Volkswagen Polo Facelift

                   Volkswagen Polo Facelift

Having just launched the Polo GT TDI in India, you would expect the people at Volkswagen India to be taking a bit of a break. On the contrary, the plans for a facelift of the car are already being worked upon. The Volkswagen Polo facelift was spotted testing at Death Valley, California, USA. Design elements from this test mule will filter onto the new Polo which will be launched in India in 2014, the best news though will be that the facelift will not just be a cosmetic job, there will be a new engine on offer too!

 

FRONT: Changes are limited to the new headlights with twin-lighting elements (which are similar to the units found on the last-gen Polo sold in Europe) and silver insert , new fog lamps, new front bumper which is more sculptured than before and gets a new silver element that mimics the one in the headlight unit, a new grille.

  Rear: Changes are limited to the new bumper with a more pronounced area around the number plate holder and new reflectors. The test mule seems to be the GT TSI variant.

 

What are the differences?

1) The international model will get optional LED daytime running lamps, which Volkswagen India may or may not offer (the latter seems more probable).

2) The lower profile tyres found on the international model may not make it here. It will be offered with 15, 16 and 17-inch alloys based on the variant abroad, while in India we may have to be content with the 15-inch wheels. This is not exactly a bad thing as the ride will be more comfy on the standard tyres, but those who want a bit more of style will have to go for aftermarket wheels.

3) The international model gets a slight facelift on the inside too, which the test mule spied in India does not have. we may not get updates like a different shifter, redesigned three-spoke steering, new instrument cluster etc.

4) At the rear, the international model gets LED tail-lamp elements which have not been offered in India

A new front bumper, headlights and tail-lamps as well as new features inside are expected as the cosmetic changes which the Volkswagen Polo facelift will receive. The most important change though, will be that the Polo facelift will be offered with a 1.5-litre TDI motor in the May of 2014 as per the latest reports. This engine will come in two different states of tune; 89 BHP and 104 BHP. After the arrival of this motor, VW might just phase out the current diesel engines on offer.

The current diesel engine powering the Volkswagen Polo is a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, in line engine which produces a maximum power of 74 BHP @ 4200 rpm and a maximum torque of 180Nm @ 2,000 rpm. There is also a 1.6-litre TDI motor on offer (that powers the Polo GT TDI) that develops a maximum power of 105 BHP and a peak torque of  250Nm which is more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger for performance. Both the engines are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Volkswagen’s Polo series has done very well in India so far and we can hope that the new launch will boost the sales even further. The car is expected to arrive in the market in the first quarter of 2014.