What was your first car? The first car I owned under my name is a Suzuki Swift but the first car that was given to me under my car for a long period of time was a Perodua Kancil company car. First loves are hard to forget: until today I still remember the moments when I took the little red out terrorizing the neighborhood more than a decade ago.
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And, if you’re like most Malaysians where there’s a huge disparity between earning capacity and car prices, you’d probably start with a small B segment vehicle, mainly due to affordability and, IMHO having a small first car provides much needed road experience before moving to larger makes. Whether you’d just starting college or a new job, a car is probably as much a priority as wearing underwear when going out.
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So if you’re out looking for a car that does not make you eat bread everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a B segment sedan makes an excellent choice of balancing practicality and your paycheck. As always, you’ve got the usual suspects from Toyota and Honda and without a doubt, Vios reigns supreme in this segment, spawning as much variants as Chatime on pearl milk tea. Next off, Honda offers its competition with the City while others like Nissan Almera, the Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta sedan and Peugeot 207 promises the battle for the segment leader to be a colorful one. And among all these fishes in the B pond, the most expensive (yet the cheapest in its model line-up) is the Volkswagen Polo Sedan. Does the Polo sedan have what it takes to sell without relying on its badge? Lets find out.
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Design
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In keeping true to the family looks, the Polo sedan sports the same understated look that’s pretty much anything VW nowadays.
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The same horizontal chrome grilles as found in the other models are prominent here as well. Foglights comes as standard.
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Unfortunately, similar to the Polo Sport, there’s no DRLs for the Polo Sedan. Reflector halogen headlights is not ideal to retrofit HIDs as this would cause too much glare to oncoming traffic.
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With a 4,384mm length, 1,699mm width and 1,466mm height, the Polo Sedan is about the same length and height as a Honda City and almost the same width as a Toyota Vios. Prior to the Nissan Almera, the Polo Sedan had the longest wheelbase of the segment at 2,552mm.
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Unlike some vehicles that’s based on the hatchback, the Polo Sedan has a much thinner C pillar and a slightly lower vehicle height compared to the Polo Sport (1,488mm). The translation from hatchback to sedan is so perfect, one would be wondering which incarnation did the Polo started of first? Hatch or Sedan.
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Clean lines adorn the sides, starting from the front fender stretching all the way to the rear makes the doors look shorter and sleeker. As expected from an entry level model, don’t expect to find puddle lights here.
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Performance
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Other than a Passat CC R-line and Toureg V6 (both of which shares the same engine), the Polo Sedan is the only other model sold in Malaysia that does not come with forced induction. A 1.6litre 4 cylinder engine powers the sedan, serving 105PS @ 5,250rpm and 153Nm worth of torque @ 3,800rpm.
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Paired to a conventional automatic 6-speed tiptronic gearbox, it’s …. not very fast. As a matter of fact, zero to hundred takes 12.3 seconds and that’s assuming you hit the perfect shift spot like playing Drag Racing or CSR Racing on your iPhone/Android device. Having said that, it’s not particularly slow either and the gear changes as well as its associated thrust when revving is more rewarding compared to a CVT-type transmission. You won’t get a turbo powered shove but you won’t be struggling to play catch-up at the traffic lights either. This is a city car and city cars are meant to be sensible.
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Ride and Handling
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Now this is where being a continental, the Polo Sedan shows its mojo. The Polo Sedan is very easy to drive yet at the same time is poised and composed in almost any speed you throw at it. Don’t believe me? Check this out:
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Find a large puddle of water and go full throttle at it. You’d discover that the Polo Sedan (and any Volkswagen Group vehicles) has an uncanny ability to steer itself straight. Do this with an Asian-made equivalent and you may end up looking really cool doing a 360 spin then really dumb getting stuck at a ditch. With all the Flying Vios-es we see decorating highway barriers every once in a while, having a stable car is much appreciated considering we face torrential rain as exciting as Hurricane Sandy almost everyday in October/November.
