Volkswagen has re-introduced the automatic variants of the BS6 Polo and Vento with updated introductory prices that are different from when it was launched in March. Deliveries for both the cars will commence from September 15.
Volkswagen has re-introduced the automatic variants of the BS6 Polo and Vento with updated introductory prices. The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI AT is now priced at Rs 9.67 lakh while the Vento Highline Plus AT is priced at Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India). Currently, it is only these respective variants of the Polo and Vento that have been launched with the automatic gearbox and more variants will be added in the lineup later on. Bookings for both the models are now open at Volkswagen dealerships or can also be done via Volkswagen’s online portal.
Volkswagen had originally announced the prices of the automatic variants of the Polo and Vento way back in March. However, the pandemic and lockdown resulted in the deliveries getting delayed. Volkswagen has now said that the deliveries will commence on September 15. It is also interesting to note that the prices of the automatic variants of the BS6 Polo and Vento are different from what was announced in March. The Polo GT TSI was priced at Rs 9.59 lakh and is now Rs 8,000 more expensive. Meanwhile, the Vento Highline Plus AT is now Rs 30,000 more affordable, then being priced at Rs 13.29 lakh.
Previously, the automatic gearbox option was also available on the Polo Highline Plus and the Vento Highline variants. However, that does not seem to be on offer anymore, although it could be introduced at a later point of time. Comparing to its manual counterpart, the Vento Highline Plus AT is exactly Rs 1 lakh more expensive. As for the Polo GT TSI, it does not have an equivalent manual counterpart, though the closest that comes in terms of features is the Polo Highline Plus. The Polo GT TSI has a gap of Rs 1.65 lakh from its nearest manual variant.
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Under the hood, both the Volkswagen Polo and Vento continue to be powered by the 1.0L turbo-petrol engine which produces 110hp and 175Nm of torque. The automatic gearbox in question is a 6-speed torque converter unit. The Polo GT TSI has an ARAI-rated mileage of 16.47kpl while the Vento AT has a fuel-efficiency figure of 16.35kpl. Both these figures are lower than most of their rivals. The Polo is also available with a less powerful, 1.0L MPI naturally aspirated engine. However, this engine is not offered with the automatic gearbox.
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Volkswagen ditched the famed 7-speed DSG gearbox that was available with the automatic variants of the BS4-spec Polo and Vento as we stepped into the BS6 era. The switch to a torque converter automatic was made to achieve a more competitive pricing and to save costs. That has worked in favor of the Vento, as it reasonably less expensive than other petrol-automatic sedans like the Honda City (Rs 12.20-14.45 lakh), Hyundai Verna (Rs 11.95-13.99 lakh) and Toyota Yaris (Rs 9.56-14.30 lakh). The Polo AT is however considerably more expensive than petrol-automatic hatchbacks of similar size like the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios AMT (Rs 6.45-7.69 lakh) and Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT (Rs 6.66-8.02 lakh). The latter two are however AMTs.
