We drove the new Volkswagen Polo 1.5 TDI recently. Here is how it comes across as a better offering as compared to its earlier 1.2 avatar
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
I clearly remember the first time I drove the Volkswagen Polo. I instantly fell in love with its tank-like build quality, superb ride and handling. Its fit-and-finish was excellent too. It became the new benchmark in the hatchback segment because it offered so much more than any other hatchback on sale in India. However, it had a few disadvantages, which somewhat hampered its public perception. One of them was its 1.2-litre diesel engine. It was a good motor if you were looking for high fuel efficiency, but it was a very noisy unit and the power output did not do justice to the weight of the car. But that was in the past. Now the company has addressed this issue and come up with this new Polo. It comes with a 1.5-litre engine and cosmetic changes on the outside as well as inside. These changes, according to me, would allow the new Polo to set a new benchmark in the diesel hatchback segment. We recently drove it and were left with a highly positive impression.
Now, when I say ‘new Polo’, I don’t really mean that it is all new. What VW have done is given it some much-needed cosmetic changes, more like a nip-and-tuck job to keep the excitement quotient alive. But the biggest change has taken place under the bonnet. More on that later. First let me point out the subtle differences. To begin with, the Polo now looks more shiny than before and that is because VW have realised the fact that we Indians love shiny things. Hence those shiny bits of chrome up front. Gone is the old, bland looking bumper and in its place comes a reworked one that features new fog-lamps and a shiny strip of chrome running from one lamp to the other. Headlamps have changed, too, and now there are twin lamps, although the housing remains the same. VW have kept things simple at the back, for much of it resembles the old variant. However, the bumper gets a few tweaks and the tail-lamp bulbs and reflectors have been re-arranged.
Overall, the simple changes in the exterior have made the Polo a fresh-looking car. I also love the fact that VW did not go all crazy with the design bit because that would have been pointless and the Polo would have lost its identity in the process.
