why polo gti discontinued?
The Volkswagen Polo, which is the most affordable product in the German carmaker’s portfolio, will soon be discontinued. The Polo is based on the PQ24 platform – VW’s PQ25 platform underpins the Vento and the Rapid. The hatchback went on sale in the first half of 2010. Back then, the Polo was offered with petrol and diesel engines. A few months after the Polo’s debut, Volkswagen brought in the Polo GT but not the GT TSI. The Polo GT, which debuted in 2010, had the Vento’s 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine.
After a few years into the product’s life cycle, the GT badge was extended to the diesel model as well. In 2013, the Volkswagen Polo GT TDI was introduced, which featured the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel unit of the Vento diesel. At the same time, the Polo GT TSI made its first appearance. The GT TSI was equipped with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which was mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG) – they were the most advanced engine and gearbox transmission of the time. The GT TSI with the DSG transmission was offered for a long time.
In 2016, Volkswagen introduced the GTI; however, the firm smartly avoided the use of the Polo name. The three-door lifestyle hatchback was powered by a 1.8-litre turbo-petrol and a seven-speed DSG. The sticker price of the GTI was above Rs 20 lakh, therefore Volkswagen did not use the Polo nametag and reserved it for the family hatchback.
In 2020, just before the BS6 norms were regulated, Volkswagen launched the updated Polo, which had a downsized engine, with increased power output. For the first time, the Polo featured a six-speed torque convertor automatic as well. The same car is currently on sale now but until the stock last.
For now, Volkswagen is focusing on the Virtus, which is indeed a replacement for the Vento. The firm has not made an official statement regarding a replacement for the Polo; however, we can expect a new hatchback based on the same MQB-A0-IN platform sometime in the future.
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Published On Feb 15, 2020 08:00:00 AM
I’m looking to buy the two-door Volkswagen Polo GTI. But since it has been discontinued, can I get one by order? I’m a big fan of the car and would really love to own one.
Ranveer, Sangli
AAA - Unfortunately, the last lot of Polo GTIs sold out over a year ago and there are no plans to import more. Your best bet is to try and find a used one. This will be difficult though, as owners don’t want to part with their GTIs. However, keep a constant lookout, you may get lucky.
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Polo’s contribution to Volkswagen’s sales would decline ahead of the festival season. This affects the company’s market share in the domestic market. With about 30,000 Polo models sold in the 2015 financial year, Polo contributed two-thirds of Volkswagen sales. Volkswagen shipped 20,030 Polo within the native market between April and August 2015. And 13,827 units (petrol and diesel variants) sold in India and 6,052 units exported in different countries.
The Polo model is based on the old PQ platform. Each month just a few thousand units of the Polo are produced. A minor redesign could have easily extended the life of this iconic design by another 12 years or more. Volkswagen, on the other hand, has chosen to stop producing the Polo in India. Volkswagen may have been forced by the difficulty of maintaining a production line with such low numbers and the need to increase production of better-selling models.
One of the car’s primary selling points is its excellent build quality. However, Polo’s servicing and maintenance costs are expensive. On the contrary, hatchback sales of Maruti have always stood high due to low maintenance costs & easy availability of parts.
The Ameo and Vento diesel variants used to come with a 7-speed DSG transmission, and they employ the same engine as the Polo, but the Polo is missing out on the diesel AT option. While the car has a superb ride quality, it falls short in terms of comfort for passengers in the back seats. The Polo has seen numerous revisions, with the hatchback gaining more and more features. Although it still lacks some features such as a driver armrest, 60:40 rear split seats, front glovebox illumination, projector headlamps, and LED DRLs, which are all available in its competitors.
Polo has poor fuel efficiency, especially when compared to the Hyundai and Maruti hatchbacks. Also, not so competitive pricing, reduced ground clearance. The lack of alloy wheels in the mid-level sector is a concern during monsoons or when travelling in the countryside.
In other markets, the next-generation Volkswagen Polo, which is built on the MQB platform, is available, however, its arrival in India is uncertain. We truly hope Volkswagen introduces the new Polo to India as soon as possible.
Along with the Polo, the VW Vento sedan will also be discontinued in India. It will be replaced by the all-new Virtus that made its global debut this month.
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