Having taken over the likes of millions of people, the Volkswagen Polo is a mascot on its own. Based on the PQ25 platform, it is considered to be one of the safest cars in India and has seen multiple facelifts. With a single generation on sale for more than a decade, it has managed to build a cult following for enthusiastic drivers, and with numerous swappable parts and excellent aftermarket support, it opened up scope for plenty of retrofits, tunes and engine swaps. It has been the clear best selling product for the brand over the years from its entire lineup.
Despite this success, Volkswagen India has decided to end the production cycle for the on-going Volkswagen PQ25 Polo. It is a premium hatchback from the brand assembled at their manufacturing facility at Chakan, Pune in India and is the 5th generation of the VW Polo worldwide. However, the brand didnt introduce the 6th generation of the VW Polo in India due to taxation norms for sub four meter vehicles, as this would have sky rocketed the ex-showroom price itself.
Volkswagen has recently teased the Virtus, and they plan to stick to their focus towards the India 2.0 plan with Taigun and Virtus. With the VW Vento being phased out for the Virtus, they find it infeasible to produce a model based on a much older PQ platform for the fewer volumes it fetches in terms of sales.
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The brand would indeed be working on the sixth generation of the VW Polo, which is currently on sale in the International markets like Brazil but would have to perform plenty of modifications to make it fit into the sub 4 metre bracket. Volkswagen might bring a new made-for-India premium hatchback based on the MQB-A0-IN platform and the idea is currently being evaluated.
The PQ 25 platform from the Volkswagen group has turned out to be one of the most reliable platforms in the long run and was robust enough to be taken to rallies and tuned for the Polo Cup, Ameo Cup and the Vento cup. Essentially, VAG engineers developed the PQ 25 platform after loads of research and development, and it will stay in the memories of the enthusiasts forever.
The VW Polo, having released in the first quarter of 2010, was a decent choice for people and offered a variety of engines over the decade. Chronologically, the German hatchback debuted with a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.2 litre turbocharged diesel engine, both mated with a 5 speed manual transmission. Having seen the response of the Indian automotive enthusiasts towards the Polo, VW introduced a vroom factor with a 1.6 litre naturally aspirated petrol which was a joy to drive coupled with a manual transmission. Later in the early months of 2013, this 1.6 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine was replaced by a turbo petrol mated to a DSG gearbox which took over the likes of the automatics in those times with its performance and proudly boasted the GT TSI badge.
The last quarter of 2013 was a turning point in terms of the VW Polo's powertrain. Volkswagen plonked the Vento's 1.6 litre turbocharged diesel engine under the Polo's hood coupled with a manual gearbox! Having a great power to weight ratio, this powertrain bought one of the best low end torque in its segment boasting the GT TDi badge. In 2014, Volkswagen decided to axe both the 1.2 and 1.6 litre diesel engines and offered a 1.5 TDi engine in two different states of tune, putting out 89 bhp and 108 bhp. The 89 bhp tune was reserved for the low end lineup, while the top variants got the GT TDI badge.
With high expectations from the Indian market, Volkswagen India introduced the GTI in the country as a Completely Build Unit (CBU) equipped with a 192hp 1.8 TSI engine, which cost a premium of whopping Rs. 25.99 lakhs at the launch. Its sales were pretty limited because of the hefty price tag, as the Indian market did not find a 20 lakh plus hatchback to be worth the premium despite of the performance. It is popular among the enthusiasts, and people crazily upgrade and retrofits parts from the GTI to their regular Polos! However, it's the two doors they legally can't swap in.
Also Read: Take a Look at this Tastefully Modified Two-face Volkswagen Polo GT
Coming near to the end of the lifecycle of this fantastic hatchback, the sudden jump from Bharat Stage 4 emission norms to the Bharat Stage 6, the Volkswagen - Audi group has to axe all the torquey TDI Diesel powertrains in India. Even the Audis in India do not come with a TDI now! Therefore, the VAG group decided to replace the entire lineup with a new range of petrol engines. Therefore, now the VW Polo was being offered with a new 1.0 litre three cylinder engine which is currently available both in the naturally aspirated (MPi) and its turbocharged (TSi) avatar. The MPi is reserved for the entry level Polo variants, while the higher ones are equipped with the turbocharged petrol with the TSI badge and come with a new torque convertor replacing the quick shifting Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG).
Cosmetically, the Volkswagen Polo has been seen in a variety of bumper kits and alloy wheels in multiple versions where people have even swapped the stock bumpers and alloy wheels for the Polo R-Line or the GTI versions. The single barrel H4 headlamps have grown up to the double barrel H7 headlamps with revamped design language and progressively updated with all the bells and whistles. The interior design language remained the same in terms of layout, but the beige accents were blacked out to give more of a sporty feel in the later years. However, the VW Polo always missed out on being loaded with features when compared to the Hyundai i20 or the Maruti Suzuki Swift, but it always managed to stay in the hearts of the loyal Volkswagen fans!
Also Read: Volkswagen Polo Matt Edition - Should You Get One?
As the production cycle is being ended, the existing stock of the Volkswagen Polo would be under clearance. Get in touch with Your nearest dealers to know about the best offers on this great hatchback.
So, what do you think about the Volkswagen Polo being phased out? Should Volkswagen make it sustain in the Indian markets for a bit longer? What are your thoughts about this car on the whole? Would you want Volkswagen to carry forward the tag and legacy of the Polo to an upcoming generation of premium hatchbacks from the brand? Share your views in the comment section. Let's get into a discussion with this in our 91Wheels Telegram and 91Wheels Whatsapp group, where you can know more about vehicles, conduct discussions on your favourite ride, and much more! You can also subscribe to our Youtube channel for our exclusive video content on the latest from the world of cars and motorcycles. Also, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more about vehicles!