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Not only does it go straight well, the Polo Sedan is also easy to recover from an oversteer. While ….. ermm, “exploring” the limits of the car, I found that the car loves going sideways and the car is very easy to balance at a corner, despite the somewhat soft suspension and unavoidable body roll. I attribute partly to the strong chassis which does not flex as much as Asian vehicles and this, in turns makes each driver confident in pushing the Polo Sedan a little faster at the corner …. that is, if you’re finally ok with the rather “meh” engine output.
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Steering response is excellent … you’d know when the traction limit is reached before that happens so unless you’re drunk, you’d know when to lift off the gas. The Polo Sedan has one of the best NVH cabin for a B segment and if you’re ferrying kids around, they would be comfortably resting behind while you cruise at high speeds home.
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Cabin Convenience
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For an entry-level car, don’t expect to get First Class amnesties with Economy Class prices. Despite that, fit and finish is good although you’ve got hard plastics staring at you almost everywhere you look. Also at this price scale, it’s fabric seats all round.
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The usual 3-spoke steering, nicely wrapped in leather of course since nowadays no one like to grip plastics complete with audio controls on the left. Ignore the telephone icon as the car does not come with Bluetooth and since it is a considerable sum to retro-fit an original VW BT module, an earpiece would do just as nicely when using the phone while driving.
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The meters reminds me of the Jettas …. plain, clean, simple with most critical data on display …. except for engine temperature. Apparently, VW doesn’t want to overburden you with engine overheating anxiety so the only warning you’ll ever get of your engine blowing a top is a warning light. Yet to hear of a case where this happens, though.
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Also, there’s no Multi Info Display for you so don’t bother looking for it. Hey, they don’t call this entry level for nothing. Besides, a create number of other B segment contenders don’t feature MIDs.
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Left stalk: signal and cruise control. Once you’ve set the cruise control speed, the only indication its on is an icon on the meter. No digital display of the set speed.
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Right stalk: Wiper and trip meter controls. You do get intermittent speed wipers though.
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As it is with all Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) vehicles, headlight and fog light controls are all on the driver’s left below the left air conditioning vents. No auto light function but it does come with rear for lights and manual front headlight leveling. To turn on the fog lights, twist clockwise to turn on the main headlights and pull the knob up one step for front fog lights and two steps for rear fog lights.
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Speaking of rear fog light, it’s bright enough for even the blind to see you in a heavy rain so don’t go switch on the hazard lights the moment when you feel visibility is low on the highway. Also, those unaccustomed to some continental cars would exclaim in alarm that your newly bought Polo Sedan has a reverse light bulb malfunction since only left side lights up. Hello … the other side is not a reverse indicator.
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And since we’re on the issue of the exterior lighting, the Polo Sedan is the only car in its segment that offers parking lights (that means only one side; either side of rear and front small auxiliary light is switched on) so you need not worry too much if you’re parking at a dark corner and no one could see you.
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In the entertainment section, the car comes with a bare-basic headunit which has as much features as my 20 year-old Sony Walkman player. Sound is played through a 4 speaker system (2 in front and 2 rear) and with the speakers mounted low on the doors coupled with the absence of tweeters, the audio experience is quite a let down considering this is a car costing 6 figures once you factor in the insurance and road tax. Best to do some upgrades in this department for a more enjoyable time when stuck at traffic.
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Air conditioning controls reminds me much of my good-ol’ Skoda. Nothing fanciful here and the blower is quite adequate. Add some good tits … I mean, tints and you’re good to go!
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Below the air conditioning controls is the 2 cup holders and further higher than the cigarette lighter is a small area where you can stuff small bits of stuff like handphones or in my case, I prefer to remove my wallet from my pocket when driving so it conveniently goes there. I do find it a hassle to remove things (and this includes drinks) when the gear is slotted in P as the panel below the air conditioning controls are quite low and makes the aperture somewhat small.
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Nothing much in the center to obstruct you from getting really close and cozy with your partner in the car.
