VW continues to offer the new Polo with a 1.0-litre petrol engine which produces 75PS of power and 95Nm of torque, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine rated at 90PS and 230Nm. Both the engines come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
The Polo GT does not feature any changes under the hood either. It continues to pack a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that makes 105PS and 175Nm, or a diesel engine that makes 110PS of peak power and 250Nm of peak torque. The turbo-petrol engine is offered with a 7-speed DSG only, whereas the diesel Polo GT only comes with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Externally, the new Polo gets a honeycomb grille and a new air dam up front, which will remind you of the GTI variant. It also gets LED elements for the tail lamps and a revised rear bumper. The subtle changes to the exterior of the Polo facelift help it exude a more premium approach.
The design might have been altered, but under the skin it is the same Polo that has been on sale in India for almost a decade now. It is another facelift of the fifth-generation of the hatchback (globally) in India, whereas other markets now get the sixth-generation avatar.
Volkswagen is not expected to bring the sixth-gen Polo to India anytime before 2021. And when it does, it will be based on the MQB A0 IN platform that Skoda is working on localising for the Indian market.
The facelifted Polo continues to compete with other premium hatchbacks like the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza, Hyundai Elite i20 and Honda Jazz.