This is a story of the third way. Choosing the right car, especially in the sub-RM100,000 bracket, has always been a case of catch-22. Modern options with powerful downsized-turbo engines are fun, but might bring about reliability issues in the long run. Such is the case with the existing Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI.
Now, Volkswagen Group Malaysia (VGM) claims that all known and rumoured problems related to its DSG dual-clutch gearbox and TSI forced-induction engine have been banished altogether, but as with most things, once the seed of doubt has been planted, it’ll likely stay a prevalent force. Ford’s Powershift ‘box faces the same issue.
Meanwhile, the tried-and-tested alternative of traditional, i.e. Japanese, B-segment offerings such as the Toyota Vios and Nissan Almera hint at pocket-friendly motoring, but can be seen as the outdated and dull way out. VGM now says that it offers the third way – the new locally-assembled, German-engineered VW Polo 1.6.
Is it the ideal choice Malaysian car buyers have been waiting for, then? We’re here to find out.
Welcome, then, to Volkswagen’s vision of the perfect compromise. Thanks to the combination of CKD-status tax-breaks and proven technologies – 1.6 litre multi-point injection (MPI) engine and conventional (Aisin-sourced) six-speed automatic transmission – the new cut-price Polo hatchback lets you eat the cake that you own.
Its introductory price of RM85,888 (for the first 500 customers, after which it will revert to RM87,888) places it well within the market that has long been dominated by the select few – Toyota, Honda, Nissan and just recently, Ford. For many, Volkswagen’s quasi-premium image lifts the Polo 1.6 beyond its price rivals.
What’s obvious to point out is the engine transplant. The fully-imported, RM114,888 Polo 1.2 TSI (which is still available in VGM’s expanded model range) featured a direct-injection turbocharged engine paired to a dual-clutch gearbox. Both key features have been lost in translation in the Polo hatchback’s localisation process.
As mentioned above, the motivator is now a 1.6 litre MPI engine matched to a standard torque convertor with six forward cogs. It makes 105 PS, which equals what you’d get from the 1.2 TSI mill. What it can’t give you, though, is the turbo motor’s 175 Nm of torque, nor its 5.3 litres per 100 km (18.9 km/l) economy average.
Instead, you get a smaller helping of 153 Nm of driveshaft-twisting force – delivered at 3,800 rpm (versus the flat 1,550-4,100 rpm torque curve the TSI enjoys) – and an inferior claimed combined figure of 6.3 litres per 100 km (15.9 km/l). Its 0-100 km/h and top speed numbers take a dive too, down from 9.7 seconds and 190 km/h to 11.1 seconds and 184 km/h respectively.
So it’s not a good start, then? It depends on your perspective, really. If you’re looking at the Polo 1.6 as a (near RM30,000) cheaper alternative to the CBU Polo 1.2 TSI, then yes, it comes off as the poor cousin. But VGM prefers you look at it from a different point of view – through the eyes of a potential Vios/City/Jazz/Rio buyer.
This changes the Polo 1.6’s outlook dramatically. Suddenly, its 153 Nm of torque becomes a class-leading figure, and so does its efficiency claims. Power is well off the City and Jazz’s 120 PS, but in such (relatively) low-power applications, it’s torque that counts. And it shows. The cherry on top of all this, of course, is the all-important Volkswagen badge.
Its efficiency numbers aren’t mere claims either, as the test car managed to clock in an impressive 17.5 km/l through a realistic 100 km real world test with yours truly (who you know is not exactly a lightweight) at the wheel, plus our sister site InfoKereta.com’s Izwa Sadali (who is), new paultan.org recruit Jonathan Lee and another in tow. Impressive.
Now, forget all this numbers game for a moment. When such cars are parked, it doesn’t matter what they’re like on the roads, as long as they’re objects of visual desire. Is the Polo such an item? Without the badge, possibly not, but with it, displayed with such pride both front and back, it definitely is. Very much so.
Volkswagen can be accused of pandering to its buyers’ desires with a same-again style instead of stretching their perceptions, yet the Polo, even many years down, defines the meaning of crisp. The shape certainly needs bigger wheels and a light metallic shade, but with both it’s beyond desirable. It’s the “premium” car for the mass market.
Objectively, the Polo seems passionless. This isn’t a design that suggests forward motion, never mind speed, but the simple lines and surfaces show a pleasing logic and give a sense of solid sculpture. It’s a true blue Volkswagen, even if it’s one without the excitement. Which, of course, is the idea, given that it’s the ‘starter’ VW and costs considerably less than the rest of the range.
No, you can’t get away from this car’s price, for it is its most important feature. It’s not exactly cheap or even affordable, but for what it is, or rather what it represents (as an entry into the so-called premium and German motoring world), it looks like a bargain. So far, at least.
Start it up, and the edifice of desirability is contained. It immediately feels and sounds more sophisticated and substantial than its Eastern rivals. There’s no explaining it. It just does. And the sensation is kept intact when you move away too, the smooth-shifting six-speed slushbox and relatively quiet engine keeping you in the premium/German/Volkswagen bubble.
Push on, and it pales in comparison to the 1.2 TSI, but not the conventional pack. The frantic action delivered by the turbocharged engine from the low reaches of the rev range is gone altogether, replaced by a linear power delivery that doesn’t really come on steam until the needle goes past 4,000 rpm. It’s back to planet conventional, dear Polo.
But don’t forget – as VGM keeps reminding us – that the Polo 1.6 doesn’t compete against its more expensive and accomplished brother. It’s here to take on the Japanese and Korean offerings head on. And with that in mind, it’s back in our good books again, as its performance and refinement aren’t really lacking in any sense.
