Volkswagen Polo [2012-2014] User Reviews

Friends, I was amongst the first ones to buy the Polo.  I thought that German engineering will be excellent, but I was in for a rude shock.  The car keeps pulling to the left - so much that within 100 meters of driving you will be in the 4th lane from the 1st.  I have taken the car to the workshop thrice in the last 4 weeks.  The first time they said its an alignment issue which they have rectified and returned the car - but the defect was never rectified.  I had to take the car back to the service station the very next day.  This time around they claim that they got Engineers from their Pune plant to check.  The alignment was fine tuned again and I was told that the car is fine.  Far from it!  I really wonder what the Engineer from Pune did, but the car kept pulling to the left - and that too heavy pulling.  And the service manager had the audacity to tell me that I may have driven the car over pot holes and thats why this problem may have occured.  I did give him a piece of my mind - there are potholes all over Mumbai.  I think VW expects that people should buy their car in Mumbai but drive in Germany!!  So I had to call the service station again and tell them that the problem continues.  This time I insisted that an Engineer should come and do a test drive with me.  They were kind enough to send an engineer and we did a joint trial, only to the acute embarassment of the engineer who had to sheepishly admit that the heavy pulling still continues.  So the car was back to the service station for the 3rd time. 

After keeping the car for more than a week, the wise Engineers from VW came to the conclusion that the tyres are faulty and need to be replaced.  Brilliant!! so what are you waiting for?  Just replace the tyres.. Not so easy.... The tyre vendor - Apollo Tyres needs to come and check.  And Apollo Tyres did come and check, and what did they have to say - there is no fault with their tyres.  They are perfectly fine.  And then the service engineer again calls me to inform that the tyres are fine and the car is now fine.... so then i ask why and how did your engineers conclude that the tyres were faulty?? ANswer - they THOUGHT the tyres were faulty, but apparently they are not.  the car is now fine (which is what they told me thrice before).  So I am now stuck!!  There is a manufacturing defect which the company refuses to admit and I am being forced to take the car back WITHOUT the defect being rectified.  Such is the ROTTEN service levels of Volkswagen - a supposedly reputed German engineering company!!!

I dont know what to do and feel completely anguished and helpless.   I am thinking of taking the Company to the Consumer Court - hopefully that should wake up the Company! It's worth trying.

But new buyers - beware!!  They have only 1 service station in Mumbai, and if you land up in a similar problem - GOD save you, because VW certainly wont.

 

 

 

Good interiorsShoddy service

Exterior

 Looks awesome with absoultely no panel gaps(when compared to any other car in the segment).The wheel caps fits in really tight into the wheel and the chances of it getting off due to hard braking or hitting a pothole at high speeds might be very remote.The car comes with halogen lamps fitted in as standard fitment, the illumination at night is quite adequate.The ground clearance is good at 168 mm,even with 5 passengers onboard at times and running on some of the biggest speadbreakers the car did not bottom out.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 The interiors has a very good feel with dual tone interiros of black and beige.It is very basic and easy to use.It gives an upmarket feel and again the panel gaps are very minimal and the plastics used are of good quality.The glove box is huge and also has coin holders and a place to keep your sun glasses.So far the best interiors that i have seen in the B+ segment(except Jazz) in terms of quality.however the floor carpet is also beige in colour and might me an issue in indian conditions since it will be difficult to maintain and clean.the seats are quite comfy and are neither soft or hard its just perfect.Did not have any fatiguness even after driving for more than 350+ kilometers.The interior space is slightly cramped.but quite comfortable for four passengers who are around 5'10 inches(if the driver and the co-passenger is about 6 feet with passengeres in the rear seat are 5.8 it will not be a problem).the passenger(a fully grown adult) is possble but for short journeys.

The AC is an absolute chiller.Cools the cabin really fast.

One thing i found surprising in the car is their is no engine temperature guage,very strange.

The central lock is just their because it had to be provided with the car.Neither does it lock automatically(has to be manually locked) but the doors can be opened by pulling the door lever without unlocking the doors,is a safety issue for me when childrens on board or accidentaly a sleeping passenger opening the door. 

