Volkswagen India will launch facelifts for the Polo hatchback and Vento midsize sedan on September 4, 2019. Spy images that had surfaced earlier provided major design details about the upcoming models, which will continue to be on sale for a while longer.
Based on the images, the new Polo and Vento are expected to get front styling and tail-lights that are reminiscent of the limited-edition high-performance Volkswagen GTI. Higher-spec variants of the new Polo and Vento are likely to get new design alloy wheels with a grey finish.
All variants of both cars will also get additional equipment in the form of front seat seatbelt reminders, rear parking sensors and a speed alert system. Dual front airbags and ABS had been made standard across all variants of the Polo and Vento a while back. Do note that the VW Polo was one of the first made-in-India cars to undergo Global NCAP’s and get a four-star rating.
Expect a higher number of creature comforts and convenience features on both as well in order to keep the models relevant in the face of increasing rivals.
VW has begun work on localising its BS6-compliant 1.0-litre TSI petrol motor – it’s available in 95hp and 115hp states of tune in international markets – though there is no confirmation if this engine will be available on these facelifts when they launch next month.
For now, we expect the Polo to get the 76hp, 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol and the 90hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine, though both will be discontinued in the coming months. The Polo GT variants are also likely to continue with the BS4-compliant 105hp, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and 110hp, 1.5-litre diesel motors, which will be phased out by the time BS6 norms come into effect on April 1, 2020. Similarly, the Vento facelift is likely to get the same 105hp, 1.6-litre petrol, the 105hp, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and the 110hp, 1.5-litre diesel engines.
The current Polo (Rs 5.82-9.72 lakh) goes head-to-head with the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and Ford Figo, while the VW Vento (Rs 8.75-14.34 lakh) faces off against the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna, among others.
Volkswagen’s Polo and Vento have been on sale more or less unchanged (barring minor facelifts and the introduction of a 1.0-litre petrol on the former) since they had first gone on sale in India – Volkswagen recently celebrated 10 years of the Polo’s production in the country. Both models are considered to be aging in their respective segments, which has led to sales dwindling in the face of newer competition.
While the future of the hatchback in India is in doubt, we do know that the next-gen Volkswagen Vento, which is sold as the VW Virtus in some markets, will arrive by 2021.
Prices are ex-showroom, pan-India
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Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Glenn Noronha
Dhruv Dhaka
