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The GT TSI loves drinking fuel if you drive it aggressively
It is quite difficult to drive the Polo GT TSI slowly as you are always tempted to push it around. The steering offers decent feedback at high speeds. We ended up finishing our brake pads in a short span of time, mainly owing to the driving style which was hard on the brakes. A performance car needs to be driven like one, right? What really deserves a mention is the solid build quality. The car feels well planted at high speeds and we didn’t experience any rattles or squeaks from any part of the vehicle. The GT TSI was returning around 7.2 km/l on an average. If you can resist the temptation and drive with a light foot, the fuel economy can go to nearly 10 km/l. This is lesser than what the GT TDI delivers but since diesel prices got deregulated by the Government, the difference between petrol and diesel fuel is only narrowing.
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The Polo’s TSI engine is one of the most advanced in this price range
Some arguments can never be settled and this is one of them. While half of my core team still prefers the GT TDI, the other half, me included would pick the GT TSI. There is something which we do agree on and that is either of the Polo GTs is an easy pick if you are looking to buy a performance hatchback. The Polo GT TSI scores high on safety and performance and can easily double up as your daily office car with performance on tap when needed. The only sour point being the lack of cabin space but if that’s ok with you, the GT TSI makes it a strong case as a practical hot hatch which offers the convenience of an automatic while delivering some mouth-watering performance.
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Volkswagen’s service network isn’t as good as Maruti and Hyundai
Volkswagen Polo GT TSI Service Costs
1. Service Schedule – 15,000 kms and 1 year (whichever is earlier)
2. Cost of Spares –
* Engine Oil Per Service – Rs. 3400/-
* Brake Oil – Rs. 280/- (250 ml)
* Oil Filter – Rs. 677/-
* Fuel Filter – Rs. 1852/-
* Brake Pads (Front) – Rs. 1862/-
* Front Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 4101/-
* Rear Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 4646/-
* Headlamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 12,749/-
* Tail Lamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 1616/-
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The Polo is a sorted package, wish it had more space
What’s Cool
* The styling is timeless, looks lovely
* Interiors are well-packaged, sorted ergonomics
* The engine and gearbox combo offers awesome performance
* Ride and handling characteristics are well-balanced
What’s Not So Cool
* Lack of space at the rear
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The GT TDI is also a good bet for someone who wants additional efficiency
Testers’ Note:
“As much as people love the GT TSI, there is absolutely no reason to buy it over the GT TDI, other than the automatic gearbox, which begs the question, with the Ameo available with a diesel automatic, why would you not want to have your cake and eat it too? That said, the Polo GT TSI is far superior to the Maruti Baleno RS in the driving experience and maybe I am too old school but a manual gearbox with this engine would make me reconsider my love for the oil burner.” – Faisal Khan, Editor, MotorBeam.
“The Volkswagen Polo is my favourite hatchback and I love it because it looks beautiful, drives well and the build quality is just brilliant. The cabin is definitely lacking on space but I don’t really mind that. The GT TSI is the perfect hatchback for cities like Mumbai because the DSG makes it convenient to drive and the performance on offer is also impressive.” – Parth Gohil, Senior Road Tester, MotorBeam.
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The Polo GT TSI competes with the Baleno RS and Abarth Punto
Further Reading –
Volkswagen Polo GT TSI vs Honda Jazz CVT vs Ford Figo DCT
Volkswagen Polo GT TDI Long Term Review
Volkswagen Polo Long Term Review – Initial Report
Volkswagen Polo Review
Volkswagen Polo vs Hyundai Elite i20 vs Maruti Swift vs Fiat Punto Evo
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