The Volkswagen Polo has always been a sturdy car with fantastic build quality and is, according to us, the most sophisticated looking hatchback in the country.
The only major gripes with Polo were the below-par 1.2L 3-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. However, with the introduction of the turbocharged 1.2L GT TSI and 1.6L GT TDI, things got better, much better! But they also brought with them a high price tags.
The Polo though has not seen any major upgrade since 2009 when it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show, and was given its due when its updated version was showcased at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. There has been reports of Volkswagen launching the Polo facelift in India and they have been spied a few times as well. And now, Overdrive.in claims that the launch of the facelifted Polo is slated for July 2014.
In terms of exterior refurbishment, the Polo is to get a new front grille which is thinner than the one in the present generation. The front bumper is slightly re-designed with the fog lamps pointing downwards, while the present iteration have them pointing upwards.
The outside rear view mirrors (ORVMs) continue to be two toned but have more rounded edges. The headlamps cluster though has been restructured, making way for LED DRLs. Frankly, you would need your dad’s eyeglasses to make out the differences the new Polo will be lent with.
However, the biggest change is under the hood – the new diesel engine. The 1.6L engine has been downsized to 1.5L, yet producing (expected) similar figures of 105PS of power and 250Nm of torque. It will be mated to the DSG automatic gearbox. We are not sure if it will also get a manual transmission.
With this, Volkswagen must axe the 1.2L tractor-sounding diesel mill (which doesn’t look very probable). The new 1.5L engine will ensure that Polo continues to get the sub-4 meter small car excise duty relief. Quite obviously, the new 1.5L motor will later be plonked on to the Vento as well as the Rapid and possibly on the Next-Gen Fabia which has been recently confirmed for our markets.
Related: Speculation: Volkswagen India May Launch Sportier T-ROC Rather than Taigun