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If your cup is of considerable size (say a 1.5litre bottle), use the door holders. Door lock/unlock as well as the boot release (yes, this is one of those rare VWs that does not have a flippable rear badge on the boot to open the boot) can be found here. The thing that I find least ergonomic in the whole cabin is the orientation of the side mirror controls; you’ll find that it’s at an odd angle and during my time when I had it, I couldn’t master its use properly, especially since pushing forward doesn’t exactly tilt the mirror up. It’s like the designers try to orientate the button controls to follow gravity direction instead of the knob direction and its pretty dumbfounding … or it could be that I’m just plain daft.
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Also about the doors are the powered windows which are one-touch up/down. And this means the Polo Sedan is the only vehicle in the segment that features remote winding and unwinding via the remote control. Makes evicting heat from the car on a hot afternoon parked under the hot sun a breeze (not to mention wow-ing a few friends since no other equivalent model has this function)
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The glove compartment is certainly large enough to fit most of everything …. sorry ladies, that oversized Coach handbag can’t go in there but everything else smaller can.
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As I have said, the Polo Sedan has the rear space that even rivals some C segment sedans and only recently being trumped by the Nissan Almera. Nevertheless, there’s still a lot of space for the young and upcoming to meet their other half, go dating, get married, have kids and grow old in it.
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Speaking of kids, the boot is huge for a B segment … certainly more than capable of stowing one or two baby trolleys plus luggage. In its pursuit to optimize space, the rear fender eats into the boot but overall, it’s large enough for annual family trips.
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Underneath the boot floor, you can find the spare wheel and at first glance, it may look like a full sized tire but it’s 1″ smaller at 14 inches and made of steel instead of alloy like the other 4 wheels.
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Safety
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The Polo Sedan has the following safety features:-
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- 3-point safety belts for rear occupants
- Driver and front passenger airbags with side airbags, front (total 4 airbags)
- Anti-theft system with interior surveillance and back-up alarm
- Electronic anti-theft immobilizer
- EBD
- Fog lights, front and rear
- Height-adjustable 3-point front seat belt
- Height-adjustable headrests, front and rear
- High mounted third brake light
- Pinch-guard safety for all 4 power windows
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Specifications
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Interior
- 3 grab handles above doors, folding with coat hooks
- Adjustable steering wheel (tilt and telescopic)
- All 4 power windows (with one-touch up and down on all windows)
- Central locking system
- Center console including 2 cup holders
- Electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors
- Front centre console including 12V outlet
- Fuel-lid with push style opening
- Genuine leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearshift knob, handbrake lever and gearshift boot
- Height-adjustable driver & passenger seat
- Interior chrome package (chrome surrounds for light switch, AC vents, steering wheel accent, handbrake lever knob and gearshift)
- Instrument cluster with tachometer, speedometer, trip odometer and digital clock
- ‘Metric fabric seat upholstery
- Power door locks (includes safe-LED)
- Power steering
- Radio with CD-MP3/WMA player with 4 speakers including roof antenna
- Rear centre armrest
- Rear defogger
- Rear doors with storage compartments
- Remote control for central locking, with 2 foldable keys for ease of carrying in the pocket
- Remote opening and closing of windows with key remote
- Remote opening of boot lid with key remote
- Storage compartment in front doors including cupholders for 1.5 litre bottle
- Storage pockets on front seat backs
- Sun visors on both sides, ticket holder on driver’s side and vanity mirror on front passenger’s side
- Trunk illumination
- White instrument backlights
Exterior
- 14-inch steel spare wheel
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- Body-colored bumpers
- Body-colored exterior door handles and mirrors
- Chrome finish on front air dam, trunk and fog light surrounds
- Green tinted heat absorbing glass
- Height-adjustable halogen headlights
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Comparing against other B segment contenders, here’s how it stacks up:-
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Ownership and Maintenance
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VW hails the Polo Sedan as the most affordable model in its line-up, retailing for RM99,888 but do note that when you factor in the registration fees and insurance, it breaks the RM100k mark, making this vehicle the most expensive in Malaysia’s B segment market. If you calculate based on 2.5% annual interest rate and 90% maximum loan, you’d be paying at least RM1,020 per month … and that’s calculated with a 9 year loan. VW runs a promotion to make the Polo Sedan more affordable by reducing it to RM980 monthly which means you still need to be earning at least RM3k per month to afford the car. The cheapest “People’s Car” is still beyond the reach of a large number of Malaysians.
