2014 Volkswagen Polo: Half-baked or well done?

  • Jul 24, 2014
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The new Polo is out. And it comes in a number of versions; some regular, some special. But, does Volkswagen have clarity on how it wants to position them, and who it wants to address?

2014 Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen has launched its new Polo. It is essentially a facelift with different bumpers, a new steering wheel and a new colour. Actually, for the diesel version, there’s a new engine as well. And all the better for it, because not only does it displace higher CCs, it is torquier and more refined. It’s a step in the right direction, for sure. But, what about the rest of the Polo range? Before we answer that, let’s quickly take you down memory lane… about the Polo story that was…

Good car, few takers

The Polo has been here in India for half a decade. A good car fundamentally with smart looks, a desirable badge on the nose, and top notch build; at least among cars in its class, it also had an ergonomically sound cabin, comfortable seats, and well weighted controls that lent it an agreeable driving experience.

2014 Volkswagen Polo rear

But, it never sold to its potential. Volkswagen agrees, but refuses to put a reason to it. We could tell you that the rear space wasn’t good. And, that it was seen as a pricey proposition compared to the Maruti Suzuki Swift; buying and owning wise, both. It also wasn’t as feature rich as a Hyundai. And the engines the car came with initially, were duds...

Then came the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. And we loved it. It had a fantastic engine and gearbox combo that was both fun and commute friendly. But, sadly, it was a half-hearted attempt by VW. It was pricey, but had nothing to show for it when standing still. No real increase in equipment and it wasn’t anything special to look at either, which for many, was a major downer.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI in action

Half-baked approach

The other half baked product was the Cross Polo. It had more visual appeal than the GT TSI. It had plastic body cladding, roof rails and what seemed to be higher ground clearance. But, of course, the clearance was the same as the regular Polo. Moreover, it just didn’t have the heart (read engine) to make it feel special. It came with the 1.2-litre diesel. So, even though the Cross Polo seemed liked it was built tougher than the rest in the range and was designed for cross country travel, it was disappointingly only a stick-this-and-stick-that kind of a job with no added robustness or mile munching ability.

So, even though Volkswagen wanted the buyer to pay more for the additional plastic, it did not bother with a better engine, gearbox or more features. And let’s be honest, the 1.2-litre, three pot diesel under the Polo's hood, wasn’t Volkswagen's finest moment. Yes, the engine was efficient, but it wasn’t something you could grow to like - it had average performance and it was noisy; noisy enough to be labelled unrefined.

Volkswagen 1.2 TDI engine
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Do you see a pattern emerging here? Not yet? Okay, let me then introduce you to the Polo SR. It wore a fancy body kit. It had bumper extensions, side skirting and a nice looking roof spoiler. But, underneath, there was nothing special. It looked like the SR might go faster than the regular Polo range, but it did not because Volkswagen didn’t bother upgrading anything else but the styling. Again, it was plainly a stick-this-and-stick-that approach.

The pattern we are talking about here is Volkswagen not going all the way with a particular approach it chooses. Now we aren’t product planning guys, I know. And, we don’t know what financial spends VW allocates to new products, but we will go ahead and comment in any case. Let’s take the regular Polos for instance. We don't mind the higher than competition pricing. But let it show instead of giving your own badge too much credit. Yes, the quality of the product is class leading, but a younger design, better textures and more equipment is a must too.

Volkswagen Polo 1.5-litre TDI engine

Changing outlook

Fast forward to today, and replacing the 1.2-litre diesel with the new 1.5-litre diesel for the regular Polo, is our book, is a job well done. It gives the Polo the right character and helps justify the VW’s higher pricing over the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Nissan Micra. We would have liked to see a similar change for the petrols too, but that hasn’t happened. Furthermore, Volkswagen has refrained from pushing up the price of the Polo (at least for the moment as these are introductory prices). This again is a step in the right direction, especially when you consider there’s no significant step up in perceivable value; no real improvement in equipment, materials or technology.

As for the specials based on the Polo – the SR, the Cross Polo, the GT TSI and the GT TDI – these will all continue on the new Polo and will start rolling out in August. That’s good news, but, will these address our grievances like the diesel Polo did? Not completely. So, the Cross Polo will now get the more powerful 1.5-litre diesel instead of the 1.2-litre, three cylinder unit, which is great.  But, it won’t make the Cross Polo any more desirable than the regular diesel Polo.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI

However, if VW would have added larger wheels and fatter rubber just so that it looked less obese from the rear, it would have helped. Taller springs for increased clearance, possibly an LSD and some special livery to connect it to the Polo WRC would have given the Cross Polo a whole new attitude. This followed by custom made trail events with a few jumps and slides on dirt would have increased its desirability co-efficient two fold. And a communication centered on Polo’s WRC achievements would have been the icing. All this isn’t happening in August, though.

2014 Volkswagen Polo 1.5-litre diesel

The next step

As for the GT duo, body kit from the SR, would have been ideal. Again, bigger wheels and better tyres would have been welcome as well. And to top it all, if the GTs were only sold in special colours, it would give them an air of superiority that GT owners clearly long for. Add to this a few GT track events with existing and prospect owners and the aspiration co-efficient goes up automatically. That it increases awareness about these cars is an added bonus. Then go Blue with the GT and do some fuel efficiency events; after all the GT TSI in particular, manages to pack best of both worlds - performance and economy - better than any car in its class. And build upon both ThinkBlue and the GT’s credentials. But, none of this will happen in August either.

We don't know how much all this would cost or whether it would actually help improve the Polo’s sales figures. But the point is when you are nowhere near the highest selling model in a class, and choose to do niches like the GT and the Cross Polo, at least make a song and dance about it. Make it count for it's something the competition isn't doing. But, to do that it is important to endow your niches with some special traits. And this is the time to do it; the right time to pump up the brand, especially with competition like the new Honda Jazz and the new Hyundai i20 waiting in the wings to stake claim.

Also Read: 2014 Volkswagen Polo 1.5 TDI: Review

 

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