The car could have had come with some basic features such as vanity mirror,dead paddle,lever to open the boot from inside,music system with USB and AUX,etc if not for expensive features such as electrically adjusted ORVM,climate control,better tyres.etc

But ,except the central locking all the features offered in the car are good.the build quality is very impressive.With additional features the cost of the car would have definately shot up and would have been in the league of Jazz which would have made it out of reach for many.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 The engine is a 3 pot,1200 CC which churns out 75 HP.It is very peppy and driving in city is a breeze.Yo can pull the car in the first gear a little over 50 KM/HR.This really helps in stop and go traffic.However the clutch pedal has longer moment when compared to other small cars in the segment.The cars pulls up really fast upto 120 KM/HR and post which it takes some time to reach the top speed.

The engine is fairly audible when you are working around high speeds at lower gears.It is not at all an issue till you touch the 120 - 125 KM/HR.It becomes a little bit noisy post this in 5th gear.but with the music system on its not at all an issue.

Though the car shakes when you start it,their is no sign of vibration at all post that.

The FE in City is around 12 KM/LTR and around 16 KM/LTR on the highway with the AC on about 90% of the time.

The car is very stable at even higher speeds.Was able to touch a top speed of 155 KM/HR and man the car was planted on the ground and never made me feel that i was crusing at 155 KM/HR.No car in this segment has given me this feel till date.You definately feel that you are driving a much bigger car. 

The braking even without ABS is good.Had to brake harshly at around 90 KM/HR and the car stopped with the wheels not getting locked.only in the end the wheels did lock a bit while stopping.It was a surprise for me and was very satisfied with this.  

The gear shit is really smooth and has short throws.one must get used to the gear box since at times you might accidentaly shift to reverse in the process of shifting to the 1st gear.Here am just trying to say that it is so smooth that you wont realise.to shift to the reverse gear you have press the gear lever downwards and then move it reverse which is next to the first gear.

Ride Quality & Handling

 Ride quality at higher speeds is outstanding,however the ride quality at lower speeds is a bit stiff.The car handles really well on corners.tested it on HP bend curves at slightly unusual speeds and it manges to hold on to the road really well with absolutely no body roll.The stock tyres are a let down if you are looking at perfomace driving. i recokn an upgrade to a Michelin or a Yokohama.The stock tyres at high speeds are noisy and do not give you that comfortable feel while braking hard.

Final Words

 A good package.Though some expensive and basic features are missing in the car.VW has done a great job of building this car for india at this price.The list of features might be less when compared to the competetion but the quality of whatever is been put in is much superior than the competetion.For me it's value for money.

Areas of improvement  

 More powerful engine,Basic features to be added,improve dealership,Change the central locking.refinment of exisitng 3 pot engine.

 

Stability at high speeds,quality of interiors,Handling and braking.Some basic features missing,engine refinement,slightly underpowered,thin dealership

Exterior

 The Exterior looks awesome. all thanks to the german designs, looks very similar to the itilian one. Love it. Even the back is excellent being the hatchback

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 the dashbord and the doors are very beautifully designed. love those when sitting inside it. it makes me feel like a sedan sitting inside.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 the silent engine performs excellent. fuel economy is ver good. even in city the engine is very cool. heat level seldom goes mid of the meter

Ride Quality & Handling

 handling is superb. i must say that it is designed for indian roads only. the suspensions are really to be considered here very good. the ride quality is even better than swift dzire

Final Words

 if its your first car...and you are planning to buy the hatch back, close your eyes and sit inside this vehical. its erally superb. you will love it if youll sit inside once.

it your first car is a volkswagen then all your following cars would be volkswagen...nothing else is better in economy in front of VW

Areas of improvement  

 Height of car seems line the honda city is having. it should be raised to swift level...thats all. it actually doesnt matters but height improvement would make it the best hatchback among all competitors...