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We could only hope that when DRB Hicom rolls out the CKD variant, the price will be significantly reduced (probably to the price tag of the Honda City). It still won’t be called cheap but with the way automobiles are priced here, one can’t expect too much.
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Maintenance is scheduled to be once every 15,000km like all VWs and the good news is, it’s cheaper and easier to maintain compared to other models since it does not have a turbo and no DSG. The Polo Sedan now comes with 5 years unlimited mileage warranty.
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Ultimately, it is worth it? For a continental car with good looks, German reliability and excellent stability, it’s certainly a good package. Price has always been a subjective affair and for me, at least, to market a B segment for a non-luxury marque above RM100,000 is a bit ambitious. Unfortunately, with how the government “advises” retail prices of vehicles in Malaysia, there isn’t much Volkswagen Group Malaysia can do about the India-mari CBU. It’s not to say that the Polo Sedan is a badly made car …. far from it, in fact. With the way it’s engineered, it could probably survive Malaysia weather better than TSis and DSGs … but with a price tag approaching C segments, one has to wonder whether paying so much for a car of this size with these basic features justifiable.
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The VW badge however is another matter altogether so buy it if you must have a VW in your garage. No one can fault you for being brand conscious, after all.
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61 Comments
Hi Ken,
Wonderful and entertaining writeup! I’ve been following your reviews ever since the one you did on the Forte 2.0. Getting more & more interesting with each passing review, LOL! ^_^
Just curious, since you have reviewed the Forte 2.0 before, how do you think the Polo Sedan will fair against the Forte 2.0? Both are very close in terms of pricing, and each with their own forte (no pun intended here!).
Of course, we know that VW (being a continental) has its strengths in the handling department, while Kia (being a Korean) has got all the goodies thrown into 1 package. But I guess potential buyers don’t just buy cars based on handling and goodies alone? o_O
What are your thoughts? Cheers mate! 🙂
Thanks for the support, KT! Comparing the Polo Sedan against the Forte 2.0 isn’t exactly an apple to apple comparison, bro since one is a B while the other is a C segment. Ultimately it depends on what are the priorities: space, budget, specifications, driving experience and badge can sway a person either way whereas resale value, fuel consumption and after sales service are arguable.
Each of us have our own set of criteria when purchasing a car …. at the end of the day, it`s always each to his/her own and it no one else’s business to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong …. unless of course, it’s daddy’s money and daddy has final say 😛
Hey there Ken,
LOL! True, True! Forte 2.0 is definitely a higher spec’ed car… guess i’m guilty of asking this question from an “Uncle” point of view (where price determines the purchase and where Toyota is king! :p )
I’m shopping around for a replacement for my aging ride. Since I already own a B-segment car now, it only makes sense that i get a bigger C-segment car as my next ride. Looking around on the Web brought me to your review on the Forte 2.0, which I read with great interest! 😀
Anyway, with a budget of RM 100k, the only sedan cars that I could afford are Forte 2.0, Polo Sedan, Vios & City. No more Japanese….and NO MALAYSIAN, if you know what i mean! 😉
So that narrows down my choices to Forte 2.0 and Polo Sedan. Forte had everything thrown into the car, and for a family man like me, it really is a plus point! Polo Sedan, on the other hand, had all the qualities of a continental make, and that too was really hard to resist!
