Review: Volkswagen Polo GT TDI

It was a dream come true when Volkswagen first set foot in India. Things got even better when they brought in the Polo hatchback which spoke volumes about the German manufacturer's quality and efficiency. But as years passed, the sales volume for the Polo took a dip and with competitors already lined up, Volkswagen had to rethink their strategy to attract people's attention.

They made a lot of heads turn when they entered the motorsport format with their fast Polos. Soon they realised that it was these cars that people wanted to drive on the roads too. They wanted a fast car, one which would speak about their attitude, their personality and their right to be quick. It was this, maybe, that made VW bring out the all new Polo GT TSI.

It was only time, till the diesel heads wanted their share of attention and demanded a faster car which is why Volkswagen has gone all out to please them. Here is the fastest diesel car in India - the Polo GT TDI.

On the design front, there are no changes and nor does the interior get anything different than the GT TSI. It's all familiar, but what it does get is a change of heart. The VW Polo GT TDI gets a 1.6-litre, 4 cylinder engine that churns out a whooping 104bhp. The engine growls as it pounces from a standstill and you really start enjoying the sound it makes. With a torque of 250Nm at your disposal, the GT TDI is one fun car to be in.

The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, which comes in handy but you miss the automatic if you are in the city with start/stop traffic conditions. In short, if you have a fast car at your disposal, you don't really want to get stuck in traffic but go out there on the highway to enjoy yourself.

As I said earlier, it's the same car as the other Polos and so they haven't fiddled with the mechanicals of this one. You'd expect a stiff suspension, but no, it's soft and absorbs all the thumps and thuds of the road. But that does not mean you cannot throw this car around a corner. Its well-balanced chassis makes you do what you want to when attacking a corner and though there will be a lot of tyre noise, the Polo GT TDI will stick to its ground and not disappoint.

It is one of those cars which you can use everyday, go to shop in it, drop the kids, and then take it to the circuit for some fun. But fun comes at a price tag of Rs 8.12 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), so it does borderline on being a tad expensive. However, if you don't worry about trivial matters like money then the VW GT TDI is your car.