainly make the interior of the car look rich which I always felt was missing in this premium hatchback. I was always fascinated by the Tan seats of the BMW 525D,530D and had made my mind that the choice of color would be Tan. Wanted premium looks seat covers but also wanted them to be under 10k, so my search for the same began.

Firstly I went to the local motor market in Chandigarh and got a quote of 12-15k for such seat covers from various shops. Then I started my search on the internet and found some really nice seat covers by Pegasus Premium. They are based in Paschim Vihar,New Delhi and have a variety of premium seat covers for various cars. Went to their facebook page and saw images of the seat covers and the reviews of the customers who were happy with their services.

I came in contact with Mr. Bharat Soni through their facebook page and he helped me clear all my queries and is really a gem of a person. After having a chat with him I ordered the Tan seat covers and neck pillows on flipkart for Rs 6400 and Rs 400 respectively. After my order got confirmed I got a call from their team the very next day and they asked about the model and manufacturing year of the car. The seat covers arrived at my doorsteps in another 5 days and were very well packed too. Mr. Bharat was also kind enough to help me out getting these fit in Chandigarh.

Firstly I am highly impressed with the quality of these seat covers. The Tan color looks premium and the seats now feel super comfortable. Secondly the kind of service I got from Mr. Bharat and his team is also worth appreciating. Overall I am very satisfied, the photos are attached below.

Seat Covers came nicely packed




The stitching on these feels great

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by nishchal316

Update 12 : Installed Pegasus Premium Leatherette Car Seat Covers

Excellent choice and a great fitment nishchal

IMO we now have two 'Measuring Bars' on TBHP when it comes to modifying the VW Polo, in a subtle yet mind-blowing manner.

And what's more, we have one in the form of GT TDI (Gannu's) and your GT TSI

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by karan85

Regarding the jerk from D3 to D2, I kind of got used to it, to the level that 90% of the times I am able to predict when it is about to happen.
Did you also observe that the jerk is more pronounced when the AC is on as compared to when its off? I have somehow felt it to be more pronounced over the past month with AC on all the time with blower at high speeds and when I switch the AC off the jerk is minimal.

Yes even I am able to predict jerks most of the times. Well I did not notice any effect of the AC on jerks because I had purchased the car in the month of december and for 2 month I did not use the AC. Felt lot of jerks in that duration and that's the same even now with AC on.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Excellent choice and a great fitment nishchal
IMO we now have two 'Measuring Bars' on TBHP when it comes to modifying the VW Polo, in a subtle yet mind-blowing manner.
And what's more, we have one in the form of GT TDI (Gannu's) and your GT TSI

Thanx a lot Vik0728, more mods to come in the future

[senthils27]

Hi,

Need your help on speakers. I am contemplating changing the OE speakers in my Vento to focals as you have done.

Can you tell me from where did you source the focal components?

I had changed the head unit to RCD 510 and there was markable improvement in audio quality. Will the focal component (front) and coaxials (back) setup bring significant improvement further? I do not want to install amp at this stage.

Do we need door damping with focal speakers?

Thanks in advance.

Senthil.

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by senthils27

Hi,

Can you tell me from where did you source the focal components?

I had changed the head unit to RCD 510 and there was markable improvement in audio quality. Will the focal component (front) and coaxials (back) setup bring significant improvement further? I do not want to install amp at this stage.

Do we need door damping with focal speakers?

Hi Senthil
I did not find any significant improvement in the audio when I had the stock HU. Rather the sound had deteriorated. Only after switching to an aftermarket HU, I found great results. So I am not very sure about the Focal speakers & RCD 510 Combo.

If you change the speakers then certainly you will hear rattles but damping would depend on how much rattles are there. If it doesn't bother you much then there is no need of getting it damped.You can look for the dealer & distributor network by going to this link - http://www.focal.com/en/stores?count...ify%20a%20city

[Aston Singh]

Hi,

How's your car doing? You haven't upgraded the thread in a while.

I had a couple of questions:

1. I don't think damping the doors can void warranty. What do you think?
2. Did your after market HU void the warranty? Did you need to cut wires to get that installed?

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by Aston Singh

Hi,

1. I don't think damping the doors can void warranty. What do you think?
2. Did your after market HU void the warranty? Did you need to cut wires to get that installed?

