[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Mayank Tumbre

Keep in mind, TDI parts might be more difficult to find and more expensive to purchase due to the scarcity of diesel Polos.

I am already having this problem. Just like VW didn't specify plastic parts for the lifetime of the car, they are not specifying after-sales service to include parts availability.

We seem to be OK on mechanical parts* for my 2014GT TDI so far, but not so lucky on miscellaneous buts of trim. Being something of a classic car, I hope other supply avenues will open up.



*Did get two new headlight housings this year. Along with a new number plate, they really make the car look youger

[Samba]

A mini review of my wife's Polo 1.2 Mpi Highline+

The first time I drove a Polo was in 2010, when it was newly launched. I liked its build quality and neat German design, but never considered buying it.

But back then, I was a hardcore Fiat fan, so a Punto always was my first choice.
Fast forward to 2015, when we were replacing our Alto K10, we had a budget of 6L. We considered the Brio, the Swift, and the Punto EVO. The Punto evo was exceeding our budget by a couple of lacs. The Polo was available for 6L on the road, but I was not keen on getting a 3-cylinder petrol. I loved the Polo 1.6, but in 2015, the 1.2 TSI was available, and I wanted a manual. Later, we picked the old-gen Figo TDCI.

But the Polo had to enter our family! My wife, Bhpian DogNDamsel12, is a big-time Polo fan. She had a Polo from 2014 to 2017, then she again bought a Polo in 2018.

Now the car's odo is at 72,000 km.

I have been driving this car on and off for the last 50,000 km.

The good part -

I never had much hope from this car. The first time I drove this car, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a great speed masking capability. This little hatch was cruising at ease at around 110-120 km/hr.

No, it's not a drag race champion, but if you worked on gears, this car can be driven pretty fast. Shift at 2500+ rpm, you are good to go. Despite being a 3-cylinder motor, this engine is quite rev-happy. If I want to have fun, I shift at 4000+ rpm and it picks up speed quite F-A-S-T. With proper shifting, this car can be fun.

The gear shift is precise with short throws.

The handling is beautiful, the steering is precise, though the old-gen Ford Figo was even better! The firm suspension ensures one can take corners at a good speed. This car, being a highline+, is shod with 195/55/R16 wheels. Currently, it is running on Yokohama Earth1, and we are satisfied with the grip level. Better tires will improve things further.

The brakes are progressive and confidence-inspiring. Even under hard braking, the car stops without a fuss or any kind of drama.

The AC does its job well.

The double-barrel headlight unit with halogen bulbs lights the road well.

The ergonomics is pretty good. I love the small yet nifty features like the telescopic steering, all four power windows have the one-touch up/down feature! If you lock the car from outside, the windows get automatically rolled up! I never had any of these features in any of my cars!

Though the motor is audible and noisy from the outside, the NVH level inside the cabin is quite good.

This is a good car for long-distance travel. The front seats are comfortable, though the rear seats are a bit cramped. I have done a few 500+ km trips with this car. My wife has done Delhi-Kolkata thrice in this car. Due to non-existent body roll, great NVH, awesome speed masking capability, backed up by a good AC & music system, the fatigue level is very less.

The car has been fairly reliable until now.

Last but not least, the build quality is impressive. We still enjoy that old heavy feel, that thuds from all four doors, the rattle-free interior. This build quality is missing in today's cars.

Plus, the timeless design of the Polo never gets old. Every time you park the car, you will look back at it.

Now the bad part-

Though this car can be driven fast and revved at higher RPM, the K12 motor from MSIL is more refined and rev-happy. Without proper shifting or revving the engine, this car will be slower compared to the other 1.2s. This engine is more suited for relaxed driving. The Polo 1.6 petrol or the 1.0 TSI are in a different league.

Though the gearshift throw is short and precise, the clutch throw is long. This car requires a lot of downshifts. This is an irritant in city driving. I prefer to stick between the 2nd and 3rd in city driving.

The suspension is great on good roads, but on bad roads, this car crashes into potholes or rough patches/undulating surfaces, or uneven expansion joins. On bad roads, one needs to drive carefully.

If something needs to be rectified, either VW charges a premium, or most of the FNGs goof up.

Poor fuel efficiency. In city traffic, the MID shows figures in single digits! Even on the highways to achieve something around 15 km/L, one has to drive light-foot.

Issues faced till date-

1. The battery was replaced twice in these 6.5 years.
   
2. 4 new tires were replaced at 40,000 km
   
3. Brake pads were replaced at 40,000 km
   
4. At 43,000 km, the steering rack was replaced under warranty.
   
5. Suspension work was done at 65,000 km. Four new shock absorbers, both side lower arms, and link rods, along with the bushes, were replaced.
6. For a suspension work, we have given this car to a reputed FNG in Kolkata. On receiving the car, I noticed the ball joints were fitted incorrectly. They rectified that, and even then, something was amiss.
   
7. Then I took the car to HB Auto Needs, got everything opened once again to find the link rods to be wrongly fitted. All these goof-ups made by the first FNG were rectified later at H.B AutoNeeds.
   