This is not a fast car, let’s put that to rest. It takes all of 11.1 seconds to reach 100 km/h, and if that sounds slow to you, it’s because it is. Crucially though, it’s no slower than anything it’s priced against, and if anything, it has the most accessible performance of the lot.
While you’d wince at the screaming engines in the rest of them, the Polo remains cultured throughout our drive. Its torque advantage comes into its own when the roads open up. For once, part throttle inputs are enough to bring the Polo up to respectable speed. It all feels more effortless, more serene, more sophisticated.
On top of that, it’s by far and away the most refined vehicle in its (price-led) market. It’s significantly quieter even than the much-improved Toyota Vios, let alone the severely under-insulated Honda City and Jazz. On the move, this is the biggest differentiator between the Polo 1.6 and the rest. Together with ride comfort.
While it may not perform as well as the Polo 1.2 TSI, the locally-assembled model here inherits much of its stand-out big car-feel. It handles Malaysia’s ‘unique’ road conditions with nary a complaint nor clamour. Where the rest would have jarred its occupants silly – some (Kia Rio) more than others (Vios, Ford Fiesta) – the Polo remains unperturbed.
How it handles, though, is a different matter again. In essense, it offers a fluid, easy driving experience. A pleasure machine, it is not. Though many believe that the Polo 1.2 TSI, and by a bigger margin, the Polo GTI too, are keen handlers, they really aren’t, so it’s no surprise that the 1.6 variant proves to be a sedate driver.
It’s not quite as flickable as the feisty Ford Fiesta, nor does it offer as satisfying a drive as the Honda Jazz. The steering, though quick and direct, is under an information blackout. It always feels the same regardless of what’s happening between road and tyres.
You end up turning the wheel a guessed amount, seeing what happens, then adjusting to suit. The well-balanced suspension keeps the responses decently taut without wrecking the ride, which helps with the fluidity of it all. It’s all precise and honest, which it needs to be as the CKD Polo goes without the safety net of any form of stability control.
Speaking of safety, airbag count is a lowly and worrysome two, down from the imported model’s four (dual fronts, plus combined curtain and side airbags). VGM says it didn’t have a choice in this matter, as the CKD packs come from India, where the Polo hatchback is only ever offered in such configuration.
The negatives stretch into the interior too. Sitting in the Polo 1.6, you’re fooled into thinking you’re in the European-spec 1.2 TSI – a better specced one at that, as this one adds on the newer RCD320 head unit and single-zone automatic climate control – until you start touching the dashboard.
Yes, the lovely soft-touch materials that are found in the imported model have all been replaced by hard plastics. And the changes go beyond that too, which you can see rather than read about in our comprehensive walkabout video of the CKD VW Polo 1.6. It’s RM30,000 cheaper after all, so something’s got to give, right?
To be fair – yes, this again – even in its current localised state, the Polo’s interior is no worse than its real price competitors. You’ll find no soft materials in the Vios, City, Jazz, Fiesta or Rio either. If you do, then you’re probably touching the seats. Or yourself.
Yes, we keep coming back to this – that the Volkswagen Polo 1.6 is a rival to the models above, not its own brother, the Polo 1.2 TSI. If you can keep that in mind, then you’re likely to be impressed by it. But if by any chance you’re familiar with the imported model, you won’t be, period.
It all boils down to this. If you can afford the 1.2 TSI, that’s the one you’ll want. But if you can’t, the Volkswagen Polo 1.6 will do nicely as an alternative to the usual suspects.
as much as i hate the polo, i dont think i would complain about the engine or the gearbox,
but i think they have ckd it way too late for it to be any good of a competition to its rivals.
For 85k i am getting essentially a 5 year old car, and vw has done very little aesthetic wise and feature wise to keep it up to date.
If they had ckd this 3-2 years ago i wouldve happily bought it.
5 years? That’s like the time I need to wait for volkswagon’s service centres to fix me an appointment for a regular service..
Rubbish car with rubbish engine. What? No VVT? What year is it again? Is it a Proton? In term of engine, Honda 1.5 unit is clearly a lot better than this, yes the 5 speed auto has one less ratio but with the i-Vtec engine, it works wonderfully.
Yes the Polo does feel stable at high speed but Fiesta is better. At a corner, the Fiesta is absolutely the best, the Polo still lacks the steering feel.
Want a premium feel interior? Vios is clearly ahead in this aspect. Sit inside one and you can feel the “quality” right away.
Want a big interior space? Almera is clearly the largest among them. The rear seat is a nice place to be in a long journey.
So the Polo is not the best in any aspect, but it is satisfactory in most angle. However, if I want to spend that amount of money on a car with is a good all rounder, I would go for the Cerato 1.6.
The only reason to go for the Polo is to get the VW badge as Malaysians look at it as a “continental” car. Sadly most of them failed to realise that Volkswagen literally means People’s Car in German.
Let me tell you all why you should buy this car over other rivals like the city or vios. The city and vios are Japanese cars. The polo is a German car. That means you are buying the same type of car like a BMW/Merc/Audi That’s why the polo is the better choice. It is as though you have bought a BMW/Merc/Audi
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha……….
why no central armrest ;(
RM87,888 Polo only have 2 airbags. “VGM says it didn’t have a choice in this matter.” But then why RM54,888 Kia Picanto have 6 airbags? It is RM33,000 cheaper than the Polo but have more airbags. VGM, explain this shit!
