The power and torque have gone up quite a bit; this 1.5 develops 90 PS of power and 230 Nm of torque. All this power is delivered in a smooth and linear way to the front wheels via the same five-speed gearbox, which is slick and has short throws. The aspect that impressed me the most was the bottom- and mid-range torque delivery. Simply awesome. All of the 230 Nm is available from as low as 1,500 RPM, but you can feel it arriving before that. This gives the new Polo great driveability, which, honestly, I have not really seen in many other cars. Going through traffic, which means moving at snail’s pace, in the second gear was expected, but what I did not anticipate was the engine’s capability to push forward at 40 km/h in the fourth gear. It can do that easily without feeling as if it’s being choked by a muscle man. VW have improved the engine tremendously and the proof comes in the way it drives. It’s not only at low city speeds that you can notice the amazing German engineering; it feels very strong and capable on the highway too. In terms of performance, it may not set your heart on fire like the GT TDI does, but it is not a dim-witted kid either. We tested the car in pouring rain with traction as low as a two-year old’s attention span. But even in those conditions the results we achieved were quite amazing. The 0-100 km/h sprint was done in just 15.03 seconds. Pretty decent considering the weather and we are sure that in dry conditions it would do much better. We were also able to achieve a true top speed of 156.4 km/h. I bet it can easily do more than 160 km/h in dry conditions.
Handling and ride quality have always been one of the strong points of the Polo and the new one is no exception. The steering is precise with tonnes of feel and feedback and when you throw in an excellent suspension that suits the Indian conditions so well, you get a car that gives you immense driving pleasure unlike any other in its segment. I remember enjoying the GT TDI to the core and while pushing the 1.5 around in corners with the surface still very wet, the Polo never felt nervous. It held its line precisely, giving me the confidence to push even harder. Body-roll did make an appearance, but it was not bothersome. The tyres on the Polo are new as well and provide ample traction even in wet conditions. Brakes are brilliant too.
Overall, the new 1.5-litre Polo TDI is an amazing product with loads of refinement. The engine is smooth, the power delivery is linear, engine noise is now a part of history and the best part is the fuel efficiency. Our test revealed an overall figure of 17.5 km/l, two km/l less than the 1.2 but still great for such an engine. VW listened to all the criticism the old engine got and made all the necessary changes in the new 1.5-litre motor. This has improved the Polo immensely and, in my opinion, it will go on to become one of the best hatchbacks money can buy in India.
