For the past 13 years, Volkswagen India has been making cars that are engaging, involving and soulful. And we've got a first-hand experience of exactly those emotions when we got behind the wheel of any of the cars that the company offered in the country. Right from the Jetta, Passat, Phaeton and Tiguan, the cars have been benchmarks in their respective segments and that's because of the strong impetus put on quality, driving dynamics and safety.
The VW Polo still looks contemporary and with the updated features it's still giving a bunch of new premium hatchbacks a run for their money
These qualities, quite obviously, trickled down to cars like the Polo and Vento when they entered the Indian market. The Polo still looks contemporary and with the updated features is in tune with the times and still giving a bunch of new premium hatchbacks a run for their money. While globally the Polo has sold over 14 million units, in India over these 11 years VW India has sold more than 2.60 lakh units and that just shows how important quality and driving dynamics are for the Indian customers.
The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI still remains one of the best hot hatches in the country
The Polo was one of those cars which provided driving pleasure, not just within the city but also out on the highway. The diesel engine was punchy and torquey and of course economical. But it was the GT TSI version which just upped the ante when it came to elevating ones experience. The launch of the Polo GT TSI created the entire hot hatch segment which is now growing in the country and to date, it remains one of the best hot hatches in the country.
The new 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine right now powers both, the Polo and the Vento, and we for one, love this engine
Now, with Volkswagen moving to petrol-only models, the Polo gets a hit of adrenaline thanks to the 1-litre turbo petrol unit and a brand new 6-speed torque convertor gearbox. Now, the 3-cylinder engine makes 109 bhp and 175 Nm of peak torque. The torque is available from 1750 rpm all the way to 4000 rpm and that makes it even more enjoyable. Volkswagen also introduced the new Sunset Red colour option which makes it sexier to look now. While the Polo is a car that fuels ones dreams of fast cars on a budget, the Vento brings in all that and more to the table.
The Volkswagen Vento is the quintessential sedan that still offers great drivability and comfort
The Vento offers a premium look, great build quality and a luxurious cabin to the compact sedan segment. It's a true highway mile muncher and both the petrol and diesel had oodles of torque to push the car and enjoy every moment behind the wheel. But now with the turbo petrol unit, it's become a firecracker. It produces the same power as in the GT TSI and there's absolutely nothing that comes close to putting a smile on your face when your right foot is a heavy one. You get power at will and that's when you realise what the Vento is capable of. It provides the best from all the worlds and nothing in the segment comes close to that.
The Vento's cabin offers a premium look, great build quality and a a host of creature comforts that add to your driving pleasure
But there's a lot happening at VW behind closed doors and the India 2.0 strategy is now coming to its fruition. Part of that plan is to bring in more SUVs to India and we told you all about the company's SUVW strategy that we've spoken about earlier. And that strategy has slowly started taking wings, especially with cars like the Tiguan AllSpace and the T-Roc. With both these SUVs, VW knows exactly what the consumers want.