The point of buying Continental cars is to avoid the ugly Japanese design but if one looks as if it is in a running to be as hideous as the Japs then why waste the money. At least the ugly Japanese cars are reliable and has better resale value.
‘In term of engine, Honda 1.5 unit is clearly a lot better than this’
Honda City 1.5: 120 PS at 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm at 4,600 rpm
VW Polo 1.6: 105 PS at 5,250 rpm and 153 Nm at 3,800 rpm
In term of torque ‘i-VTEC’ doesn’t seem to work? Less torque at higher rpm? So what is actually ‘a lot better’?
But if you’re one of the guys who drive through the city with 6,600 rpm in first gear, surely the City is the better choice for you… ;)
Yes, on paper figures will show the whole picture right? City only has 5 speed gearbox, while the Polo has 6 speed.
I’ve driven both Polo Sedan and City regularly. In town driving, both cars have similar acceleration characteristic as the Polo will upshift earlier with its 6 speed gearbox.
However, when you need the power, the difference is big as the i-Vtec unit is a lot more lively and smooth at higher rev.
In term of fuel consumption, there is not much difference. Even when the 1.6 MPI is revving lower, the i-Vtec has the advantage of lower displacement and more advance valve control.
Btw, quoting a single peak torque figure at a certain RPM is meaningless unless you have the torque curve to see what happens a few hundred RPM below and above the peak torque RPM.
A general rule of thumb, engines with valve control technologies normally have a “flatter” torque curve compared to engines with fixed cam profile.
Btw, quoting a ‘general rule of thumb, engines with valve control technologies normally have a “flatter” torque curve compared to engines with fixed cam profile’ is meaningless unless you have the torque curve to see what happens a few hundred RPM below and above the peak torque RPM… :D
Hey rubbish, what car magazine or technical expertise do you have? Care to share?
Peakspike, just a Mechanical Engineering degree holder from a Hochschule in Germany.
Mr Rubbish, since you “claim” to have a good degree from a German university, you should help Proton improve its car quality, not challenge companies that have collectively better professional engineers than you will ever be.
‘Even when the 1.6 MPI is revving lower, the i-Vtec has the advantage of lower displacement and more advance valve control.’
And what does ‘more advance valve control’ helps, if the real numbers are below that of a non-VTEC engine?
Honda City 1.5: 145 Nm at 4,600 rpm
VW Polo 1.6: 153 Nm at 3,800 rpm
Possibbly you should buy a Kancil? It has even less displacement and a much more advanced fored induction system? ;)
Peakspike, that’s a very naive of you to think that Proton doesn’t have enough manpower and capability to improve their quality. Afterall, we did try together with my colleagues like Dr Wolfgang Epple and Mr Klaus Liske to improve the quality but that meant stepping on some of the vendors’ toes. In the end, the hidden hands at work are more powerful than just brilliant engineering knowledge.
Good. Now malaysian have more option to buy b-segment cars. Kinda feel sick seeing to many vios and city on the road.
Kimchi and Kpop cars as well.
Polo could only be classified as A segment compact car. The rear seats are too cramp for an average Asian man. Can’t imagine how big frame Eurasians could fit themselves in the rear seats
We can’t blame Mr. Rubbish, as he loves dated rubbish engines, VVT, i-VTEC. VW TSI engine won numerous international awards including engine of the years for 3 straight years!!! Please drive a VW or any German car before u comment. Stop bull-shitting rubbish you frog in the well.
Mr Rubbish here is commenting about the MPI engine…not the advance TSI 1.2l(the RM114k Polo)
Mr rubbish tq for your informative sharing and do keep posting your technical comments here as genuine readers like me would like to hear what u say. Don’t border about some rubbish comments from others.
Your reasoning is quite flawed for saying the Polo isn’t “all that”. So you listed the unique strengths of each of the competitors and then say that it isn’t much of a car to get excited about. The strength of the Polo 1.6 is that it is an above average all-rounder. The Cerato 1.6 costs almost 10k more. That might just be 10k more than someone’s budget can allow for. Like the review said, it is an alternative (though with a higher starting price) to the popular B-segmenters.
Yours are flawed even more. Picking only a few tangible aspects and call it an above average all rounder?
How about you look into the safety features as well? How about the intangible sides like the resale value, rubbish after sales support, price of spare parts or maintenance and the shitty EWP scheme? The VW is a sub par car if you take into account of all these.
typical Japanese fanboy, at just 140kmh compare it, in a japs you’ll feel like traveling at 200kmh while for conti even proton’s its a walk in the park
Polo TSI wannabe! poor man Polo TSI…
go buy laa…show it to ur neighbours that u own a new VW!
Ok Naza Peugeot salesmen, go ahead. Start your bashing and pretending. Ha, ha, ha. Its so bloody obvious, how you guys do it!
You know the more you salesmen lie to the public, the more people would buy VW cars. So stop this rubbish la. Only write here real comments not your wet dreams.
You can be a leader, or a follower. If you are a follower, you will listen to what the armchair critics have to say about this car without owning one.if you are a leader, you make your own decisions and do like what I did, test drive and then buy one because its so good.
Utterly rubbish on how VW comment about nothing they can do about the airbags.
That’s just an excuse.
To be honest we can bash car makers for neglecting the safety aspect when deciding what to offer the consumer on Paultan (believe me, I’ve done my share of bashing), but until the consumers decide that safety features is paramount when choosing a car to buy rather than being the 5th important aspect we’ll continue to see tepid response from the manufacturers.
Hate to be repeat a cliche, but it’s what the market wants – all flash and no substance!
