Volkswagen Polo with 1.5-litre diesel engine unveiled

The German automaker has officially unveiled their Volkswagen Polo, a subcompact hatchback, at the Swiss motor show. The new Polo looks quite similar to its predecessor but has a few changes incorporated to the exteriors. The facelifted Polo is expected to make its debut in the Indian markets in mid-2014.

There is no sea change on the exteriors. But the car does get minor changes such as a redesigned chin, and a chrome strip that runs across the grille underneath the fog lamps. The facelifted Polo gets a new bumper, tail-lights and alloy wheels as well. The highlight, however, is the inclusion of LED accents in the headlamps of the car, which gets a hexagonal treatment.

The interiors get a refreshing change. The dashboard gets a new redesigned instrument cluster with a colour display, and a new infotainment system. A range of new features such as an adaptive cruise control, traffic monitoring system, driver alert system, automatic post-collision braking system, sport select suspension, and an electro-mechanical steering wheel make their way in the Polo.

The new Polo will replace the 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel engine with a larger four-cylinder 1.5-litre diesel engine, which is a downsized version of the Vento’s EA189 1.6 TDI motor. With a cubic capacity below 1.5 litres, this new engine is eligible for the lower excise tax bracket for small cars.