Volkswagen Polo GT TSI BS6 2020

by admin | August 26, 2020

BS6 has seen the exit of many good cars and engines. It is a stepping stone for sure as it makes way for smaller, economical and yet more powerful engines. Also, the hot hatch segment in India has been quite a challenging one for car companies as the market in India has been quiet niche for performance hatches. Be it the Fiat Punto Abarth, Ford Figo or the Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS- they’ve faced or are still facing the brunt brought about by other less sportier options.

However, the case is different for Volkswagen’s Polo GT TSI. It is fast like a hot hatch should be, it has an automatic transmission, it is comfortable and it is also very expensive for a hatchback. Yet, people have surprisingly opted it over many other options as it isn’t a rare sight to spot one on the road.

The older model of the Polo GT TSI had a 1.2 litre inline 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produced 105 bhp and 175 NM of torque, mated to its popular quick shifting 7- Speed Dual Clutch transmission. However, the BS6 version of the GT TSI has a 1.0 litre three cylinder engine producing 110 bhp and 175 NM of torque. But, it is now mated to a 6- speed torque converter transmission.

Only time will tell whether the absence of the DSG gearbox has made a significant difference to the GT TSI’s charm. However, the 1.0 engine could fetch more mileage than ARAI’s claimed 17.21 kmpl figure of the BS4 GT TSI.

The BS6 Polo GT TSI is priced at Rs. 9.60 Lakhs (Ex- showroom) which is around 1.6 Lakhs more than that Standard variant of the VW Polo and around Rs. 50000 more than the Polo Highline Plus automatic.

The new avatar however is better as the VW Polo GT TSI gets a larger rear spoiler, a blackened roof, Black side mirrors and GT badges at the front and rear. But is the GT variant that much better than the Highline Plus variant? And is the new GT TSI all that better with the new engine and gearbox? We’ll surely let you know once we get our hands on one!

Related News

2020 Skoda Octavia RS 245 -A Powerful performance Sedan !

Ford Indias upcoming launch will be Territory based C Segment Premium SUV

Maruti Vitara Dzire Facelift 2020

What's so special about Ford cars in India?

And then there are people who adore their cars, love them and live with them. People who love driving their machines. People who call themselves automobile enthusiasts, car lovers, petrolheads, etc.

Enthusiasts as we know are an endangered species today because very often, challenges and responsibilities in life ensure we leave aside our passion for short or long periods of time. The RPM needle doesn't go past the half mark. Fuel economy suddenly becomes the most important factor to consider in a car. Comfy suspension replaces the sporty suspension. That fun to drive factor is replaced by a dead,

light and lifeless steering wheel. Life, then as we know gets dreary and lifeless.

But does it really have to be that way? Does life always have to go in that direction? Or is there a way where can have a bite from both worlds and maintain equilibrium? Of course, you still can’t expect good mileage if you rev it too much. But still, we think there's still hope for people like us. A way where we could maintain a fine balance between fun and responsibility. A balance between passion and practicality.

Often, we find this balance in cars from Ford. Of course not all of them from the fleet have this speciality where you get two things for the price of one. But mostly, they do have the capability to bring a smile on your face every time you take those cars out for a drive.

Ford Ecosport, Ford Fiesta, Ford Figo, Ford Freestyle. They've all been around us for a pretty long time. We’ve seen them evolve with us (except the Freestyle) but most importantly, what has stayed in this process of evolution is a communicative steering wheel that lets you feel every crack on the road, a suspension setup that offers decent comfort and enough stiffness to handle those curves. Horsepower figures are usually just enough to take you back by surprise and yet, there’s enough fuel left to do a last minute road trip.

This fusion of both worlds creates such a blend that driving these machines indeed feels very special. Not only this, We’ve mostly seen that cars from Ford India often offer safety features like 6 airbags, ARP, TCS, etc to even cars like the Freestyle! That says a lot about what the brand really prioritises on. We haven’t even moved onto the service costs yet because we feel that would be off topic.

With so many different choices in the market today and in this ever ending race between manufacturers to be on the top, what is often left behind is the essence of driving. Sadly, items like large infotainment systems, sunroof, projector head lamps, etc are features that are considered a priority by consumers while cars that offer an excellent driving experience with other satisfactory features are being ignored. To petrol heads like us, this is a worrying trend indeed. It is easy to find cars that go fast and have all the latest features. But it is indeed difficult to find great cars today that offer a blend of both worlds. Enthusiastic drivers and drivers’ cars then, are indeed endangered species.

