Entry level hatchbacks are quite popular in India mainly because they offer great mileage which is one of the strongest factors affecting a product’s sales. The premium hatchbacks on the other hand are desired by many but bought by a handful of buyers only. Although they offer better performance but at the same time are less fuel efficient, meaning the running costs are high.
Gladly for all the enthusiasts looking for a balanced car that performs excellently and is frugal also, Volkswagen is coming up with a new Volkswagen Polo model. According to AutoCarIndia, Volkswagen India plans to launch a new Polo model in the Indian market early in 2013.
Update on 13th September 2013
It’s here! Volkswagen India has launched the Polo GT TDI in India. The car has dethroned the Fiat Grande Punto Sport to become the most powerful diesel hatchback in the country.
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“The New Polo GT TDI has been created to cater to the requirements of discerning customers, who want the best possible mix of strong power delivery, outstanding driving dynamics and class-leading fuel efficiency,” said Mr. Arvind Saxena, Managing Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd at the launch of the Polo GT TDI.
Price
The Polo GT TDI has been priced at Rs. 8.08 Lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.
What’s New?
The talking point about the Polo GT TDI is, of course, its engine. It is powered by a 1.6-litre, turbo-diesel engine which produces 105 BHP of power @4400 rpm and 250 Nm of torque @ 1500-2500 rpm, it delivers a ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 19.78 KMPL and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The Polo GT TDI is the most powerful hatchback in its category. Here is the thing though, you would be buying this car only for the engine, as there are no major additions in terms of design or equipment over the regular Polo.
Design
Exterior
Just like its petrol cousin, the Polo GT TSI, it is hard to differentiate the Polo GT TDI from the other variants of the Polo, as there is nothing to differentiate it apart from the ‘GT’ badging. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference if you kept both the GTs side-by-side too, only the TSI and TDI badging would help you tell which is which. The only exclusive design element on the outside is the GT badging on the grille, everything else is the same as the ones found on the Highline variant of the regular Polo. The design elements on the outside include:
- 15-inch ‘Estrada’ alloy wheels shod with 185mm section tyres
- Black finish headlamps
- ‘GT’ badging on the chrome grille
- Body coloured exterior door handles, ORVM covers and bumpers
Interior
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Step inside and you may fool yourself into thinking that there are no changes here too, until your eyes wander onto the gear-lever. The Polo GT TDI does get have the 6-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission that the GT TSI gets, instead it gets the 5-speed manual transmission found in the regular variants of the car. Here’s a list of interior design features, as with the exterior most of the things here can be found on the Highline variant of the regular Polo, the only exclusive items are the two-tone upholstery, the GT doorstep garnish and the aluminium pedals:
- Dual-tone (black and grey) ‘Milan Titanschwarz’ fabric upholstery
- Leather wrapped steering, gearshift lever and handbrake handle
- Chrome interior trim
- Aluminium pedal cluster
- ‘GT’ doorstep garnish
Paint Options
Features
Most of the features on the Volkswagen Polo GT TDI have been borrowed from the Higline variant of the regular car. The list of equipment is as follows:
- Height adjustable driver’s seat
- Climatronic automatic A/C
- Tilt and telescopically adjustable steering wheel
- Electrically adjustable ORVMs
- 2-DIN music system with USB/AUX/SD card slot. Plays through four speakers
- Bluetooth connecticity
- Multi-function controls on the steering
- Rear parking sensors
Safety features on the Polo GT TDI are as follows:
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
- Dual airbags at the front
Competition
The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI (105 BHP / 250 Nm / Rs. 8.08 Lakh) has no real competition in terms of engine performance figures. Here’s a list of hatchbacks that come close to it.
- Fiat Grande Punto Sport (92 BHP / 209 Nm / Rs. 7.38 Lakh)
- Hyundai i20 [Asta] (89 BHP / 220 Nm / Rs. 7.64 Lakh)
- Tata Indica Vista D90 [ZX+] (89 BHP / 200 Nm / Rs. 6.86 Lakh)
So what do you think of the Volkswagen Polo GT TDI? Let us know in the comments section below.
Updated on 11th September 2013
The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI, slated to become the most powerful hatchback (under Rs. 10 Lakh), will be launched in India on 13th September 2013. We have new details on what the Polo GT TDI will be offered with when launched.
Price
The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI will be priced at around Rs. 8 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Source: CarSizzler
Features
Engine and Transmission
We will tackle this aspect of the car first because it will be the talking point when the car is launched in India. As of now we know that Volkswagen will plonk a 1.6-litre turbocharged motor in the car. Unlike its petrol cousin the Polo GT TSI, the Polo GT TDI will not get the 7-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission, it will have to do with a 5-speed manual transmission. This has been done to keep the price of the car in check. There is speculation that Volkswagen will launch the Polo GT TDI with a 1.5-litre engine in 2014 to make the car eligible for duty cuts, we will have to wait and see if that is true.
Specifications:
- Engine: 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged, diesel engine
- Engine spec: 105 BHP of power, 250 Nm of torque
- Transmission: 5-speed manual
Styling
As with the Polo GT TSI, the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI will not receive any body kits or any special decals to differentiate it from the less powerful Polo variants (this is contrary to our earlier report below, we are as disappointed as you are). It will get the blink-and-miss GT and TDI badging around the car though. The changes, design-wise will be limited to the interiors.
Styling highlights:
- GT TDI badging on the grille, hatch-door and C-pillar
- Blackened headlamps
- Alloy wheels
- Chrome interior trim
- Aluminium pedals
- Leather wrapped steering wheel, gear shift knob
- Sporty black and grey seats with contrast stitching
Equipment
The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI is expected to mirror the Polo GT TSI in terms of equipment on board, we are assuming that the following will be available on the car:
- Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
- Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
- Automatic climate control system
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
- Electrically adjustable outside rear-view mirrors (OVRM)
- Rear parking sensors
- Steering mounted controls
- 2-DIN music system with USB/Bluetooth/AUX/SD card reader
We will be bringing you live updates from the launch event, bookmark this page for the latest news on the Volkswagen Polo GT TDI.
Let us know your thoughts on the car in the comments section below.
News Source: MotorBeam
Updated on 16th November 2012
This new Polo model will be India’s first hot hatchback as it will be powered by Volkswagen Vento’s 1.6 litre diesel engine. The 1.6 TDI polo will be named Volkswagen Polo GTD and will be distinguishable from other Polo models as it will feature styling enhancements such as a wider body kit, low profile tyres and other sporty add-ons.
Talking about the performance of the Polo GTD, alike other Polo models the GTD will weigh 90 kg less than the Vento but will have more power, thanks to the 1.6 litre diesel heart, so expectations are that it will perform significantly better.
Polo GTD will be heavily accessorised from head to toe and will be significantly costlier than other existing 1.2 diesel Polo as the excise duty will be higher on the bigger 1.6 litre engine.
In the past Volkswagen had introduced Polo 1.6 petrol for performance lovers but it did not attract much buyers and eventually was discontinued. The GTD will be positioned at the same place and once again Volkswagen is not expecting great numbers from this new model. The GTD will basically be model that will enhance the Polo brand in India in the long run.
We are very thrilled with this interesting news as the already good Polo will only get better by the addition of a powerful engine. Let’s see how well it works for the Polo brand.
Source – AutoCarIndia
