A CNG powered Volkswagen Vento and Polo have been caught testing. Motorbash reports that the Vento test car was a base model and had two 65 kg weights in the back as well as some testing equipment, most likely to simulate real-world driving conditions.
However, the surprise of the day was the CNG powered Polo. It was snapped testing with similar conditions (testing equipment and weights) as the Vento. While the Vento was a base model, the Polo test mule was a higher variant with alloy wheels, body coloured OVRMs and door handles. This leads us to believe that Volkswagen might introduce the CNG option with the now ‘rarely found’ 1.6-litre petrol engine. We can also expect that the same engine will be mated to an automatic gearbox to create the Polo automatic.
When VW launched the facelift of the Polo and the Vento, the 1.6-litre Polo was not included in the list. We expect them to now launch three variants of the sporty hatchback - 1.6-litre manual, automatic and CNG.
We had earlier reported that the CNG powered Vento is expected to cost Rs 40,000 more than the petrol variant and will also have a factory warranty. This is also expected to be the case for the CNG Polo which will stand in a class of its own as no other manufacturer currently has a CNG option in that range.
With constant fluctuations in the price of petrol leading to a slump in demand for petrol powered cars, this seems like the next logical (and eco-friendly) step for the German automaker.
Image courtesy: Motorbash