Somehow, if you see the reduction of 30k, it still is not really worth it. No TSI engine. No ESP, no side airbags, cheaper material (i.e. headliner, dashboard) and no dual clutch transmission (which is quite expensive, removal should lead to more savings).
At least put ESP and the side airbags. Come on VW, the Polo sedan has 4 airbags, and the Polo sedan in India does have ESP (on the TSI model).
Good review but hater will always complaint.
Actually they have good reason to hate and criticize the brand. As you can see , they are not paid by someone to complaint, they were once a VW fan boy until problem after problem surfaced. Most of the “Hater”as you describle them actually a VW owner.
Most hater here not vw owner..mostly they r p1,p2,toyota,honda driver or salesman of p1,p2,toyota,honda
yes, i’m sure you know. because you’re the all knowing keyboard warrior.
just by reading the comments section of some website you could extrapolate what brand of car they drive.
i own a pre-reg Polo Tsi sport for 2 yrs, got it for 102k.. offering is one of the most complete in its segment but comes with a price
i m equally dissapointed with VGM’s offering on th Polo 1.6
nevermind the MPI engine n 6 spd aisin tranny if they r proven to b reliable n frugal (even lambo Aventador use MPI, wats so old tech about it)
VGM is so close to complete the Polo so that it can really compete with its rival, but it didnt.. Just have to put in 2 more airbags n ESP, sure no reason y ppl say its not complete..
VGM intention is clearly to bring down the price to compete with rivals, but too bad the products are too substandard..
lets bring awareness to the market, safety is priceless..
If they are really VW owners, why none of them reply when I asked them to show their car number the last time. They all suddenly vanished?
So would you share your email address to prove your not a troll?
BLT Club, why dont you start by sharing yours?
Maybe bcoz they r busy doing other, important, thing that actually matters? Btw, i dont see the point of arguing here. Everyone has their own opinion, shouldn’t step on others’ toes to express them out. Am i right or am i right?
C&C is quite bad too …
Bullshit, UMW has one of the worse customer service in Malaysia. I sold my Toyota because of it. No one bothered to entertain me despite sitting 2 hours in the service center, bookings are always forgotten. VW is much better at this.
Good ? I dun think so, must well buy Preve.
Preve is rubbish junk car lo.Wasted cash to spend on a shitbox preve.Buy 3rd Gen Jazz/Fit, civic ,Hell man !peugeot 208 is way better than the SHITTY preve(Kereta Mampus)and this hopeless polo ckd!
Don’t buy 1.6 Polo, is mean-less
Better buy 208 unless you have RM114,888 for Polo 1.2 TSI
Stop Talking 1.6 Polo This “Sh*t”
I can barely understand you…
U r better than me…
Yeah, I think the smartest thing VGM did was to continue selling the 1.2 TSI variant. Its still RM114k thou(or RM4k off a top spec Cerato)
Its hard to justify the Polo CKD. Personally, the main point in getting a VW, is the fact that it has a certain quality advantage over the usual East Asian offering, but you dont get it here. And thou design suits the taste of each individual differently, but the overall interior seems bland to my eyes.
it is abit unfair to compare the Vios and the City as they are sedans and are bigger and targeted at a different audience, but even cars like the Fiesta, 208, Rio and Jazz are still offering better spec and some even at a lower cost.
they’re solely using the brand’s reputation (perception?) to justify their inferior product.
to potential buyers, think twice. Even they new City has 6 airbags, even though I suspect that is Honda’s way to counter it’s inferior powerhouse.
None of you guys are motoring journalists or probably even know anything about car technicals, yet you are all so good at doing “car reviews” based on your experiences. If all of you guys were actually real, Malaysia should be among the best car producers in the world. But, yet we are not. So enough of rubbish reviews by the “so called experts” here. Let Paul Tan and his team do the reviews and you all just sit down and listen like the dumbasses that you are. Ha, ha, ha!
As with almost all foreign brands sold in Malaysia with the possible exception of Naza brought-in brands(Kia, ,Peugeout,etc…, VW has an excellent reputation for offering good all-round products, good quality, optimal performance for daily driving and decentt specs. Theres where brand perception is built on, so when we do finally get VW, we expect that brand identity to wither down, well most of us. There are still some unfortunate enough to be ill-inform enough to be unbeknownst that this is not the case. Granted, cars like the Passat and Jetta are compareble in spec and quality to their Euro-counterparts, but they are also priced accordingly, The Polo/Polo Sedan CKD are not such products , their price/specs ratio are more in line with UMW Toyotas than Naza and nothing like the Europian counterparts, and suprisingly, I am seeing alot of them popping up like wild mushroom(clear-headlights VW Polo).
Of course this is according to my view, they are not bad car as per say, and the purchased is entirely up to the market. But there are just much better and all-round products out there and I do recomend giving them a chance. Also regarding the City’s powerhouse, the City with its smaller engine(and according to many who believe social-darwinism, inferior), is quoted with a higher power but lower torque….The powerband is also higher. Thou I am still persist by my SA that the 4th gen City 1.5l engine is mostly new design even thou it has the same power and torque but at a lower powerband(The saying is that this is the first City since the original City hatch to be develope entirely by the Japanese in Japan). The City unlike its name states, enjoys its time away from City but on Highway and B-roads, the high powerband makes it a very lively drive but this is noisy and unrefine in city roads. The Polo I belive is more refine and mature around town(no idea, never driven one, but the powerband of the 1.6 MPI seems to prove so)
Mr AVH I follow your post quite often n I thank u for sharing your opinions here. Many of your comments enriched my knowledge in car n it’ll certainly helps me in choosing my next car.