I’ve viewed the Polo Sedan at the showroom, and I certainly liked the interior a bit better than the Forte (i still prefer continental interior vs Asian interior). But don’t get me wrong, both cars have nice interior, just that the Polo Sedan one was more to my liking! 😉
However, the only thing that is holding me back now is… there is no ESP and TCS for the Polo Sedan. That was really a disappointment, as I felt that these safety features are a MUST HAVE in all modern cars nowadays. You’ll never know when you’ll need these safety features (malang tidak berbau)
Sigh….decisions, decisions, decisions! Should I forgo the safety features and get the German beauty? Or do I play it safe by getting the all-in-one package? Again, both are good cars… one has the qualities of a continental make, while the other has value-for-money.
Anyway, thanks bro for your comment above. And yeah, it’s true when you said: “…at the end of the day, it`s always each to his/her own and it no one else’s business to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong…”. Guess i’ll have to visit both showrooms one more time before making the final decision.
Cheers bro and happy weekend! 🙂 And keep those reviews comin’!!! 😀
The Polo Sedan is NA engine and not the turbo one..the German is very experience and practical..for “low earning incomes” and “non technical wise” people..enough to offer only for the very important basics..the build quality, good ride & handling and spacious cabin..no need to offer extras such as ESP & EBA for only 1.6 cc with below 160Nm/200kmh for torque/top speed ..if you are features/gadgets wise with limited budget..please consider Hyundai/Elantras, KIA/Forte and Peugeot 408 2.0..your within RM100K budget can get that C-segment..add another RM50K got the D-segment, KIA/Optima K5, Hyundai/Sonata and Peugeot 508.
Ken,
The higher spec’d Honda City Grade E has VSA though, maybe that would be a better variant to feature in the comparison table considering the pricing of the Polo Sedan?
Another suggestion would be including whether each model has ISOFIX child seat mounts or not, that would be great for young families.
Thanks for pointing that out. You’re right about the Grade E and I have made the necessary changes.
As for the ISOFIX, might need more time with that as it’s not all manufacturers have their spec sheets as detailed as we like.
Kensomuse, did you monitor the FC outcome when you had the car with you?
Unfortunately, my time with the car was too short to have any proper monitoring of FC. Couldn’t even hit half tank for that 1 1/2 days when the car was given to me
FC wise, depends how you drive as usual. For my case, RM88-RM95 can go up to 580km for 2 weeks city drive, 17km vice-versa.
as usual, great and in depth review. I always have your site as my reference before “consulting” friends on their plan to buy cars. 🙂
Thanks for the support! More to come!!
I collected Polo Sedan in Nov 2012, with trade in my old SLK (smal little kelisa, with some huge discount i would say)
Im married with 1 kid, this car is suitable for me, so Im not a features/gadgets person… haha.
1st impression, solid, nice controlling. Just 1 thing. aircon not cold as Proton aircon, but still good. Im satisfied.
how much huge discount u got?VW is offering the year end discount as well now.how much is actually they give.on paper they claimed to give 3 months free installment.or else any special discount when you are confirm to sign the loan agreement??
hi, I choose 8k discount, not choose others options. the FOC 3 months you can ask them to explain, as im not sure, but im sure..its come with T&C, rm980 per months installment. good luck
Hi Bryan u may have been driving the polo sedan for some 4 months now. Any complaint or still happy with the car? I am asking coz I am contemplating to buy this polo sedan or vios?
i have booked mine. sold my proton. the excitement with vw started with Ken’s write up on his skoda purchase. it was a joy reading it. i have sent the link to my friends as well. anyway now i am waiting for loan approval. enuf of malaysian/asian cars for now. time for conti has arrived. lets see if this car truly brings joy coz the test drive i did that day at glenmarie and the emergency braking i did at 80kmh in the rain with the car is just mindblowing. so surprised that with drums in the rear the car stopped in a straight line in a short distance. i was sold after that.
I did Ebrake at 100kph, amazing good. My wife impressed and book the Polo Sedan on the spot.
We did an emergency braking at 160 km/h without holding the steering wheel on the golf gti and the car stopped as if it ran into a giant jelly cube. Yep. I’m sold too and got myself a polo. Impressed with VW stability and composure.
