Feature: Au Revoir Volkswagen Polo!

The Volkswagen Polo has always been a part of my life over the past few years as we have not one, but two in our clan. Despite the tight rear legroom, high service costs (which have reduced now relatively), and the occasional Christmas lights on the dashboard that gave us a shock, the Polo’s sharp driving dynamics kept me smiling. 

Now that the Polo’s production is coming to an end, it gives me a good time to take a step back and take you down the memory lane of the premium hatchback. The Polo was launched back around 2010, and even though it was comparatively pricey back then, the Polo oozed quality levels that could put models from a segment above to shame. 

A key reason for that was the Polo boasted very little local content, unlike the one sold in recent years. But the flip side is you got a solid and built-to-last hatchback. Let’s take an example. The horn, for instance, had that Parp sound similar to a Jetta, which was toned down and localised as time passed by. 

But not all was good news. Despite a brilliant chassis set up, the Polo lacked the power as the 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel and petrol engines (making around 75PS) lacked enough oomph to set the road on fire. A fix was soon found, though, and Volkswagen plonked in the larger 105PS 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the Vento. Sadly, it was a sales dud, but the handful of enthu cutlets who got one loved it.

The major boost in the driving experience really came from the 105PS 1.2-litre TSI engine, dubbed the GT TSI, paired with the quick shifting (whisper it… unreliable) 7-speed DSG. Not only did it serve enthu cutlets with its mod-friendly nature, the automatic tranny also appealed to ladies. 

And the best part was, Volkswagen, known for some brilliant TDI engines, answered the prayers for those who wanted a fast oil burner. What was the solution? Very simple. Plonk in the stonking 1.6-litre TDI motor from the Vento TDI and call it the GT TDI. Back then, the power difference between the Polo 75PS 1.2 TDI and 105PS 1.6 TDI was huge. So it quickly found its niche space. 

But the Polo 1.6-litre TDI existed only for a short period of time as Volkswagen brought in the 1.5-litre TDI for a mid-life facelift, which is a revised version of the 1.6-litre TDI, in two states of tune (85PS and 110PS). This time around, the difference in power wasn’t much, and the standard car offered decent performance. Moreover, a quick remap brought as much or better numbers than the 1.5-litre GT TDI. 

The Polo then chugged on for years with minor design and feature updates, special editions, keeping it up with the times. It also got more localised content as time passed by to keep costs in check, and while quality levels did reduce a bit, it wasn’t a bummer. But once again, Volkswagen was forced to make a serious decision during BS6 emission norms. 

Let’s just hold on here for a moment, though, as I’m completely forgetting something. The GTI, a three-door performance model, which was brought in as a direct import from Germany. Headline numbers… 177 horses, 320Nm of torque, and a 0-100kmph time of 7.2 seconds. Perfect recipe for an enthu. But the steep Rs 25.99 lakh price tag for a 100-unit limited run CBU, especially for a Polo, means it was a tough sell, with the last few pieces sold at heavy discounts. 

Right back to where we were. The diesel engine was completely eradicated, while updating the 1.2-litre MPI for stricter emissions simply didn’t make a case for VW in terms of cost. So, Volkswagen gave it a 1-litre MPI and TSI engine, and didn’t limit the latter to just the GT tag. Even the automatic variant was given in lower variants to boost the appeal of the ageing hatchback. But how long would you like to taste an old wine in a new bottle. A change is required. right.

So after a 12-year-long stint, the Polo’s production will be coming to an end. Will I miss it? Hell, yeah. Despite being an aged model, the Polo still manages to put a smile on my face, thanks to its fun-to-drive capabilities. It even managed to beat newer models like the i20 in performance runs, a sealing factor that the Polo remains top of the line in terms of sheer performance as seen in our sister portal Powerdrift’s video.

What’s Next?

VW’s brand director, Ashish Gupta, has hinted that "For Polo it is not goodbye, it is au revoir (goodbye until we meet again.)" So if his quote is anything to go by, the next-gen Polo, based on the MQB A0 platform, which has been localised here, is on the cards for India expectedly in 2023. 

That said, the new Polo is above four metres in length, and our sub-4 metre rule means there needs to be some modifications to duck it under four metres. I, personally, would like to see the evolved model fix the shortcomings and retain the magic its predecessor offered. But if you still want to have a taste of the existing icon before it faces the axe, Volkswagen is prepping up a special edition for its farewell. So stay tuned. 

Till then, it’s a good bye until we meet again.