“If you do, then you’re probably touching the seats. Or yourself.” LOL
Most parts are from India. Thats what i heard.
its a rubbish car with expensive price. jazz, inspira, vios is more practical
the fact of the matter is..the price RM85,888 is without insurance… that means u probably pay close to 89k to buy this thg… and nasically a cut price POLO for the 3rd world :)
a 208 meanwhile that we get lacks a better gearbox, but it comes fully loaded with everything less a European specced would get n priced at 85,888 with insurance too…
so the question is, y is the POLO is still expensive? :)
*everything else
True. Where are the so called “CKD status tax breaks”? Cant hardly see it, same segment full feature CBU car VS less feature CKD price almost the same? and both are European.
The 208 overall is a much better car than this CKD Polo by far except it’s gearbox.. It’s full spec with 6 airbags & Traction Control with LCD Screen and premium exterior and interior feel.. for the price region, choosing 208 over this CKD Polo is a rather simple decision….
Walaoweh the models . . .
Can go ahead buy.. my advice. . Buy myvi 1.5 manual.. change adjustable absobers & stainless steel extractor. You will be surprised.
what? are you drunk? myvi free also i don’t want la!
Have been driving the ckd polo sedan since early Dec 13….If need spirited driving….need to.put it in S mode n u will know this car was meant to be sporty….corners quick. …reasonable acceleration….revs smoothly at the top end….coming to 9k km mileage. For many of us….able to drive a german is a dream come true. Was initially surprised it has a bigger car feel maybe due to heavier material used. Really need to push it to the limits to find depth in design.
Most of us know that the Polo TSI and and Polo 1.6 are totally different cars sharing the same name.
However, why don’t u guys put up an easy to understand comparison, in table form or what not of its competitors like the Vios, City, Rio, 208, Fiesta and even some other cars one size up like the Preve/Suprima and the 307 VTI.
Personally, the 208 seem to be a much better deal for a small B segment hatch…..followed by the Korean Rio.
Yep agree that the 208 is much better than this but no, just not the Rio. It’s slow, handles horribly and rides harshly. The lengthy spec sheet is there to cover up it’s terrible drive and handling.
Plus, the fuel economy of the Rio is comparable to that of a Waja. You wouldn’t wanna spend that much money for gas on a small B segment hatch right.
“The cherry on top of all this, of course, is the all-important Volkswagen badge.”
Well keep it up VW. Your badge would have a nice ring to it: “Volkswagen, Das Kompromiss Auto”.
Touch yourself! Haha!
people buy this bcause of the badge..
comparing the price, inspira or city is way a lot better proper car..both old model. nothing to shout about.
anyway, for 90k car, city would be the 1 of the best choice in regard of the top spec
yea man…city is the best since you said so
dear VW,
why should i buy polo instead of honda city?.
there any plan to CKD VW Bettle? CKD mean reduction of car price
Ckd means completely knockdown , don’t try to be a smartass
The only good thing in is car is the 6 speed auto by aisin. While peugeot still using 4 speed for 208 , 6 speed is the better option for daily drive and more fuel efficient in highway.
6 speed vs 4 speed
it give better FC on the same egnine.
but there is no more then 10% saving. proven in Saga FL to Saga FLX.
6speed or 4 speed.
it still depends what is the engine.
Just went to try drive this hopeless and worthless junk.No big deal.Truly a moron’s VW.The 208 is a total opposite of this useless car.What the hell DRB,they think we malaysians stupid or what?The MYVI Extreme(Lagi power, Lagi MAMPUS) also better than this junk ckd crap!
Right, correct, betul.
Of course if you are a Peugeot salesman who is losing business, any car is worse that a Peugeot.
Yalo u mean the peugeot 208? That car is a fantastic car to purchase and drive daily. Awesome machine!! Bro.Preve and this crap ShitLO metal are hopeless junk!
For 85k, the new Honda City is a better choice for the layman. Diehards would say otherwise obviously.
So vw agreed that their system suck big time here in our climate. A very rare quality, during these testing times. They shud have compensate the owners
Another testament of najib great qualities as the best-around prime ministership. His ability to wheel and deal makes him the best man around at the moment. A reduction of almost 15-20% initial price.
Congratulation najib
The Polo sedan comes with 4 airbags. CKD from India. Don’t see why this car can’t have more airbags. As for the looks, I’ve seen a few….looks extremely dull on the road. Remove the badge and it looks like a Saga in my rear view mirror. I suspect it also has a higher ground clearance than the 1.2TSI, and combined with smaller wheels and clear headlights, it’s far from sporty. I saw one in the showroom today and was somewhat impressed by the new dash. The plastics are ok in my opinion. No mention was made regarding seating for rear occupants, which is cramped compared to its rivals. It has a large booth though.
I’ve driven the Polo Sedan and it’s no sports car. Indeed, it’s best suited for slow sedate driving. It does feel more European than its rivals and has weightier controls. It also has more rear space and leg room. Prospective Polo hatch owners should look hard at the sedan version. It may be less sexy, but far more practical to own.
Lastly, as a VW owner, VW and it’s distributors really need to improve the various facets of customer service in M’sia. Aspiring to be a premium brand, while selling 20,000 cars, is all well and good. However, it’s certainly not backed up by the level of service offered locally. Plus, it’s not in the best interest of the brand when owners need to take a car in several times to sort out a problem. And then wait a month for parts to arrive. The longest my car stayed away from the service centre was 2 months.
