It's been forty years since we first saw the Polo as the first gen rolled out in 1975. Yes, it was a cheaper version of the Audi 50, but well it worked its magic with a 900cc, 40bhp engine. It's been a long journey for the Polo as it had to look upto its big brother - the Golf - for inspiration when it comes to design and that's one reason why it's been one of the most successful models for Volkswagen in India and world over as well.
The fifth generation of the Polo (which was first one to make it to India) was first launched in 2009 and it's been a while since the German carmaker gave the car a comprehensive update. So, in all probability, Volkswagen will take the wraps off the new generation Polo by the end of 2017. What we know is that VW will be giving some serious upgrades to the interiors to make the car more premium and will be offering more kit as well. It will make use of premium materials, soft touch plastics to spruce up the interior and also focus on in cabin connectivity as well. nSo, it'll be in tune with the times as it'll have smartphone connectivity (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and in-built Internet connectivity in the top trims.
But the biggest change we'll see is that Volkswagen will make use use of the smallest version of its MQB platform, named the A0, to form the underpinnings of the new-gen Polo. This will help in increasing the wheelbase by 90mm and liberating more space (which has been a concern) for rear occupants and also keep the overall length of the car below 4,000mm. In fact, the car will be lighter and stiffer too and this will help in improving fuel efficiency figures, while also making sure that it's the best driving hatchback in the country.
2017 Volkswagen PoloVolkswagen is working on a new range of turbo-charged engine options for the Polo. Although, the smallest engine on offer will be the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol motor that will be tuned to produce 75bhp or so. Apart from that, there will be two more turbo-charged options of the same engine tuned to produce 100bhp and 115bhp which will pack in the much needed punch.
There will also be petrol and diesel engines with a displacement of 1.5-litres, in different states of tune. The petrol engine will have a power output of 140 and 160bhp and the diesel engine will have three options producing 90bhp, 110bhp and 130bhp. All the variants will be linked to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG transmission. There is a possibility that the BlueMotion trims might have 5-speed manual transmission units to maximise efficiency, depending on the country it is sold in.
The next-gen Polo will get a much sharper face that sees a different single-slat grille and re-styled bumpers with chrome garnishes for the fog lamps and a different headlamp cluster as well. But will it look like the Golf? Well of course, if you see the rear one can see that the boot and the bumper are fresh and the tail lamp clusters become more square-ish now, just like the Golf. We believe that the new Polo will come to India sometime in the first quarter of 2018 and expect VW to make a start the celebrations at the 2018 Auto Expo.
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