Volkswagen Polo Takes A Bow After 12 Years Of Production In India

It’s the end of the road now for the Volkswagen Polo in India, as the carmaker has announced that it will no longer manufacture the hatchback, twelve years after the first unit rolled off the line. The carmaker had recently introduced the limited-run Polo Legend edition that marks 12 years of the hatchback. It’s expected to make a comeback in 2023; but for now, the VW Virtus will become the carmaker’s entry-level model in India upon its launch in May. 

The first Volkswagen Polo rolled off the line at the carmaker’s Chakan facility in 2009, and was exhibited at the Auto Expo 2010, too. It has continued with minimal design changes ever since, but has received new powertrains and feature updates from time to time. 

We’ve seen a myriad of drivetrains in the Polo – 1.6-litre petrol, 1.2-litre petrol, and 1.5-litre turbo diesel, to name a few. It was even offered in a sportier GT variant with turbo petrol and diesel engines paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Of late, the Polo has been offered as a petrol-only model with 1-litre MPI petrol as the base engine. 

One big change came with the switch to BS6 – VW’s internationally-acclaimed 1-litre TSI turbo petrol engine. It made 110PS in the Polo and ensured that the hatchback stayed relevant for longer among newer rivals such as the Tata Altroz and Hyundai i20. The VW hatchback retails between Rs 6.45 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, while the Polo Legend Edition is priced at Rs 10.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

While the India-spec Polo is the fifth generation of the hatchback, the sixth-generation has been available in global markets since 2018. The MQB A0 platform-based Polo hasn’t made it to India yet, but the carmaker is working on an update based on the localised MQB A0 IN platform. 

Rapidly changing safety norms are the last nail in the Polo’s coffin. Six airbags are set to become mandatory for all cars in the country from later this year, and the Polo only offers a pair of dual airbags even in the top model. Moreover, Skoda-VW has four new entry-level models to focus on – the Skoda Slavia and Kushaq, and the Volkswagen Virtus and Taigun. 

Also read: 

• VW Polo Production To End Soon; Goodbyes Are Sad, But There’s Some Good News

• Volkswagen Taigun vs Skoda Kushaq 1.5-litre TSI: Performance And Fuel Efficiency Compared 

• Volkswagen Virtus Mid-spec Trim Spotted Ahead Of Launch 

Our interview with VW’s brand director Ashish Gupta leads us to expect a Polo revival sometime in 2023. In a price-sensitive market such as India, the Polo is likely to offer a relatively more affordable entry point into European cars than the Virtus and Slavia.