Choosing to buy a car like the VW Polo has a lot to do with brand perception. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be in VW’s favour, despite starting off on strong footing in Malaysia.
true… if die die must choose, polo sedan better .. at least 2 more airbags and larger interior space..
This car is not to compete with Vios, City or Almera.. these are sedans with huge interior room and boot, n ppl buy them for their space and usually for young family
Polo is targeting a different group who prefer smaller, shorter, easy to park and drive in city.. it rivals with Pug 208, Fiesta hatch, Rio and Jazz.. if die die die must choose, Fiesta is better value for $$..
although i own a Polo TSI n love the car very much, but at this offering is too dissapointing..
VGM, wake up..
u guys really bad….give u DSG later u say expensive and bad gearbox…
they don give u DSG then u say there’s no DSG…! what u wan
For my mind, it is a good move for vw to lower the price below 100k for European car.
In terms of technology, design, handing, performance, smooth is totally different from japan car.
We can say that it is very impact for Japan car.
If l planning to buy new car below 100k, l will consider to buy vw.
well done vw.
Badge snob.. you have totally fallen into VGM’s trap thinking all VW cars have the same quality.. no, they dont..
i own a Polo TSI sport n i can really tell the difference, Polo TSI is what VW really stands for.. but VW msia is only selling Badge with this Polo 1.6.. if really want conti feel with good overall package, Ford Fiesta..
Polo TSI is what VW really stands for.
———————————————–
Eh please ler, Polo TSI is consider the top range of the polo…in europe/uk you have all variety of polo, from an Entry-level petrol power comes from ageing NA 1.2-litre three-cylinder engines to an 84bhp NA 1.4 engine, the turbo TSI range from a 1.2 turbo to a 1.4 turbo (which sometimes shuts off half its cylinders to save fuel) and the turbocharged and supercharged 1.4 in the GTI. The diesel engine range includes 1.2- and 1.6-litre units, but the emphasis for the diesel is firmly on economy rather than performance.
ya,it is little bit faster i admit…but i rather buy the new city…less than 100k with surprisingly a lot more specs than vw 1.6 polo…the design of exterior is good, but the interior is cheap…the dashboard,the radio,the seats look very cheap…n with 2 airbags ,tis polo is really not worth the price…
the 1.6 polo’s design
VW owners. Please comment on reliability. Heard a lot if horror stories about this and poor after sales service. Are these true?
Its mostly not true. I have a 2012 VW Polo TSI with a 7 sp dry clutch DSG. If its true about the DSG giving problems, then i have not experienced it. If you want to know more, please e- mail me. I have provided my e- mail to the administrator of this site. Thank you.
Hey Dude.
I own a VW with the 2.0TSI engine with 6speed DSG. Same engine as the Mk6 Golf GTI.
It’s a cracker of an engine and the car is worth buying just for its engine/drivetrain.
While the cars are generally well built and of good quality, little things seem to go wrong.
My car’s Continental “self seal” rear tyre leaked from the time I got the car. FA Wagen, whom I took the car to, said it was puncture due to a nail. They removed the nail n patched the tyre but the leak became worse. Tyre Pressure Warning light would come on every 2 days. The Continental rep said it was due to a nail….not their problem. FA Wagen said its up to Continental although their SA told me privately that removing the nail might have damaged the tyre further. The Conti rep refused to budge despite being told that the whole purpose of a “Self Sealing” tyre was to deal with little leaks from things like a nail. I finally got tired of the whole affair, swore off Continental and switched to a pair of Goodyears. FA Wagen remained uninterested and refused to be accountable. Interestingly, I emailed Continental HQ in Germany. The good chaps there forwarded the email to Conti UK. Their reply? If a customer with a new car is unhappy with the Conti tyres shod in his car, Conti UK will replace all 4 tyres with any other similar tyre of another make of the customer’s choice. However, they were not sure regarding the practice here in M’sia. Obviously.
2 months after I bought my car, the Air Cond stopped blowing cold air. Took it to FAW. They blamed it on a leaking air cond radiator. It seems a pebble had struck the cooling fins and caused a leak. There were hug gaps in the lower part of the car bumper ( for that sporty look…) and FAG techs said that was how the stone got in. I was told to wait a month for the new part to arrive. I requested the SA to pump some R134 which I would pay far, so that my drive home would be more bearable. When I collected the car, the air blowing out was still hot. SA told me they had filled with gas but the leak was so big that all the gas had all leaked out. I then decided to drop by in my usual A/C shop. The chap there filled it up with gas and the car Air Cond worked perfectly till the time the new part came. VW insisted the part be changed as failure to do so could affect the whole A/C system. I forked out 2k + since it was not covered by warranty.
However, despite changing the part, the car air con continued to make noise. I was a strange groaning noise from both the front and back of the car. The noise was very loud and one passenger commented that it sounded like someone burping in the back seat.
Again, FAG said nothing was wrong. They “couldn’t hear the noise”. This is standard FAG protocol. They will carefully note down the complaints, then say nothing was heard or no abnormality noted. After 3 visits, someone senior in FAG tested the car and said it’s an expansion valve problem. However, they did not change the part. They filled it up with gas and said the problem should go away. It didn’t. It’s now been a year and they have finally ordered a new valve.
One year into ownership, the car refused to start. FAG came in their rescue mobile and jump started the car. It seems my battery, 11 months old, had gone flat. That was replaced under warranty.