Tata Nexon EV- first impressions

Tata’s Nexon EV is a pretty muscular SUV that comes packed with an IP67 waterproof 30.2kWh Lithium Ion battery delivering 127.0 BHP to the front wheels and along lot of torque. 245nm to be specific. Underpowered will definitely not be a description when someone drives it. What comes with power though? A reduction in mileage. But since this is powered by an electric motor, you can charge it even while decelerating/ braking. Thanks to its regenerative braking feature which can be toggled between varying levels depending upon the amount of regen one prefers.

As a result, this is an excellent package

for the city because all we do is start stop repeatedly until we arrive at our destination. In case you’re wondering about fast charging. The batteries on the Tata Nexon EV will charge from 0% to 80% in an hour. That’s excellent because these days, you never realise how time flies. A couple of phone calls, check your social media notifications, a loo break, a short tea/coffee break and you would’ve spent way over 60 minutes already! Also, the Nexon EV comes with an ARAI certified full charge range of 312 kilometres which should take care of… a week’s commute?

The Nexon EV carries over many things from the Fossil Fuel powered older version of the Tata Nexon like drive modes and an overall feel of the cabin. But some instances like the front profile, rear bumper changes and colour are totally new. Frankly speaking, we like this new look of the Nexon as it looks more modern, more muscular and more SUV- ish. Small highlights to its design give a feel that the manufacturer took the looks of this car quite seriously.

Coming to some dimensional numbers- the length of the car is just under 4 metres, it seats 5 people quite comfortably, has a generous boot space of 350 litres and with a ground clearance of 205mm, you could go over almost any obstacle without frowning.

Speaking of the cars multimedia features and what it has to offer in terms of comfort- well, we’ve seen Tata check most boxes earlier in the older Nexon as well. Naturally, the Nexon EV too would get loads of features. The top end variant XZ Plus LUX which costs around 16 Lakhs Ex-showroom packs a sunroof, a 7 inch touch screen infotainment system, Projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, cornering fog lights and all the other Nexon goodies.

In the safety department too, there are no compromises. Tata has been repeatedly proving that safety does matter to them. In the Nexon EV, you get ABS, EBD, 2 Airbags, vehicle stability control system, ISOFIX Child seat mounts and much more, which sort of does add to a lot of confidence when one drives the car. However, the addition of side and passenger airbags would’ve made this package a perfect one.

In terms of the drive and feel, this feels like a comfortable, hassle free automatic car (since it has no gears) while not completely alienating you from the Internal combustion feeling. Thanks to its regenerative braking. You do get a new world feeling when you look at the new instrument cluster and the fact that the Nexon EV won’t have to go through periodic oil changes and other service compulsions that the Internal Combustion Nexon would have to go through.

To conclude, the Nexon EV has made quite a mark in the electric car scenario in India. With a competitive pricing and a package that has almost all things covered including safety, what else can one ask for?

Maruti Vitara Brezza BS6 2020

What’s new? Well, some prominent changes are seen on the exterior. In the front, the car features a new chrome grille and and an up- swept bumper profile, LED headlamps, DRL styled indicators and LED fog lamps. On the side, you’ll notice new dual-tone alloy wheels and rear view mirror indicators on the base model. Lastly at the back- the LED tail lamps give it a more modern look. Apart from these changes, not much has been modified in terms of the Brezza’s structure. The updates also don’t include a sunroof that many cars in the same segment offer.

When

it comes to the interior of the 2020 Brezza, things are mostly the same. It comes with Maruti’s 7-inch infotainment system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, climate control, cruise control, a multi-info display, steering-mounted audio control, as well as keyless entry with push-button start. Safety features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, and a rear view camera.

Four variants are on offer in the BS6 Brezza 2020- LXI, VXI, ZXI and ZXI+. We personally think the LXI and VXI are most value for money variants of this car. The new Brezza comes with various colour options - red, orange, silver, white, blue and grey. Dual-tone colours are also offered that include blue/black, grey/orange and red/black.

While Maruti Suzuki’s Brezza has been a hot seller in the recent past, it could face tough competition from Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300, and the Tata Nexon. Though the Brezza received quite a few updates, we feel the cabin could have been revised to give out a more premium feel as it seems quite outdated compared to the competition mentioned above. Phone connectivity is also something that is missing in the new Brezza, a feature that many other manufacturers are now offering.

The sub- 4 metre Vitara Brezza has one of its most successful models in the Indian market. With many other players in the sub 4 metre SUV segment, it would be interesting to see how the Petrol Brezza fairs with prices starting from Rs 7.34 lakh and going all the way upto Rs 11.15 lakh (ex-showroom).