VW did not update the India-spec Polo since its arrival in India even though the newer-gen model has been available overseas for a while now
Volkswagen first introduced the Polo in India in 2010 and it was the German brand’s first made-in-India car. Over the years, Polo remained the best-selling model for the brand accumulating over 2.5 lakh units but competition from rivals has caused the popularity to drop drastically.
Why is VW ending the production?
VW did release a few updates on the Polo with different engines and transmissions (SWIPE UP TO READ)
With the newer models like Taigun, Volkswagen is utilising its factory that runs jointly with Skoda more efficiently. With the dwindling sales of the Polo hatchback, Volkswagen is simply making space for the newer cars that will soon arrive in the VW showrooms in India. The German brand will bring the all-new Virtus soon after the arrival of the Skoda Slavia in the Indian market.
VW is yet to announce the discontinuation formally
The Volkswagen Polo is currently the only car from the brand that uses the outdated PQ platform. The assembly line of the Polo cannot handle the manufacturing of any other car. Now Polo sells about 1,000 units per month and the company does not find enough demand to keep the production line going for a single car as per Autocar.
Volkswagen will rather upgrade the assembly line for the new cars like the Taigun and the Virtus. It will reduce the waiting periods for the more popular models.
Volkswagen Polo In India
The Polo is currently the only car that uses the old PQ platform
The all-new Polo made its debut in the Indian market in 2010 with both petrol and diesel engines. In September 2010, VW introduced the much more powerful 1.6 petrol engine. In 2013, VW replaced the 1.6 naturally aspirated with the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and added the dual-clutch DSG transmission. It is the first hatchback to get a dual-clutch transmission in India. It was also the same time when VW pasted the GT TSI moniker on the boot lid of the hatchback.
There was a diesel Polo GT TDI as well. That version came powered by a 1.6-litre diesel engine from the Volkswagen Vento. By 2014, both the diesel engines were dropped and were replaced with a new 1.5-litre unit that churned 90 PS and 105 PS.
Volkswagen also sold the CBU-imported Polo GTI three-door hatchback in India. It came powered by a 1.8-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine and was sold in limited numbers with a massive price tag of Rs 26 lakh!
After the Volkswagen Vento, the production of the Polo will come to an end soon
In March 2020, Volkswagen Group decided to drop the Polo TDI diesel engines in India citing the stringent emission norms. The DSG transmission was dropped to give way to a torque convertor.
Which car will replace Volkswagen Polo in India?
VW has no plans to bring the all-new sixth-generation model to India
The new MQB A0 IN platform gives some hope to see the all-new Polo in India but VW has not planned any replacement yet. In Brazil, VW already sells the new sixth-generation Polo that uses a similar platform. But, with the rising popularity of the crossovers in India, VW may take a long time to evaluate it.
The new Polo is not under 4-metres in length, which will put it at a disadvantage because of the tax slabs.
Do you think VW should bring the new Polo to India? Do let us know in the comments below.
Keyword: Nothing Lasts Forever! The End Of The Line For The Volkswagen Polo’s Glorious 12 Year Innings