All new Volkswagen POLO GT TSI

The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI- India’s Most Powerful Hatchback

After the successful venture of Volkswagen through their Polo and Vento, they have come
up with another hatchback-“A Beast of a kind”, The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. It is the GT
edition of the 1.2 L Polo that was earlier launched in 2009.

Exteriors

As far as the exteriors are concerned, it is the same as the 1.2 L Polo. It comes with

blackened headlight surrounds, fog lamps, sporty rear antenna, 15” Estrada alloy wheels

and 185/60 R15 Apollo Acceleres tyres. In fact, apart from the GT badge on the front grille

and boot, a TSI badge at the back and GT TSI stickers on the C-pillars, there is virtually

nothing to differentiate this car from any other regular Polo.

Its available in three colours- Candy White, Flash Red and Deep Black.

Interiors

The interiors are pretty decent, but nothing very much different from the normal highline

variant of Polo. It comes with DIN audio system with Bluetooth telephone connectivity,

automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, electrically

adjustable mirrors and the works. The seats are made of textile instead of leather and come

with a dual tone which looks elegant and is comfortable. And of course the gear shift stick

has been changed to automatic gear stick. The pedals have got a metal treatment on top.

But there is no dead pedal though, which is a drawback since the positioning of the left leg is

at an awkward position. Sadly there is no armrest either.

Engine

It boasts a 4 cylinder 1.2 L (1197CC to be exact) TSI Petrol Engine (Turbocharged Stratified

Injection) under the hood. It can deliver a massive power of 105 PS @ 5000 RPM. The

engine torque is pretty massive.175 NM @ a diesel like RPM of 1500 to 4100 RPM, all

thanks to the powerful TSI engine technology of Volkswagen and the sweet 7 speed DSG

transmission. It is India’s first petrol hatchback with a turbocharged engine.

Transmission

The Polo GT TSI comes with a 7 speed DSG automatic gearbox. DSG or Direct Shift Gearbox

(Dual Clutch Technology) is amongst the first in Indian Hatchbacks. The 7 forward gears do

a lot good to this beast. Even though there is a tiptronic manual mode for the gear, which is

the typical “Fast and Furious” setup, there isn’t a good control on the RPM. The car reaches

high speeds before we are unaware due to the 7DSG, but it really lacks a paddle shifter.

The car delivers high performance at higher speeds, but is a matter of concern during

bumper to bumper traffic, during which the DSG shifts between 1 and 2 a bit too harshly

than normal gearboxes which can be annoying due to jerks.

Handling

As like the regular Polo, the Polo GT TSI comes with a sturdy body thus making it a stiff

ride. The steering is not all that responsive, but the chassis is brilliantly designed and

is communicative letting you understand the grip levels right from your seat. On the

downside, with the high power and torque delivered, VW had to come up with better tyres

than the stock 185/60 R15 Apollo Acceleres. It has a tendency to produce understeers while

pushing into corners, or while trying to exit corners while the foot is on the gas.

As far as the suspensions are concerned, it is pretty low and gives a lower feeling than what

it really is. The stock alignment can’t be changed, neither in the front or the rear. But the

suspension does its job. The ride gets better as the car goes faster.

Now for the braking, the Polo GT TSI comes with a unique rear drum setup. It also uses

digital braking, i.e. Brake pedal connected to a digital signal generator that goes to brake

master cylinder. It is like drive by wire/electronic throttle. This is why the brakes lack any

feel. Whatever 'feel' you get is the stupid feedback from the controller, like a force feedback

game pedals. Practically they have pretty good brakes, just that it needs time to get used to.

Mileage

Mileage is a matter of concern for hatchbacks especially in India. The GT badge makes it a

less appealing issue but still needs to give moderate mileage. ARAI claim a mileage of 17.2

kmpl, which is definitely too high for a GT hatchback. In practice it delivers about 11kmpl in

city and about 15kmpl in highways. But for enthusiasts who like to get the power out of the

engine will find it difficult. Pressing hard on the gas can drop mileage to a mere 9 kmpl

Pricing

The Polo GT TSI has only a highline variant and is priced at decent rate of 7.99 lakhs (ex-

showroom Delhi). On road it can account to a price near 10 lakhs.

Verdict

It’s a monster powered hatchback with a 7DSG and TSI engine all at an affordable and

attractive price of 7.99 lakhs. It is completely worth buying this hot hatch if petrol isn’t a

concern.

reviewed by Ashwath Ramesh & Javis Jamal