 

Front and Rear StylingHeight is a bit lower

Exterior:  Ok, though a little outdated desin on fron end

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort):  Climate Control AC missing, pretty shocking for top version of a car that is supposedly "premium". VW is short changing Indian buyers.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox: Decent, but acceleration could have been better.

 

Ride Quality & Handling: Good

 

Final Words: The top (Comfortline) version ONLY offers 2 air bags, vs. 6 air bags on the Hyundai I20 top version. So, if you are in a major accident, partcularly side impact crash, you are putting yourself in grave danger in the VW Polo. Surprisingly, VW offers side & curtain air bags on POLO's OVERSEAS, but obviously considers it can short change Indian customers &  that Indian customers lives have no value. 

I am surprised that Ministry of Surface Transportation & Ministry of Industry allow MNC's like VW to short change Indian customers & fleece them on the price front with blatant disregard to the safety & lives of the Indian car buyers.

 

Areas of improvement: SAFETY.

trunk spaceInternational Safety Features Missing

 

Exterior Its a car designed brilliantly.. The design is very simple and will appeal for a decade... The design is not as futuristic as i20 or Jazz or as classical as Punto. Its mixed with future and classic.. A simple word to describe about Polo design is "A CUTE AND NEAT CAR" in the segment.... Build Quality is excellent.. Fit and finish impeccable. No other cars in the price range can't match with Polo in   terms of Build Quality, Fit and Finish. Paint quality is top notch, Note the Wheels are fitted with 5 bolts usually 4 in other cars(BUILD QUALITY).... Enough ground clearance... But the Front bumper is too low as compared to other cars, Chance to get damage.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) COME IN YOU WILL GET SURPRISED, IS IT SMALL CAR?  Yes Absolutely this is not a small car when you see the quality of materials used Brilliant!!! S for this price we cannot get this good quality car from any another manufacturers. The front seats are very good and ideal for long drives. The boot is enough to load some 2-3 days 4 persons trips.. All the Power Windows are one touch operation First in the segment

NEGATIVES: The main problem lies inside the car, that is rear seat space.. Simply it is cramped.. But it's slightly better than Swift. As compared to Polo the i20,Vista,Fabia and Jazz is better option, Some necessary features like Climate control,Electric Adjustable Mirrors are absent. Only one Glove box is available.. Its big and more then enough.. But its good if they add a small box for coin holders(The coin holder in glove box is not useful, will create sounds in driving) The Dashboard is bit a high and the Steering reach/rake lever touches the driver's leg. The Front Driver side wiper is placed wrongly.. We cannot release it to clean the windshield. The wiper touches the Bonnet.. If we want to release the wiper we want ti open the bonnet.. Which is an irritating one... For Highline spec the tyre is 185/60 R15 but the spare tyre is 170/65R14(MISMATCH WILL CREATE SOME PROBLEM TO CARS LIFE) We cannot place the 15 inch tyre in the spare tyre place.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The engines available in the car are not the best in the segment... when i test drive the diesel car the engine has large amount of clatter and its clearly audible inside.. Very bad... Even the petrol has Vibrations and noise but the noise is well insulated.. but the vibration is there in the dash and gear lever.

My car is petrol Only 500 kms driven. The engine noise is there.. But its not to bad. the noise is well insulated. Nowhere near to Jazz or Swift(BEST IN THE SEGMENT IN TERMS OF REFINEMENT) The polo surprises in the way of driving. The car pulls even from 30 in 5 gear. It's very helpful to drive in and around city very little gear changes. 

Now I drives the car without A/C and below 60kmph.. So it returned 20kmpl.. I reached 25.5kmpl as the top Believe me It's true. Gearbox is an absolute gem very light and precise. other cars are away from Polo. The performance is decent.. It cannot compete with the Swift or Jazz in terms of performance.. Polo scores in the Driving Experience  

Ride Quality & Handling

Ride quality is awesome. It has very good handling (not as fun as Swift). The car tackles all the potholes in the road. .What u can feel is that U are sitting in a class above car. As I drove the car in 60kmph I can't say about high speed stability. Its easy to handle the car in the city. The steering is very light and weights when it corners a bit hard. The car is good to handle the Indian roads.

