Volkswagen Stops Producing The Polo In India

As the 12-year journey of VW’s popular hatchback comes to a close, we look over some of its highlights

• The fifth-gen Polo entered production at VW’s Pune plant in 2009 with the launch in 2010.

• Volkswagen gave it a couple of powertrain, features and cosmetic upgrades over the decade-plus period.

• It got a special version in the form of the ‘Legend Edition’ for its sendoff.

• The final Polo came with two petrol engines with both manual and automatic gearbox options.

• Features onboard included rain-sensing wipers, a touchscreen, and cruise control.

• It was priced from Rs 6.45 lakh to Rs 10.25 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India).

Volkswagen recently announced that it will be pulling the plug on its popular hatchback, the Polo, in India. The curtains have closed on the Polo as we got it now that the carmaker has stopped manufacturing the model entirely. 

The Polo, which was introduced in its fifth-gen avatar in India, was on sale for 12 years in the nation. During this period, it received a couple of facelifts and minor updates, while segment rivals underwent multiple generational changes. With the discontinuation of the hatch, Volkswagen’s new entry-level offering for India will be the upcoming Virtus sedan.

While the Polo is gone for now, it is poised to return in a new avatar. Volkswagen India’s brand director, Ashish Gupta, in a recent interview with us had said, "For Polo it is not goodbye, it is au revoir (goodbye until we meet again)", making us believe that the carmaker will bring the sixth-gen model by 2023.

Related: Volkswagen To Quit India? VW India Director Ashish Gupta Responds To Rumours

Just before stopping production, Volkswagen India introduced a special version of the Polo, called the ‘Legend Edition’. It was based on the top-spec GT TSI trim of the hatch with the 115PS 1-litre turbo-petrol engine. It simply got a couple of cosmetic differences over the standard model including ‘Legend’ badges and side body graphics.

Also Read: Volkswagen Commences Production Of The Virtus Sedan

Volkswagen had commenced production of the Polo in 2009 in India followed by its market launch in 2010. During its 12-year stint, it got three facelifts in 2012, 2014, and 2019, respectively. The refreshes included powertrain and feature upgrades as well.

In the BS6 era, the Polo was a petrol-only offering. It came with two engine options: a 1-litre MPI unit (75PS/95Nm) and a 1-litre TSI turbo-petrol unit (110PS/175Nm). While the former is mated to a 5-speed MT, the latter gets a standard 6-speed MT and an optional 6-speed AT. Before the BS6 switch, Volkswagen offered the Polo GT variant’s 1-litre TSI engine with a 7-speed DSG (dual-clutch automatic) option. Over the years, the premium hatchback was also available with 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines along with a 1.5-litre diesel mill as well.

Its equipment list consisted of rain-sensing wipers, auto AC with rear vents, a 6.5-inch touchscreen system, and cruise control. Volkswagen covered the safety aspect with dual front airbags, ABS, and rear parking sensors. One of the major drawbacks of the Polo was lack of space in the rear, and its lacklustre features list compared to its more tech-loaded, modern rivals.

Towards the end of its lifecycle, the Polo was offered in four trims: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline Plus, and GT. They were priced in the range of Rs 6.45 lakh to Rs 10.25 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India). The Polo rivalled the Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza, and Honda Jazz.

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