Hi Aston Singh

Well I recently started working so shifted to lucknow and due to my hectic schedule I didn't get time to make any further updates. I don't really think damping would void warranty and as far as the HU installation is concerned I don't think any wire was cut. Somehow I feel people would always raise questions in case any thing goes wrong which is why I have the OEM HU kept with me which I can always fit back. But I don't really bother much about these things

[Swarit19]

The car looks absolutely stunning especially in close up shots and the video you posted. Can't believe just the EE headlight upgrade makes such a big difference and it complements the car's color extremely well. Hands down one of the best indian polo's I've seen.

Also thankyou for the writeup of your seat covers. I live couple minutes away from paschim vihar so it will be very helpful knowing there is someone dependable close by. Please do keep us updated on how they hold up over time.

[Aston Singh]

Originally Posted by nishchal316

Hi Aston Singh

Somehow I feel people would always raise questions in case any thing goes wrong which is why I have the OEM HU kept with me which I can always fit back. But I don't really bother much about these things

That's actually a good option. OEM HUs are hard to sell so it's better to keep them. Let's see what I finalize. Thanks for your inputs.

[deepakchan]

Originally Posted by nishchal316

Update 11 : 7500kms completed / First Check-up Done
I had been feeling the jerks when the car downshifts from third to second gear from the very first day and it has now become a daily affair. As far as I have understood, it happens more often when you are braking hard from a good pace (let’s say from 60 to 20kmph) and when you are braking on rough/patchy sections of road. It also jerks when you press brake while going over a speed breaker. Has anybody else also noticed the same? Still no solution though.

One problem I keep facing is that the blower speed keeps increasing and decreasing by itself even when the AC in not in auto mode. When I start my journey I keep the temperature constant and blower speed at 2, in just about a minute it automatically reaches to 3 and when I put it back to 2, in another minute it itself shifts to 1 and I am always fighting for the desired speed. Has this been happening with anyone else?

I also own a GT TSI. And specifically these two paragraphs are quoted to pen down my thoughts.

After the Chennai floods, my gearbox has been replaced and while doing so, the software was flashed as well. After this replacement, the jerks from D3 to D2 has completely vanished. I learnt to live with it like you until then. A couple of others in Chennai who own the GT also say they persuaded the SA to update the software and the jerks have reduced. For me, it has completely vanished, not just reduced.

As far as the AC is concerned, I shall explain why that happens. Purely my opinion. Usually when the temperature outside is not very hot, then pressing Auto will set the fan speed to 2. If it is hotter than normal, it will increase to 4 or 3 and then settle down to 2 after a while when the cabin is sufficiently cooler than take off. When you manually set to 2 when it is hotter than normal, and if it fixes on auto, it will increase and decrease as the climatronic's interest. After it increases to 3, if you reduce it to 2, you are in (auto minus 1) mode. So when auto would have reduced it to 2, since you are already in auto minus 1, it will finally reduce to 1 when climatronic finds the temperature of the cabin is comfortable. Hope that clears the doubts of the way the AC works in this car.

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by deepakchan

I also own a GT TSI. And specifically these two paragraphs are quoted to pen down my thoughts.

After the Chennai floods, my gearbox has been replaced and while doing so, the software was flashed as well. After this replacement, the jerks from D3 to D2 has completely vanished. I learnt to live with it like you until then. A couple of others in Chennai who own the GT also say they persuaded the SA to update the software and the jerks have reduced. For me, it has completely vanished, not just reduced.

As far as the AC is concerned, I shall explain why that happens. Purely my opinion. Usually when the temperature outside is not very hot, then pressing Auto will set the fan speed to 2. If it is hotter than normal, it will increase to 4 or 3 and then settle down to 2 after a while when the cabin is sufficiently cooler than take off. When you manually set to 2 when it is hotter than normal, and if it fixes on auto, it will increase and decrease as the climatronic's interest. After it increases to 3, if you reduce it to 2, you are in (auto minus 1) mode. So when auto would have reduced it to 2, since you are already in auto minus 1, it will finally reduce to 1 when climatronic finds the temperature of the cabin is comfortable. Hope that clears the doubts of the way the AC works in this car.

Great to hear that the jerks have vanished. It will have its first oil change service in december and i'll ask them to update the software. Would you also recommend changing to mineral oil as there are people who haven't faced this issue after switching to mineral oil. Thanks for clarifying about the blower speed. Now I think it makes sense.

[nishchal316]

1400kms in a Polo GT TSI & 2016 Ford Figo
Currently I work at Jhansi and my job requires me to travel 150-200kms every day. Even after getting the fuel expenditure from the company, I have been spending money on fuel out of my pocket. Also lack of VW dealership in Jhansi meant that I had to take the car to Gwalior for servicing which is about 110kms away, therefore I required a diesel car. So back home at Chandigarh I had asked my parents to buy the new Ford Figo. During Diwali I decided to go home and switch the cars.

