A Polocalypse. We take the VW Polo for a spin.

Our used car review for the moment can’t find a worse time to enter our garage. 2012 hasn’t shown any green lights for the VW group in India. Though the Vento seems to be surviving the industry drag race, the Polo is lagging behind when it comes to sales and service.

So, why is this happening? Taking some reference from a fellow journalist’s blog, it is all because of dealership arrogance and sales negligence. The Polo’s owner seems to have a long list of complaints on the same issues as well. Though there is unofficial information from the VW Group that they might be discontinuing the production of our test vehicle model — the 1.2 L petrol Polo, we still went ahead and gave it a shot. God knows whether this would be the last petrol driven Polo we got to drive.

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Retina Attraction.

Some might argue that the Volkswagen designs are old school. Some believe every auto major should implement design patterns similar to the Fluidic concept by Hyundai. But, Volkswagen is not a very bothered group. Yes. Their designs do give a not-so-youthful look, but they do work.

The polo begins by showing off its front empire look grill existing in its brothers as well — the Vento, Jetta, Passat and Toureag. Design lines aren’t that significant and that gives a simple yet elegant feel to it. The stream lined roof ends with a rear spoiler attached adding a star to the visual factor.

The honey combed lower front grille makes a dull impact but the fog lamps mounting does look good and gets the Polo the “cool” badge.

The headlights reflect a frugal character and a juicy engine. Chrome lining in the grill adds some charm to it as well. The splitter alike front bumper supplements the design. The tail lights look like what you borrowed from your great grand fathers’ cars. Very retro. But classy enough.

The muscled out wheel arches on the front and rear make an impact to those who have the knack to observe design detailing. Indicators on the ORVMs could have been a good add on.

One very interesting feature is the boot opener which is the Volkswagen symbol itself. Give it a press and the boot opens smoothly. This is interesting because of the whole idea as well. I would pay this idea on optimal space, looks and utility a million pounds because that is a hard balance to maintain.

Doors open, doors close.

Polo makes sure that the interiors do not disappoint. That probably justifies a fraction of the ambitious pricing. You get a good package of rich leather and plastic. The dashboard design isn’t the fluidic type you see in the entry level Hyundais or not as simple as the Suzukis, but this semi-simple yet elegant designing brings with it a feel of maturity that Volkswagen knows what it is doing and does not like to experiment. All Volkswagen cars in India come with the same interior kit.

The VW music kit comes with a decent set of speakers and performers. The mono display is dull but works well. Dummy buttons exist, which disappoints the evaluation. The air conditioning knobs and dials look contemporary. Some utility space is cramped up beyond the gear knob.

Volkswagen has kept the steering simple and avoided the steering mounted controls for the music. The music system is not equipped with Bluetooth though and this might make Ford’s Figo more attractive in this segment.

The air conditioning system works well with a good throw. You can rely on it to cool quick. The seats sink in well and are well cushioned. The seat covers you see in this particular vehicle are an aftermarket attachment.

The driver gets adjustable and telescopic steering positions for driving comfort. Instrument cluster has a tachometer as well which is a point to be appreciated. A digital odometer and a fuel gauge is a standard these days.

A passenger at the rear is not comfortable thanks to the cramped and claustrophobic rear leg room. It is surprising that a vehicle with a sufficient wheel base has a lack of rear legroom. Better space management lessons need be taken?

In-cabin engine noise filtering could have been a notch better. Tyre noise finds its way inside though. The engine makes quite a sound when you’re outside — so much that you believe it is a diesel engine.

The best thing about the Polo’s interior designing would be the strong and feel-solid frame cage. Being firm and rigid you can hardly sense the speed at which you’re driving unlike other cars where vibrations accompany the throttle pedal.

City Streets

The Polo loves the city. And you will love the Polo just for that. You can literally pole dance with it. The very light steering, the way the vehicle moves with little roll felt by the rear passengers, the way it handles corners make it a true petrol head.

Ground clearance is a mild worry when it comes to speed bumps but an angular approach helps in tackling those especially when you have load. The suspensions and shocks are on the hard scale and make you feel the thuds.

Over taking is a piece of cake and finding gaps in between vehicles is what the Polo is built for. Compact size, a good 75 bhp engine and a nice throttle response can make juggling between lanes more fun.

The A-pillar blind spot does exist but I have seen worse cases. Parking is not an issue on the streets. The driver may not have full view of where he is headed in reverse, but it is well under tolerance levels.

Safety

The Polo gives you premium safety for premium pricing. Dual air bags in the front for the passenger and driver serves as good safety devices.

For the brakes, you have ABS, available only in the highline variants, supporting the front discs to prevent wheel locking and steering control. The rear wheels have the standard drums.

An engine immobilizer is also pitched in, which is again a standard add on these days.

The power train

The Polo we got for test has a 1.2 litre petrol engine churning out 75 horses. VW offers diesel engine options as well. The engine is a 3 cylinder unlike its competition, yet churns out more horses than the usual. All variants are front wheel driven.

All variants have a mater 5 speed gearbox. This, being a vehicle having covered roughly 60000 kms in less than a year has a very sticky gear box. The change from first to second is slightly glitchy, but others engage well.

The constant mesh gearbox comes with the reverse gear right next to first gear’s position. So, you are required to push the knob down to shift to reverse.

Fuel economy is a standard 11 pointer. But it is implied that a customer who is game for a premium pay should be mentally prepared to expect only such numbers.

What could stop your purchase?

As mentioned earlier, dealership arrogance is a primary reason which is keeping buyers away. Very poor customer connectivity and customer relationship management are also concerning factors. The lack of space in dealerships in and around Chennai is also a regular in our complaint list that we are hearing from VW owners. Apart from the se, expensive spare parts play spoil sport.

Take away points

1. Mature looks.
2. Respect-izer.
3. Safety
4. Manoeuvring.
5. Throttle response.

Black makers

1. Price
2. Fuel economy
3. Dummy buttons
4. Rear legroom.
5. No Bluetooth equipped system.