2014 Volkswagen Polo showcased at the Geneva Motor Show

Volkswagen has displayed the 2014 Volkswagen Polo at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Though it was unveiled online before, this is the first public appearance of the new Volkswagen. This car has been spotted testing around Volkswagen’s Pune facility a few times and we expect it to be launched here soon.

Being a mid-life facelift, there aren’t any radical changes in the new car. The exterior of the new car carries the same overall design with a few cosmetic changes. The front gets a reworked bumper and grille with horizontal slats. The headlamps’ design remains the same but will now come with optional LED lights. The rear also has a revised bumper and redesigned tail lamp assembly. Inside, the changes are a bit more pronounced as the car features an updated centre console and instrument cluster, a new three-spoke steering wheel and new upholstery for the seats.

Mechanically, the car remains the same except for a new electro-mechanical steering system and an optional Sport Select suspension with electronically controlled dampers. We expect the feature list to vary according to region it is being sold in. The engine lineup will be retained for India, which includes two diesel and two petrol units. The three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol unit produces 74bhp and 110Nm of torque while the three-cylinder 1.2-litre diesel unit produces 74bhp and 180Nm of torque. The hot hatches i.e. the four-cylinder GT variants are powered by either a 1.6-litre diesel unit producing 103bhp and 250Nm of torque or by a 1.2-litre petrol unit producing 103bhp and 175Nm of torque.

The Polo has always been a quality product from the German marquee. The great build quality, ride and the chassis dynamics make it the one of the best cars in the segment. Volkswagen had recently expanded the range with the addition of the two GT variants. With this facelift, Volkswagen has slightly improved the looks of an already good looking car. But perfecting the car has taken the toll on the price tag, which is a bit on the higher side. Volkswagen is sure to revise the prices of the Polo when it launches the car in India, but in which direction and by how much, remains to be seen.