Jhansi to Chandigarh via Polo GT TSI
On 29th October early morning I went off from Jhansi to Chandigarh via Gwalior-Agra-Delhi Route. We were 2 people on board with a trunk full of luggage and I had to drop my colleague in Delhi. I traveled 708kms and covered it in about 12 hours. These 12 hours included about 20mins stop for lunch and 15mins stop at my Colleague’s house at Delhi. It was Diwali time and there was a lot of traffic in Delhi and I think I wasted atleast an hour in Delhi.

The road from Jhansi to Gwalior is mostly single lane and it took about 2½ hours to cover 105kms. The road became better once we reached Gwalior and from Agra to Delhi we went via the Yamuna Express Highway. I dropped my Colleague at Delhi and left for Chandigarh and the roads were again good. I got a mileage of 15.5kmpl as per the ODO and I consumed about 46ltr of petrol(Rs 3200 approx.) for the journey. I blasted the accelerator pedal lots of time and I believe if I had not done that, 16.5kmpl was easily achievable. From Gwalior to Agra I was doing about 100-110kmph, on the Yamuna express highway from Agra to Delhi the cruise control was set to 110kmph & I was doing 110-120 from Delhi to Chandigarh with some blasts to 150-160 throughout the journey (not encouraging rash driving though).

As per my observations the Polo GT TSI is a rocket. It had no problem pulling the car with 2 people on board with a full boot and some luggage on the rear seat as well. The car just pulls and pulls and puts a smile on your face evrytime you floor the pedal and it is still hard for me to believe that there is so much power in this 1200cc engine. Throughout the journey the seats kept me in total comfort and even after such a long drive I somehow did not feel tired.

Chandigarh to Jhansi via Ford Figo TDCI Titanium
On 6th November morning I left for Jhansi by the same route. This time around I had lesser luggage with no one accompanying me. There was a lot of fog from Ambala to Panipat and the visibility was very bad so I was driving at around 50kmph till Panipat. The visibility was so poor that till Panipat I saw nearly 30 cars, 2 Volvo Buses , 2 local buses, 7 trucks crashed into each other at different spots. Anyways the visibility became better after crossing Panipat and I started going 90-100kmph.

The car was still in run-in period as the ODO reading was 1270kms when I started off from Chandigarh so I did not cross 120kmph throughout the journey. So it took nearly 11hrs 30mins to reach Jhansi which included just a 30min stop for lunch. I covered 693kms and got a mileage of 24.7kmpl as per the ODO and consumed about 26.7ltr of diesel(Rs 1500 approx.).

As per my observations the car is really quick and hardly has any turbo lag. Even in the top gear the car was able to put cleanly from about 55kmph without requiring me to downshift the gear. Most of the time I was driving at around 100kmph with the gear slotted in 5th and even if the speeds got reduced to 40kmph the car was still able to pick the pace in the 5th gear. The FE increases if it is driven till 80kmph and as the speeds starts exceeding 80kmph, the FE starts dipping. At 100kmph the vibrations could be felt from the clutch, accelerator and the steering wheel which made me not feel like pushing the car beyond 100kmph however there is no shortage of power.

Polo GT TSI VS Ford Figo

Ride: Polo has an edge in terms of ride quality on the highways as it is more confidence inspiring than the Figo, however the Figo is able to cope up well with the pot holes in the city.

Handling: Figo has an edge in cornering as it feels more agile and inspires confidence when cornering hard. Even though the body role is more in the Figo than on the polo, the Figo still feels more fun to drive.

Power: Both have ample of power and pull cleanly however I need to spend more time with the Figo to comment on this.

FE: The Polo on petrol had been returning about 15kmpl in Chandigarh traffic, 10kmpl in Lucknow traffic and 16-17kmpl on the highways. The Figo diesel has been returning about 22kmpl in Chandigarh traffic, 20kmpl In Jhansi traffic and 23-25kmpl on the highways.

Build Quality: The polo is certainly superior and feels better put together. The doors close with a “Thud” sound and the quality of plastics feels superior to the Figo.

Space: Figo is the clear winner in terms of overall space and the polo is actually the least spacious car in the segment. The legroom in the Figo is as good as in the new Honda City.

Sound Quality: If I compare the stock speakers I would give 5 of 10 to the polo, 7 of 10 to the Figo and 8 of 10 to the Honda City. The treble on the Figo could have been better, the bass and mids are good.