My front cornering lights then blew. That was a mystery to FAG and they removed the whole headlamp module and blamed an IC there for causing a short circuit. They ordered new parts, kept my car for 2 days to get it replaced. Mind you, this was 2 months after the lights stopped working. When I went to collect the car, the SA sheepishly told me that nothing was wrong with the module. A small cornering light bulb was blown, and replaced at the astronomical price of RM 95.00. I would have thought that would have been the first thing they checked.
I’ve now owned my car for about one and a half years and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve taken the car in to the service centre. I leave you to make your own conclusions.
Cheers.
Thanks CM.. a healthy mind ppl no need to make any conclusions… sendri mau ingat.. whereas I drive my myvi for seventh year.. no bulbs change.. air cond still cold like new.. never stuck in workshops… & any workshop under trees sell the spare parts. . No need to wait months… so make your own conclusions too.. hehe..
Do you believe in “luck”? It’s all the factors that people can’t explain, but that cause good or bad things to happen. I read so many comments about DSG problems, but I’ve not experienced it.
Personally, I own a Polo 1.2 TSI 2010 model bought in 2011 at a discounted HP rate. It’s been good so far. Meter is reading about 26000km (I don’t drive it much). Whenever I stop, e.g. at traffic lights or in a jam, I put the gear into N. The DSG is super smooth in upshifts, but takes a while to downshift.
In 2013, during the second yearly service, they said there was a problem with the battery. So changed it for RM500 plus. Diagnosing cost and installation cost RM200 plus. I guess that’s how they make money, and that’s why they give you 5 years warranty (there’s a rule that says you have to let them service, or else warranty is void).
Driving-wise, I’m satisfied. It’s a lot better than Kia Rio and Honda City (both of which I’ve test-driven). But smoothness I must say Almera is better, because it’s NA (No turbo lag).
You make up your own mind. People will say a lot of things, but in the end, you are the one having the experience of owning a VW, or Nissan, or whatever car you choose. Let others have their say, and you have yours.
Thrs no mention of interior space….?
i dont mind interior plastics as long as thy dont rattle…u want soft touch the 208 is the better option,looks more modern..only downside is da 4speed auto…
I can tel u european cars drive alot better than japanese…the light n flimsy feeling u wont get in europeans cars….
omg…….these two girls are as ugly as the the vw polo. same boring.
VW is not a premium brand boys and girls….
VW,Audi,Skoda and Porsche are one family and from this point you can certainly see which badge their targeting at luxury level.VW is only a car built for “PUBLIC” as VW meant “FolksCar/Wagon” while in China it’s called “Shanghai Dazhong” which means Shanghai Public.
personally I will certainly go for Fiesta on this price level.Test drive,check the feature and compared your own liking.
Fiesta is just as bad and smaller than a MyVi inside. If you buy a Fiesta, it wont be able to haul your mothers big fat a**. Just a thought for your consideration.
Too bad thinking to get a car in this segment to fit your mother’s big fat a**,poor boy….it’s a fun car and not a big a** fitting car,boy….
I think Malaysians are getting rather a poor deal. I’ve lived in Malaysia for almost 11 years and I have much respect for Malaysians and how they make do with substandard products, not only from local manufacturers but also foreign cars which are often stripped down and diluted with little or no safety gear, and still sold at high prices. As someone from the UK, and having owned cars from a VW Golf to a BMW mini, this car seems good value on the surface, but by UK standards its old tech, poor safety equiped with an old and reletively inefficient engine. I suppose for many this will be a way to purchase into the ‘Eurocar is better’ myth. I think Eurocars are better in Europe, in Malaysia they are just a compromise and an opportunity for the companies to make big profits.
well said
for this price, although priced well, but i will choose city thn this
the polo is just a myvi over there, but sold at double price here, thn ppl think its premium brand… VW aint no premium brand…the Audi is.
Aiyo, the latest City is a milllion times better than this crap from India laaaa
The Polo rear seats are tiny! Plus its slow as hell.
U wanna buy Polo, get the TSI model! If no money, get the city!!
This 1.6 is utter rubbish!
U test drive b4?? and u own 1 b4??
but i don’t need tsi. i drive slowly normally. follow speed limit.
Owns an 2010 VW Tiguan 2.0TSI. It gives me nothing but problems all these years. I do not need to mention the number of times I make noise at the SC. Any genuine VW owners here will understand. Waiting for the delivery of my new MB before I give up on this car.
CP Wong – like the other guy said, please show a picture of your car with registration plate. Want to know if you are real or just another Peugeot salesman.
Prove it – Peugeot salesman?? didn’t he mention MB??
Some people are getting irrational and fanatic in the comments they post online.
This car looks old design, so highly priced, not worth the penny.
go test drive 1st then only give commment
Nate apo la blako…kecek supo celako belako…Mu nok beli gak beli la, kalu tok sir beli gak…tok soh…bengong puok2 mu nih…GOM !!!
i would rather buy proton suprima s premium/r3 over this
just go ahead
any VW SA here? i would to purchase this car…
…if the pricetag is RM58,888, not RM85,888
then go buy ur RM58.888 car not suitable for u…poorman
u even cant understand a simple joke, poor u
I sense another driven video looming, polo, vios, and thd new city
Let the fight begin!
This is obviously CKD kit from India and not German, otherwise how come the difference is so big. Cheap? Wait until you find out how much the India built Polo costs in Indian.
Will definitely buy new city(full spec) anytime than this, dated design plus cut costing specs, poor malaysian. But don’t mind to pay a little bit more for full spec C-seg below 100k, you know which i mean!