Final Words

The VW has a winner in its hands. VW is in the competitive market..  There are so many rivals for Polo, What I recommend for new buyers is wait for some month and get a brilliant car. This car will create lots of memories. U can own this car for life time without any trouble.

Areas of improvement The Polo lacks in the Engine department and left out some essential features for the price, VW priced the Polo correctly(Diesel Polo is priced high not as good as SWIFT OR FIGO), VW should consider seriously to deliver the car as quick as possible otherwise pupil will go with some other cars as plenty of options are available.

Need to improve the engine (Add a cylinder and add 10 bhp for both the engines), Rear seat space (improve the wheelbase about 30mm), Correct the diesel car price(A bit high), Deliver the Car quickly, Adjust the Wiper, Change the spare tyre to 15inch for High line spec.

UPDATION:

          REALLY Super car...  Now I drives the car at 3 digit speeds also... Braking is excellent. At 100KMPH the stabilty of the car is super...(above 100kmph I didn't drive the car) U can't find that the car is going at 100 kmph without seeing the Speedo...  Now my car gives a good mileage  its 17 in full tank check.. The car drives mostly in 4th gear.. For that 17kmpl is excellent....

Enjoys the driving with Polo

GOOD QUALITY, NORMAL PRICE, AMAZING FUEL ECONOMY,SOLID CARESSENTIAL FEATURES MISSING,REAR SEAT CRAMP,DRIVER SIDE WIPER CANNOT BE ADJUSTED FOR CLEANIN PURPOSE

Exterior Superb exteriors. I got a black beauty. The truly black one which is absolutely seamless, no breaks in the exterior. Excellent headlights. Everywhere the German engineering excellence shows. The little things - chassis number is visible through a glass in the front, the rear opener thru the VW handle (I found this really cool). Looks like a large car. Tough, heavy doors which give a feeling of security.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Again the little things stand out - central locking which can be opened from inside, nice pleasant colors inside, good seats (not too soft, not too hard). I did 700 km in 3 days and did not have a back pain (unlike the earlier one which shall remain unnamed). It screams functionality and elegance everywhere. The lights come on very softly, without a click. My Son, who is all of 6ft sat at the back for 350 KM and did not complain of cramps, tha is how good the sapce inside is. Whether it is the high speeds on the highway (I did touch 140) or the ball breaking speedbreakers of bangalore, you dont feel a thing, esp the latter. The car handles very nicley. The only disquieting issue was at lower speeds, there is a bit of a noise from the engine, i.e. till about 25KMPH, aftet that you dont hear a thing. The music system is also very finctional and very very elegant.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox I got an economy of around 11 in the city and around 17 on the highway. The gear is smooth, really smooth without any of the jerks that I have seen in cars of this size.

Ride Quality & Handling Excellent ride quality and superb handling, esp in the thick traffic in the city, the steering is very responsive, without being too slippery. After the first 100 KM, you can actually feel the sterring responding to every single action of yours almost instantaneously.

Final Words The only problem with the VW is the absolutely horrendous buying experience. Now, I dont know whether it is by design or accident, but the dealer is the God (not even the company, mind you). They made my buying experience so frustrating and horrible that I was forced to write to the Managing Director of the company and am still waiting for an answer. The staff is rude, untrained and totally and absolutely unprofessional. The other thing VW may want to look at is a process of escalation. For instance, if you want to talk to someone in VW, you cannot.. you get to a call centerwho tell you what they are told to say 'we will get back to you' 'we have passed on your complaints to the appropriate authorities' etc.

This is one area where VW has stumbled, and badly. So much so that I think committed buyers like me will think twice before going in for another VW (I was considering the Jetta for self), due to the attitude.

Just to recap the words of a famous ad 'when you make a great car, you dont make a great fuss' in selling it.

