2014 Volkswagen Polo launched at Rs 4.99 lakh

Volkswagen has given the Polo a much needed tweak and it’s quite an extensive one. The 2014 Polo launched today between Rs 4.99 lakh to Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), not only gets some refreshed styling but also a very important update in form of the 1.5-litre diesel engine. (Also read: Volkswagen Polo 1.5-litre diesel review)

The 1.5-litre 4-cylinder unit comes with a variable geometry turbocharger. Volkswagen is now using the 1.6-litre diesel unit from the Vento but with a shortened bore to qualify it under the small car norms and as a result benefit from the lower excise duty bracket. This engine will be available in two states of tune – one developing 90PS with 230Nm of torque in the standard Polo and another with 105PS of power with 250Nm of torque in the Polo GT TDI. The GT TDI as a result becomes the most powerful diesel hatchback manufactured in India. And since it uses a 1.5-litre mill now, it will qualify as a small car and is considerably cheaper than its Rs 9+ lakh price tag. Another variant to benefit from this is the Cross Polo.

Even in the standard Polo, the power and torque hike now do more justice to the Polo than before. The hatchback also has a flatter torque curve where the engine develops its peak torque from 1,500-2,500rpm. You can read more about it in our 2014 Volkswagen Polo 1.5-litre diesel Review

The petrol engines remain the same – 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol with 75PS of power and 110Nm of torque in the standard Polo and 105PS of power and 175Nm of torque from the 1.2-litre TSI 4-cylinder mill. 

Changes to the Polo include new front light housings, grille and fog lamps. The refreshed Polo also gets a revised rear bumper with integrated reflectors and new alloy wheel designs to sum up its exterior update. On the inside, the fabric upholstery is slightly darker than the beige ones you get now and there’s premium looking piano black plastic inserts to pep up the cabin. A new steering wheel is part of the facelift which gets steering mounted controls on both sides and a flat bottom that makes the Polo steering feel quite sporty. The new Polo will also get ambient lighting near the footwells.  

Volkswagen has increased the wheelbase by 13mm and scooped out the front seat backs to improve space at the rear as well. Height of the Polo too has increased by 56mm despite a 3mm lowered ground clearance. Rounding up the changes to the Polo are the static cornering lights. These are basically the fog lamps with reflectors that turn to a 30 degree angle when you turn the indicators on – a thoughtful feature that can be useful when you are parking at night.

2014 ‪Volkswagen Polo‬ prices (ex-showroom Delhi)

VW Polo Petrol 1.2 MPI at Rs 4.99 - 6.07 lakh

VW Polo Diesel 1.5TDI at Rs 6.27 - Rs 7.37 lakh

‪‎VW CrossPolo‬ - Rs 7.90 lakh

VW Polo GT TDI - Rs 7.99 lakh

VW Polo GT TSI - Rs 7.99 lakh