Volkswagen is another car manufacturer
that decided to participate in a big way for the Kuala Lumpur
International Motor Show 2013 (KLIMS'13). The VW stand is the largest
at KLIMS'13 and showcases the following:
- National premiere of the new 2014 Volkswagen Polo 1.6, 3rd locally assembled model
- Unique special ‘cut out’ model of Golf displays Volkswagen’s engineering, innovation and safety
- The iconic Beetle Fender Edition first appearance in Malaysia
- “Think Blue” – Interaction of fuel efficiency and fuel saving
- The Volkswagen comprehensive model line-up and exciting brand entertainment for all walks of life
The VW Beetle Fender
Edition show car is quite unique with the Guitarist plugging in his
Fender Stratocaster directly to the car's amp and wringing out some
riffs. The 'Think Blue' or BlueMOTION stuff is as usual eco-friendly
stuff (which I don't really bother about as fuel sipping, whilst good
for the pocket isn't exactly interesting for the petrolhead in me.
The VW line-up is displayed showing all their stuff.
But all of this
actually is just window dressing for people looking to purchase some
VW cars. And what is special is actually the Malaysian launch of the
CKD Volkswagen Polo 1.6 (hatchback). The Polo 1.6 is the third car to
be locally assembled after the Volkswagen Passat and the Volkswagen
Polo 1.6 sedan.
The new Polo 1.6
hatchback will come with the RCD 320 radio system which offers
best-in-class connectivity, ‘Climatronic’ automatic air
conditioning system and Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS). The
CKD Polo is equipped with a 1.6liter 105PS petrol injection 16-valve
MPI engine that produces a maximum torque of 153Nm at 3800rpm and
mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, the new
Polo 1.6 reportedly gets 6.3 litres per 100km and allowing drivers to
go a distance of 15.9km per litre. The only drawbacks are the fact that it has two front airbags instead of four (two extra front curtain airbags) for a price that is slightly higher than the 1.6 sedan variant. The car should cost RM2,000 more
than the RM85,888 (w/o insurance)
price of the Polo sedan.
I have checked the car out and aside from
the different engine and gearbox, the car looks and feels the same as
the imported ones. Hello, these aren't luxury cars okay, it's
Volkswagen's entry level car. You have to know that it is built to a
budget.
So this is another
affordable VW for the masses and one which in my opinion will be as
reliable as most cars on the road out there. The reason is because
the engine is a basic non-direct injection engine. Some of VW group's
direct injection engines have oil consumption issues and since it is
turbocharged (Polo 1.2TSI) there may be extra costs to think about in
the long run. And since the gearbox isn't a Dual Clutch Gearbox
(DSG), it may be reliable here too. We have heard issues pertaining
to the VW DSG gearbox and I personally have driven a few (owned
by friends) that have issues. Ergo,
this Polo and its sedan sibling are VW s to buy if you want to safely
own one after the warranty period (which
these days is a fabulous 5 years unlimited mileage warranty).
It is actually rare
that we recommend you folks out there a Volkswagen. This car is one
of them. Of course it's not the latest in technology nor the fastest
out there (it actually could be the
slowest). But with horsepower and
torque figures in the average range coupled with its smallish body,
it could still bring a smile if one rows through the gears with a
little more verve than usual. Then you also have the price coming in
at around RM90,000 with insurance. A price that is affordable for
most Malaysians out there. So there you go. A decent Volkswagen for
the masses.
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