Volkswagen is finally pulling the plug on the Polo. From June this year, dealerships will stop taking Polo bookings. To celebrate Polo’s success, Volkswagen has launched the legendary version of Polo. It is priced at Rs. 10.25 lakh ex-showroom. Only 700 units of the Polo Legend version will be made.
The Polo was first launched in 2010 so it has been selling in India for the last 12 years. Over the years, Volkswagen has updated the Polo but the changes have been light. The design was mostly the same. The components inside the headlamp and tail lamp were replaced. The bumpers were also replaced with the facelifts. But the design was more or less the same.
March 2010
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Volkswagen launched the Polo in March 2010. It was offered with two engines, a petrol and a diesel engine. Both had 1.2-liter displacement and had three-cylinder units and weren’t really for the strong or the enthusiasts. The petrol engine produces 74 bhp of maximum power and 110 Nm of peak torque. The diesel engine produces 74 bhp of maximum power and 180 Nm of peak torque. Both engines were offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
September 2010
Enthusiasts wanted a more powerful engine that could take advantage of Polo’s playful chassis. So, Volkswagen has come up with a 1.6-liter, naturally ambitious petrol engine. It produces 103 bhp of maximum power and 153 Nm of peak torque. It was offered with the same 5-speed manual gearbox.
April 2013
2013 will be a favorite year for enthusiasts as Volkswagen replaces the 1.6-liter petrol engine with a new 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine that features direct injection. The engine comes in a new variant called GT TSI. The engine produces 103 bhp of maximum power and 1775 Nm of peak torque. The power output was similar to that of the 1.6-liter engine but the torque output was higher. In addition, the Volkswagen GT uses a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox for the TSI.
September 2013
GT TSI was very successful in the Indian market. So, Volkswagen has decided to take the 1.6-liter diesel engine from the Vento under the bonnet of the Polo. It was called GT TDI but it was not as successful as GT TSI. The engine produces 103 bhp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It was only offered with a manual gearbox.
July 2014
The 1.2 and 1.6 diesel engines were replaced with a new 1.5 diesel engine. It was given in two states of melody. There was a 90 hp and 230 Nm tune that was offered with most variants. Higher tune status was reserved for the GT TDI variant. It produces 105 hp and 250 Nm. It was only offered with a manual gearbox, there was no automatic transmission on offer.
November 2016
In 2016, Volkswagen launched the GTI version of the Polo. This is a three-door version brought in as a CBU that sold in limited numbers. It was priced in rupees. 25.99 lakh ex-showroom. The Volkswagen GTI came with a 1.8-liter TSI petrol engine that produces 190 bhp and 250 Nm.
March 2020
2020 was a bad year for many engines as BS6 emissions rules were introduced Volkswagen has discontinued its diesel engines and introduced a new 1.0-liter TSI petrol engine that produces 110 PS of maximum power and 175 Nm of peak torque. It was offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a new 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The offer also includes a 1.0-liter MPI for those on a budget. It produces 75 PS and 95 Nm.
The Polo was Volkswagen’s first mass-market car. They started with Phaeton, Touareg, Passat, Jetta and Beetle but Polo created the brand. Polo’s designs have been subtly refined over the years. It is still one of the best looking hatchbacks and probably the best driver hatchback. Volkswagen has no plans to bring the next generation of polo to our country, so the polo must be missed. .
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