I was wondering, does interior build represent the overall build quality of a car? Shouldn’t it be the rigidity of the chassis be the determining factor instead of the plastics?
Yes, the new Vios has better plastics inside, but the metal shell is no better than a Viva.
I suppose even if the plastics are hard, if they are put together solidly and firmly, it can be considered high quality build, together with a rigid chassis.
You must be a Proton engineer, only those bunch will think that quality is chassis rigidity, DPU level and ride & handling. They will never get it that people are actually judging the quality based on what they see, hear, touch, feel and even smell.
Nope, I’m a Proton owner. I’m just wondering on that fact. As owner, I understand people’s perception on quality by plastics and fit/finish. They should consider other factors that makes a car well built, not just those two.
ckd kit from india. big rip off.
basically what they are saying is, it’s an 87k myvi competitor
German cars even CBU from Germany are not made like in the days of the old W 124 E Class. They have shorter life cycles to compete with cars from Korea and Japan. European working hours are much shorter than those in Korea and Japan, even though salaries are the same, the product quality from Japan and Korea will be much better compared to native EU manufacturers. Over a vehicle design life cycle, more man – hours are placed into each product compared to those coming out of the EU.
Thanks for the detailed commentary CM. Just needed some validation from what I have heard and read.
Dude.. they all lied.. all lies.. in fb.. here.. semua tipu punya… why not you go to their service centre in Glenmarie… near my office… went there a few times. . I can take you there.. call me.. hehe
polo sedan will be a better option. 2 more side airbags, rear aircond, and bigger boot space
Agreed with you, motorhead. There are way too many liars here, who are mostly salesmen from different car companies. Dude – If you need real info, read the car reviews or ask real mechanics, not keyboard warriors like the ones here.
What you say may be true about keyboard warriors, but the drop in sales from 13k in 2012 to 8k in 2013 surely indicates the consumer confidence and perception in the brand.
Amen, you are absolutely right. i am going to sell my VW and change to A250. the after sales service is super hyper poor.
Bro..no need to bash here and there..tomorrow,take your time..go to showroom…test the car….then u know the feel.bad or good!do you think they dont have their market reseach team ka?if ni marjet sure they dont sell here la bro…bash every model published…then what car that u drive?
Think ahead la bro…if u dont like the car then dont buy it..just go for malaysian made car..compare it here…
http://autos.yahoo.com/car-research/
You can get many selection here for sub RM 100k cars….pity us..
Looks severely outdated inside out.The new Honda City,Toyota Vios, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta are the better choice.
Hi hafriz,
Nice comprehensive review.
Just a small issue, I would appreciate if you would be more to the point as in lesser words more technical points and a simple summary? Please don’t get me wrong.
To everyone thats looking to change a car this year, better do it before middle of March as Bank Negara will implement new changes to the car loan policy. Expect higher interest, higher downpayment and shorter loan duration which will happen in another 3 weeks!
So get you new car fast!!
i laugh when see those comment n bashing no money dont buy dont complain … i tested this POLO handling i can say is good but boring at last i get a Fiesta because cheaper price,more feature and fun driving car … best overall and one last words
Nothing is perfect my 2 cents
good review on most things bout the car except space… i presume the target mkt of this vehicle would consider space and boot space? no comparisons with it’s rivals?
love to see the model in yellow :)
anyone here can intro ??
Bought the polo for my wife. Adequate car though it is lively. Test drive one before bashing it
in Europe, Polo is just like Kancil in Malaysia.. The lower entering car.
Dear Paul,
Does this version has any wind-noise effect compared to the sedan version? My sedan has this wind-noise when I reach over 100km/h. When VGM tech inspected he claims it to be the wind-cut noise and nothing can be done. Apparently the design is as such. Can this be considered a proper explanation ?
Is your sedan CBU or CKD? And what’s the mileage now? I saw some similar comments before, but for CBU. Some suggest adding window visors may help – but I am a bit skeptical coz my old car with visors also face the problem.
I got my 2014 Sedan (CKD version) yesterday, *touch wood* so far so good except it is slightly more bumpy than the one I tested. I guess it is still new. The fastest I have tried so far is 70+km/h. Will let u know after going through highway towards end of months.
Over the weekend, I travelled from PG 2nd bridge to Nibong Tebal. Managed to hit 110km/h on a short stretch of highway. I did hear some wind noise, but not the high-pitch whining/whistling sound I had thought, if u know what i mean. To summarize, I didn’t find it different than other B-segment cars I had driven in the past, except for probably slightly louder at that speed.
Putting this aside, I heard rubber rubbing/squeaking sound when going through uneven road, particularly road bumps. I am not sure if this is because of the rubber material used at the window seal.
If the Polo is frumpy, it’s a well tailored frumpiness made with good cloth. The same cannot be said for the competing B-segment cars.
The VW servicing issues are really hurting it. I wonder if VW would be better served by offering fewer models.
Haih.. the BQ of VW cars are sooo sooo much better than the BS Honda cars..
Just recently gotten the New Honda City, and trust me, if VW Malaysia ever have a car at that price range with all the IMPORTANT FEATURES, then get the VW.
U dun need to look further, just sit inside the car and drive, compare only one thing, the NVH, and u will surely throw Honda BS cars away.
this car is better than japanese cars because japanese people eat whales and dolphins
buy this polo
Haha a lot sh here. For me. Drive h jazz felt like my myvi 1.5 se. This PS is a stable car.
Polo hatchback 2017 model vs Honda jazz e variant. Which one would you go for? Just scouting my options around , would appreciate some feedback of the car overall and after sales :)