Volkswagen is seemingly on the path of resurrection with all new Polo Cross. Well, leaving behind the past of not-so-successful vehicles, the carmaker has apparently tried to reinvent its automobile engineering in the shape of this latest edition. Polo Cross is muscular, rugged, and sporty with classy touch ingrained into styling. This bulky hot hatch is feature loaded and somewhat better than Polo on few parameters. Polo, launched in India with much anticipation was tagged as a powerful B segment hatchback with sturdy 1.2 litre engine and high end features. But with launch of Polo Cross, company has broken all the barriers that restricted reign of Polo in SUV savvy Indian motor market.
Price:
While the earlier version, Polo, is priced in the range of Rs. 4.99 to Rs. 7.6 lakhs (Ex-showroom Delhi), the later one carries the price tag of Rs. 7.58 lakhs.
Brand value:
These hot hatch category cars bear a brand name to reckon with, literally. Volkswagen needs no introduction in the four wheel market. A huge fan following in European automobile sector has boosted its brand value to new highs and in India too, this successful run was quite expected. However, it has to tread along an elongated path with its superlative coupé class.
Engine details:
The premium hatchback Polo Cross is geared with 1.2-litre TDI engine emitting a power of 75 PS @ 4200 rpm and max torque of 180 Nm @ 2000 rpm. The front wheel drive of this diesel car extracts power from its five speed manual transmission and executes terrific mileage ranging 22.07 kmpl.
Polo Cross has inherited this engine power from its forerunner, Polo which shares the same 3- cylinder engine with 7-speed DSG transmission. The mileage, though, is slightly understated at 17.24 kmpl.
Space:
With a seating capacity of 5 persons, Polo has dimensions of 3970* 1682* 1453 mm while on the other hand Polo Cross is built in the size of 3987* 1698* 1488 mm with same seating capacity. These hatchbacks have ample boot space to make your driving pleasurable. Thus, with larger dimensions, Polo Cross is definitely bigger.
Interiors:
Well the best experience of driving a car is derived from inside, obviously! So it should and it does matters a lot. When talking of Volkswagen, we have no doubts about their designing caliber and rightly so. In Polo, interiors are tastefully done with swish factor added by chrome trim and a youthful dock. The car has central locking, DIN music system, multi functional display panel, dual tone dash board, nicely designed console, steering wrapped in leather with mounted controls, and anti pinch power windows.
If Polo has so much to offer, expectations are certain to be higher with Polo Cross. It does not disappoint either. European appeal in the contemporary design lies in the essence of design at Volkswagen. The ritzy Titanium black upholstery crafted out of Livon fabric is a visual treat with chrome interior trim, ample storage space, leather wrapped steering, Multifunction display, tilt, 2-DIN music system along with SD card, Bluetooth, 4 speakers and USB.
Exterior:
If looks are a deciding factor for your decision while buying a car, then Cross Polo is certainly a better bet. With sturdier looks, it is a showstopper boasting of front grille accented with chrome finish, roof railings, all black cladding, 5-spoke alloy wheels, black finish halogen lamps, new bumpers, wheel arches with molded covers, anti whiplash and central locking.
Road handling:
In spite of all claims made by company in this regard, Polo Cross fails to leave behind Polo completely in terms of ground clearance. Though the road handling it offers is best in class but it gets loud and crude on rough terrains. Both these cars have a ground clearance of 168mm and comfortable seats. Both are almost same in road handling leaving no scope for comparison.
Verdict:
Although, Polo Cross is embedded with great features, it is somewhat overpriced and availability in just diesel limits the choice for buyers. Again! No doubts about Volkswagen, we still hope to see a more improved version of Polo in near future.
