VW POLO, a mix of compromise and driving preasure.

Exterior Highline (D) 1.5 gets black accents in the headlight and a dual blub setup which I personally thing is the biggest reason why the car does not look dated. The exterior is perfect blend of simplicity and tacky flash. The creases are subtle while their are chrome bits all around which just manage to not look overkilled. Smooth paint on the galvanised ensures that corrosion will never be the problem. With the iconic vw logo in the rear which doubles up to be the tail boot opener just feels built to last every time you use it.

I'm not a very big fan of the alloy wheels that you get as standard,they look kind of stale with the car's design.

The exhaust is hidden under the car but what is not hidden is the rear suspension. When noticed from rear, at a distance, the lower portion of the rear suspension can be see,which in my opinion looks bad and kind of ruins the aesthetic of the car, The Door handles and the orvm feel very strong and in my 3 years (40000 km) use, never really had an issue. The main reason why i choose to mention this point because previously i owned an i20 (2009-2015) and the door handles where pathetic in quality. during my use, i've seen 3 break.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Interior is where it will be a deal breaker for most.

I'll first start of with build quality-

Over all fit and finish is perfect, everything is well put together. no rattleing sounds, no weird noises. The interior layout is more of practicality than a wow factor. the factory fitted speakers are fantastic, punchy bass, clear mid notes and high notes. The arm rest is wrapped in this cloth like material which feels really good to touch and hold.

Interior Space Lets just say its best for 4 if all 4 are under 5'6''.

The rear seat is really small(atleast for me, i'm 5'8'').

The leg space in the rear is just not enough and the situation gets worse with the massssssive transmission tunnel which kills any hope for the third middle passenger in the rear. So if your regular use includes you entire family, you might want to check out other options (i20,Jazz etc)

The under thigh support is bad. Headrest will be okay for anyone upto 6'2''.

There are a total of 4 cupholders. 2 under the AC controls, right in front of gear lever and 2 on both the front doors.

The power window switch is illumiated in red(like the other lights in the interior), steering wheel controls also have backlight to it which rather looks really good in dark conditions.

coming to the steering wheel, which is leather wrapped and has a flat bottom, personally i think its the best feeling and looking steering wheel in the segment.

AC is perfect for our humid climate and it chills the cabin in a matter of minutes. 2 airbags and german quality ensures that safety will never be compromised.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox 1.5 TDI engine churns out 90 bhp and 230 nm of torque. the turbo kicks in around 1700-1800 rpm where the engine starts to feel alive. there is a really nice punchy pull from there to around 3600-4000 rpm after which the car feels a little nimble. The engine being a diesel is noisy but not alot. Inside the cabin, there is this constant low key vibration which you get in every diesel car.

At ideal, the engine with the windows rolled up does bother much but as you rev and cross 2600-3000 rpm, the vibration and the sound increases relatively.

I managed to get my polo from stand still to 100 kmph in about 11.2 seconds, Which to be honest is good enough(Faster than all the rivals except ford figo).

If you want more performance, you should look for polo gt tsi or tdi which have an extra 15 bhp and more 30 nm of torque(Also check out Punto Abarth).

The gearbox is a delight, crisp slotting and short throw, Feels nice and sturdy. But getting used to the reverse gear position does take a little time.

Clutch is a little messed up. it is on the heavier side(like most diesel cars) but vw clutches are notoriously known for premature wear.

I have already got my clutch plate and the flywheel changed at around 20000km after a complete clutch failure and now at 40000km, it has started to feel out of place already.

Fuel economy-

If driven sanely, the car would love to give you 12 upwards in stop and go traffic and if you remove stop and go traffic from the equation, be surprised to see north of 17-19. The max I have achieved is 26kmpl when driven at 60 kmph in the 5th gear for more than 10-12 km.

Overall engine is really good. faaaar better than fait sourced engines used in maruti suzuki cars and better than crdi of Hyundai. No breakdown other than the clutch failure at 20000km.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is a mix bag. you have soft suspension so bumps are soaked in nice, which is very important for our road conditions and that same soft suspension kills a little of the driving pleasure. the body has a little road and take a turn a little sharp and you'll hear the tyres squeel with pain.

The suspension has a decent life but mine needed replacement at 38000km. This car is not a bad place to be in if city commutes are the ideal use.

Final Words Like I said, blend of german engineering and compromises. Priced higher than jazz, figo, swift,baleno and new i20, you get the german built quality and a little bit of brand premiumness but lacks alot of featurs like auto dimming rear view mirror, apple car play, android auto, sunroof, auto headlamps and wipers.

Areas of improvement Better equipment list would clearly fetch more customers as we indians love useless features.

Fantastic car to drive. (15 kmpl in city if driven sanely), robust build, lovely fit and finish.Brakes are not very pinchy. Spare parts are 30-40% more expensive than other brands.