Polo The Legend

The Volkswagen Polo has been on my radar since the first time I saw it on the roads. As soon as I came to know that the Polo is being discontinued in the country with no hopes of the new-gen Polo hitting our shores anytime soon, I quickly made up my mind. Only 700 units of the Legend edition were up for grabs and VW helped me find one in Jaipur. Being a former resident of Jaipur, I quickly booked the unit and the rest of the delivery experience was smooth and hassle-free. The Polo is absolutely gorgeous, looks handsome from all profiles, and is very proportionate in shape and size. The German build quality shows when you close the door for the first time. The thudding noise when closing the bonnet is incomparable to other cars in its segment. Coming to the performance of the car, what do you expect from the legendary 1.0 TSI engine? The car has a fan following and it shows up on driving it extensively. The turbo spools quickly resulting in the creamy torque wave that you get to ride all the way up to the redline, the DOHC really helps in the top end. It is mesmerizing to see how the Polo builds up speeds only to be reminded by the high-speed chime at 80kmph to slow down and take it easy. The torque converter is another gem, the best one in the business, my apprehensions about the TC over the DSG were answered well and I have no complaints, it works like a charm. The car enables me to have a dual personality on the roads, in my daily commute to the office, I can comfortably sit at 70kmph with the tachometer resting at 1200rpm and the car indicating 16 to 17kmpl. I have achieved mind boggling figures of 21-22kmpl in my highway rides, which is more than I could've ever asked for. On the other hand, the occasional hooligan comes out and the Polo becomes compliant, hitting triple-digit speeds on the dime, all the time, without fail, always bringing a grin to my face. The boost is otherworldly, the i20s and Swifts of the world are all left in the dust. The Polo's chassis is so agile that cars of higher segments find it difficult to keep up, purely because of its handling prowess. The Legend badging is a head turner and people who really know their cars always come up to me and talk about the car. VW's after-sales service is good, with no complaints in that department. I still have my 3rd free service pending but costs are average, nothing out of this world. My only complaint about the car is the space offered inside, all black interiors and dark fabric seats make it seem even smaller. Feature-wise it obviously lacks compared to its closest rival, the i20. But the Polo goes above and beyond in the performance department to compensate for its lack of features. You can go absolutely bonkers with the tuning and upgradability of the car once the 5-year warranty expires. As Polo shares a lot of parts from the parts bin of VAG cars, parts availability is never a problem and you get so many different parts as options to install. Gas struts for the bonnet, Passat's cabin lights, and auto headlamps is a 5 min fix with the right part in hand. I am eagerly waiting for it to complete its 5 years of warranty, which will surely make it one of a kind after that.