Driven: VW Polo Sedan – cheapest in VW line-up

Won

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Sep 2, 2010
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There’s a glint of sun shine followed by a gentle breeze billowing through the curtains into my room. A whiff of sea breeze. I open my eyes and watch the ceiling fan slowly spinning. There are many reasons to smile especially since I’m here in Langkawi, thanks to Volkswagen Group Malaysia (VGM) who have flown us here for the launch of the 1.6 Polo Sedan. It is the third model to be sold after the introduction of the 1.2 Polo TSI and 1.4 Polo GTI and debuts as the cheapest car sold in the VW line-up.

First impressions are important and it is unfortunate that the Polo Sedan is unlikely to get second glances. Visually, the Polo Sedan does not excite. Not that this is a bad thing, considering how hatchback-to-sedan conversions usually end up looking quite crap. In this case, I think ‘does not excite’ fares reasonably better than ‘quite crap’. Obviously, external dimensions have increased – 432mm longer (82mm on wheelbase), 12mm taller, 17mm wider. Boot space swells to a cavernous 454 litres, up from a puny 280 litres on the hatch.



Inevitably, many readers will likely have made visual comparisons with that of a local car manufacturer. From the rear, you can no doubt see the similarities. However, if you see a Polo Sedan approaching in your rear view mirror, you would be hard pressed to tell if it was the hatchback or sedan. Bear in mind that as an overall package, the lines do flow gracefully and there are no odd kinks. If anything, I think the Polo Sedan would have fared better with a hint of a spoiler and bigger wheels – but that is purely my opinion. Oh, I also prefer the alloy designs used on its TSI sibling.



Step inside the cabin and the word ‘budget’ comes into mind. VW is marketing this car as a budget car; the cheapest car in the family and first to be sold under RM100k. This is painfully apparent inside the cabin. Very little soft-touch plastics are used in here and the RCD210 head-unit serves as a bit of an eyesore. Some measures were of course taken to liven things up – chrome surrounds and leather upholstery is put to play in select areas. I’ve got to say, though: although the interior is noticeably cheaper, build quality is still a notch above its Japanese counterparts. Like the exterior, the interior looks just as unexciting.



Power comes from a 1.6 naturally aspirated mill which, although unfamiliar to the local market, is the same engine used in other Polo Sedans (or Volkswagen Vento in India) worldwide. Max power remains unchanged from the 1.2 TSI mill (105PS), but max torque has taken a dip (153Nm). This is not very positive considering the hatch makes 105PS/175Nm and weighs about 130kg less. A 6-speed Tiptronic box is standard (although the rest of the world have the option of a 5-speed manual).



When driving the Polo Sedan, you will quickly notice the apparent lack of grunt. This is a pity not only because the engine is really enthusiastic, but also because the chassis clearly feels like it could handle much more power. Official zerotohundred is a little disappointing at sub-12 seconds and you can watch our video to see how the Polo Sedan performed on the road. I do have to highlight something – while it might look as though the car accelerates very quickly to 40km/h, it isn’t; look at it carefully (at the dials) and you’ll see what I mean. Undoubtedly a smart move to 'manufacture' the sensation of speed. Top speed is a claimed 183km/h and while I wasn’t able to test it on Langkawi roads, I can safely tell you not to attempt such stunts. You’re likely to run out of road.



Now comes the Polo Sedan’s saving grace – dynamics. In this department, the car delivers some saving grace. Suspension (while markedly stiffer than cars in this class) is well tuned and feels composed on long straights, twisty roads, and even over uneven surfaces. Handling is almost neutral in most conditions with a hint of body roll. Corners can be attacked enthusiastically with the tyres gripping well and predictable understeer. My only gripe was the lack of steering feel – too light, devoid of emotion, and little feedback to the driver.





Despite being an entry level car, you do get quite a bit of safety kit for your money. Of course you get the regular electronic safety nets like ABS and EBD, but to sweeten the deal, you also get four airbags, ISOFIX mount points for child seats and a full-sized spare wheel. Also worth a mention is the (rather impressive) fuel efficiency of this car – we covered almost 170km in the few free hours that we had and the fuel gauge showed that we’d depleted only a quarter tank. This, despite us really punishing the accelerator pedal!

What we have here then is an entry level continental car for the masses. Few cars in this segment, or price range for that matter, will have so much kit as standard. No, it won’t have much pace – definitely won’t woo GTI enthusiasts, but this car is practical, with a premium badge (at least in Malaysia), has an affordable price-tag, with decent value for money. Looks like VW is staying true to their "People’s car" tagline. Gesundheit!

VW Polo Sedan - YouTube



















To view/download all the pics of the Volkswagen Polo Sedan in hi-res, click here.

Volkswagen Polo Sedan
Zerotohundred: 12.3secs
Top Speed: 183km/h (claimed)
Engine: 1.6L 4-cylinder
Power: 105PS / 5,250 rpm
Torque: 153Nm / 3,800 rpm
Weight: 1,730kg (kerb weight)
Fuel Economy: 6.5litres/100km (claimed)
Wheels: 15” x 6J alloys
Tyres: 185/60 R15
Price: RM99,888 (OTR excluding road tax and insurance)
 

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Won

500 RPM
Thread starter
Sep 2, 2010
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@DanzEterna any particular reasons to why you'd pick the Polo Sedan over City/Vios?
 

DanzEterna

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Senior Member
Nov 1, 2007
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@DanzEterna any particular reasons to why you'd pick the Polo Sedan over City/Vios?
ive been always a VW fan since young...but all its cars are above my budget range,
until they launched the VW polo sedan. id definately go for it although it has less features as the vios/city.
 

xerofighter

Not so senior member
Senior Member
Mar 2, 2004
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ive personally seen the car myself. build quality was shoddy at some places. like using electrical tape to hold some wires in the boot. tyres are shoddy too. some indian brand called apollo. well, the car was build in india, so i guess it makes sense. IMHO, 99k for this is just blatant over pricing especially since most of the price is actually just for the badge.
 

EvolutionZ

5,000 RPM
Helmet Clan
Senior Member
Aug 3, 2007
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below 100k for a conti car...not bad....its entry level car so the built quality we have to compromise a bit....but i believe VW wont compromise on safety..it should be a safe car to drive....
 

detomaso_runna

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Senior Member
May 21, 2005
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tested it. and i tink with that kinda price. i choose fiesta,forte, insight, jazz hybrid , or add a bit. polo 1.2 tsi or crz. huhu design wise, macam saga. huhu
 

apek beca

Known Member
Aug 7, 2011
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Kuala Lumpur
When I firstly surfed the net & saw it's a Volkswagen & 1.6. I just dropped my Ipad & headed for Volkswagen.
I didn't even finished reading it...

When I got there, it's a big disappointment. What was Volkswagen thinking off when they decided to produce this kind of crap.
Don't they have honor & reputation to up hold!!! Really wasted my visit to the showroom.

When I got to the showroom, there's Volkswagen logo everywhere.
When I got to the car I saw an "A" no the POLO SEDAN not "VW". Maybe something wrong with my eyesight...
"A" for ALAGAPPA CURRY POWDER
 
Last edited:
Sep 10, 2012
3
0
501
Kuala Lumpur
amboiii...... ke situ plak... its borderline racist alreadi, equating dis car & curry powder :rofl:
 

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