8. The timing belt, along with the tensioner pulley, was replaced at 65,000 km.
   
9. A few times, the check engine light came up. I cleared it up with my OBD scanner. It was coming after high-speed runs, say around 120+ km/hr. From the error code, I figured it was coming from the air intake system. So we cleaned the MAF sensor, opened and refitted the air intake pipes, and now it's sorted.
   
10. Another poorly designed aspect is the placement of the ABS sensors. After the monsoons, every 2-3 years, a couple of ABS sensors need to be changed. I tried cleaning it. It sometimes works. But it's on your luck!
    
11. So, barring the regular service cost, the repair bill for 72,000 km is around Rs 80,000. If I consider an average of the routine service cost of Rs 5,000 yearly, then it will add to another Rs 35,000. So the rough estimate will be Rs 1.15 L. This comes to roughly Rs 1.60 per km. For a petrol naturally aspirated car, I will say this to be slightly on the higher side.

Which car can replace a Polo?

My vote is for the Kylaq, and my wife's vote is for the Kylaq and the Grand Vitara.

She loved my Duster AWD, and she found the Grand Vitara to be the closest contender to the Duster!

So our mutual decision so far is to retain the Polo and save our money and use it for travelling!

Few pics of our Polo-

The owner taking care of her car!



Driving is my therapy! Cars with opposite characters! Both are fun in their own ways!



Us









3 Idiots!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Polo love!

Indeed such a good-looking car!

[Meloth1991]

Ah, the Volkswagen Polo 1.2 Comfortline – my first car right out of college and still one of the most memorable drives I’ve owned. Clocked close to 60,000 km with it. It never once gave up on me, even on the worst of ghat sections or those unplanned midnight detours.

What made the journey even more fun were the quirky mods I did over the years – a custom matte black roof wrap, side decals, after market alloys, upgraded headlights.

While it wasn’t the most powerful machine on paper, the Polo’s solid build and planted feel on highways gave me tons of confidence, especially on those long solo drives. It truly was more than just a car – it was freedom, discovery, and a whole lot of memories.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by Samba

[b]
Which car can replace a Polo?

My vote is for the Kylaq, and my wife's vote is for the Kylaq and the Grand Vitara.
She loved my Duster AWD, and she found the Grand Vitara to be the closest contender to the Duster!

She will get the Duster back. Bigger & better. Wait till Q2-2026. The new Duster will be coming in. It'll have the 1.3 direct injection turbo petrol, (which you test drove), which Renault shares with Mercedes. They've tuned this engine to meet BS-6 and it is a very, very nice powertrain.

Only thing: you won't get AWD. Renault won't offer it in India.

[vshankarhere]

Polo is one such car, even if launched today, would never look out of trend. In fact, it would be the most sleek and hot looking hatch even today, especially in that Flame Red exterior color! That and Punto!

[ads295]

We have a 2011 Polo 1.2 MPI in our family. I concur with everything you've mentioned.
It's a 3 cylinder so NVH will never be at par with 4cyl engines.

Our car has been very reliable as well and fuss free to boot, barring wear and tear items such as the suspension.

I've been able to achieve 19kmpl on the highway between 80-100kmph.

All said and done I myself didn't have many expectations (probably because the car was pre-owned) but it's proved itself to be a solid buy.

10/10 would recommend.

[DogNDamsel12]

Originally Posted by arjab

Only thing: you won't get AWD. Renault won't offer it in India.

I wish the AWD was launched in India. I felt Samba's old Duster was an all-rounder in every way. And we have had lots of fun with it.

Originally Posted by Meloth1991

What made the journey even more fun were the quirky mods I did over the years – a custom matte black roof wrap, side decals, after market alloys, upgraded headlights.

May be you should post more photos of the car.

Samba, pleasantly surprised to see a review of the Polo and some really awesome pictures that you pulled out.

I had posted a brief of my experience with the 2 Polos previously, when VW ended the Polo legacy (Adieu VW Polo | A sweet farewell).

Some of the nifty features that you mentioned are indeed cute and helpful - the dead pedal is a relief for a person with back ache like me, being able to lock or unlock the windows from outside on a hot summer's day before you enter the car.

In terms of design of the interiors, I have always felt that there is a place for everything and everything is in its place - ample modularity with appropriate holders, 12V, a touchscreen mixed with physical buttons for sound control etc., and the screen doesn't flash bling into my eyes while driving, the Odometer and the various readings are helpful to track.

I know the gear has to be shifted a few times, especially on bad roads or with erratic traffic, but one doesn't take long getting used to it. Plus, in cities with proper road surface quality, it doesn't pose a problem.

In terms of service, I was cautioned about the service quality - I didn't face any challenge while in Delhi apart from the fact that it is expensive to keep this car.

Also, not the fastest initially and I did find the Lord Alto gunning past as soon as the lights turned green.

In any case, even with its little compromises, the Polo has spoilt me. It will take a lot for me to give this car up.

We like different cars for different reasons - the GV fits some bills perfectly. Since you already have the Jimny for a 4x4, plus MSIL is fuss-free service.

[sanyog26]

We bought our 1.2 MPI MT petrol VW Polo Highline in Sept 2010. Has been fairly reliable over the years barring AC issues twice in the past 4 years and the power steering giving up last month.

Due to NGT rule, need to replace it soon (being in Delhi).

Some recent pics..

[sanyog26]

Some pictures