Handling at high speeds, interiors and the safety featuresAt lower speeds makes a bit of noise. Buying experience is harrowing (so bad that have written to VW

Exterior

 The decent looking car with classic looks would be a tough miss for your eyes. The size looks massive with a heavy look to load up the road. The clean designs reflects a proper and premium family car. Moreover the Volkswagen logo on the front justifies everything

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 Once step in you doesn't think that this is small offering from the volkswagen group. The interiors are much spacious with good leg room. The car carries much features as expected from a premium hatchback. Space adds numbers to the comfort level

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 The car is amazing when its come to acceleration with high engine performance. The fuel economy of the car is good as per the engine. The car genarates power of 70 ps with a 1.2L petrol engine , which is quite low while compared to its competitors. But inspite of this it have a great pickup with fuel economy. If you are looking POLO as a sports car then go for 1.6L engine that genrates enough power which will not let you fall sleep.

Ride Quality & Handling

 The car weight feels well distributed at corners and ride quatlity of the car is great. The car is equiped with features like ABS and EBD which ensures that braking is not an issue and helps you to have more control on road

Final Words

 Excellent offering from the Volkswagen, a true people's car. Would like to say one word- Decent, whether we say looks, design, fuel economy, performance, power, features, safety. I think its justified 'Its true value for money'.

Areas of improvement  

 Do we need to add anything. But lets see let the car performs on the Indian roads by the indian drivers

 

Decent looks and style, Performance, SpaceCan't Say

Exterior

 Neat lines, amazingly good looking from all angles. Neat layout of head and rear lamps. No portruding wheel arches (unlike swift and i-20) is classy. The paint finish and quality complements the excellence. I've been driving my Polo since last 5 months, and the car still shines. Panel gaps are consistent across the body. The car pays attention to details, which all panels are dampned to ensure no irritating rattling.  

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 The dash layout is understated and elegant. It does not have the jazzy or 'cool' looks, but is pure class. It strikes chord with the matured who value function over fun. The plastics are hard though, and I wish it were soft. Front seats are very supportive and comfortable. Comfortline has height adjustable seats whereas the steering panel is adjustable for reach and rake. Getting a comfortable seating position is easy. Gear box is slick and gear shift smooth. Small gear throw for a diesel car is very welcome and comfortable to operate. The color combination is practical unlike all beige or all black layout. The quality and feel of operating levers, buttons, horn, gear is pleasing. For sure one does not feel bored or tired living with this layout.

On the flip side, the power window buttons are not illuminated and neither boast single touch function. The native seats get soiled very easily. The music system lacks usb support, which feels like unnecessary omission. I also miss the all 4 electic window buttons on driver side. 

Ride Quality & Handling

Ride quality is very composed, and road undulations and bumps are absorbed with ease. Handling is good for the size of the car, though the power does not live up to exploit the dynamics.

Final Words

 1.2 D is amazing value for money. Its a league above the existing japanese and korean makes and build to last. VW will very soon take over our heads and minds :-)

Did I forget to mention the economy? I get 20 - 21 KMPL in city driving with AC on 90% of the times.

Areas of improvement  

Add features - single touch electric windows, illuminated power window buttons, remote locking. Bring the 1.4 diesel unit here.

 

Looks, High speed stability, EconomyRear leg room, engine sluggish below 1500 RPM

Exterior:- it has good and dashing looks.it is excellent if we see its exterior.it is good because of its manufacturer volkswagen.there all cars superb like beetle.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort):- the cars interior is good but it should have more features in it.space is good rear seats have quite less space but all over it is good for a family.seats are comfortable and very good all over.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox:- the performance of its engine is good and enjoyable but not more than swift or ritz.fuel economy is also very good but again not more than swift.

 

Ride Quality & Handling:- ride quality of this car is quite good and handling ride also.it is like hyundai i20.person who is buying i20,fabia or jazz will go with this car. 

 

Final Words:- i will say only that swift is better choice if we compare both because no one can defeat swift because it is dominating car of india. 

Areas of improvement  they should improve there engine performance which is main thing in cars.all over i will give this car 3.5 out of 5.

it has good fuel economy in its diesel version but i dont know about its petrol version.its fuel economy is not good in petrol like if we see there other cars like jetta,passat.