Volkswagen Cross Polo review, test drive

The 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel motor that the Cross Polo shares with its sibling doesn’t do it any favours either. At low speeds, the motor lacks responsiveness and feels quite lethargic. It requires frequent gear changes just to keep pace with traffic.  The performance feels just about adequate, even when you rev it up. The suspension setup, though, is well suited to the Cross Polo’s character. The car rides over broken roads with a good blend of comfort and compliance, and thuds over them confidently even at higher speeds.

The Cross Polo is treading down the same path that Skoda’s Fabia Scout started off on. But will it go further and faster? By offering the car in the Highline trim at Rs 7.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), Volkswagen isn’t making things easier for itself. This puts it at a Rs 60,000 premium over the Polo 1.2 TDI Highline, which feels quite steep when you consider that the Cross Polo isn’t tougher, but merely tougher-looking. And that makes it a bit of a hard sell.