Do you mean Satria Neo can’t go through that puddle and spun out since its asean made?
*Find a large puddle of water and go full throttle at it. You’d discover that the Polo Sedan (and any Volkswagen Group vehicles) has an uncanny ability to steer itself straight. Do this with an Asian-made equivalent and you may end up looking really cool doing a 360 spin then really dumb getting stuck at a ditch*
I don’t know since Proton have not presented me the opportunity to drive one … I do have my doubts that it can behave like a VW in this condition though. Puddles of water are tricky. The moment you hit one, your front tires lose traction while the rear still grips. Then both front & rear lose traction before the front gains a hold while the rear is still floating. All this happens within a second or two & it’s no wonder most cars will pull either to the left or right when undergoing such changes. I still don’t know how VW sets up their cars to be inherently stable in the wet but the next time you try one, do find a puddle and do what I did … then compare with other makes and you’ll see what I mean
i finally got mine on 24 dec with 11k discount. that means no deposit required. its deep black color. i must say its an awesome car. i have never felt such stability/solidness in a car before since my previous ones were either malaysian or japs. all my friends are saying its a good buy. thank you Ken.
wow, that is quite a substantial year end discount. anyway, would love to own a conti someday hehehe. imho, i would say this model could be the easiest vw model maintain due to its basic feature and NA engine, plus with conti drivability. well, my comparison would be my wife’s vios, simple and less headache 😛
I am a proud owner of a new Polo Sedan
happy for you graham. enjoy the ride!
for some new vw models the right wiper cannot be lifted up. it knocks into the bonnet. is it the same for skoda ken? any reason for this? i will also post this question on the vw topics in autoworld.
It’s the same for most continentals, bro. This design minimizes drag caused by the wipers during high speed cruising. What you need to do is once you have switched off the ignition, tap the wiper once (remember to be sure that the engine is OFF). The wiper will sweep up to its apex and stop there. From there, you can lift up the wipers. Remember to place it down again once you’ve finished washing/wiping the car else you might break the wipers once it starts sweeping again
it’s called service mode. Best to read the manual, alot of “hidden” stuff mentioned
dear Polo Sedan Owners..
feel free to join here
https://www.facebook.com/VWPoloSedanMalaysia
hi ken,
when you say tap the wiper meaning tap the wiper stalk in the car once? which direction bro? up/down or pull towards me? sorry still conti newbie la.
Downwards once (clockwise) for VW. That’s what we usually do if we want to initiate one sweep only
oh yes got it. awesome. thank you. now need to go touch up the mess created by the car wash guy. some paint came off. so sad.
bro, i remember you had a head unit for sale. has it been sold?
I think I still have it but am planning to have it installed in my Skoda
ok thanks. i need to upgrade my sound system. its sucks. hahaha.
but i am worried about the warranty.
upgrade with RCD series….? wont void warranty….if you upgrade with other brand…then yes. Ken pls correct if Im wrong.
Well, if money is not a concern, go all the way to RNS but it`s not the navi that’s important (because the VW’s navi system is just crap) but the in-built amplifier. When I changed the RCD from my Golf to an RNS, there is a significant improvement in terms of bass, clarity and staging.
And to answer your question, yes, if it is an original RCD or RNS, no risk to your warranty. You can even change to other brands so long as you can revert it back to original if you need to claim any warranty.
Ken…thanks for replied. I did seat on my fren’s Golf with RCD510(upgraded), the sound is getting my ears drumming, comparing my current rcd210. But for me, Im not in hurry to upgrade yet. RCD210 still can use along the journey, dun bully RCD210 guys… hahahaha.
No worries, mate. As long as you’re happy ….. but seriously, do the soundproofing thing on your door. You won’t regret it …. unless you find a bad installer, that is
Ken, no soundproofing at all. I know wont regret. But moved from SLK (small lil kelisa) to Polo Sedan is a huge soundproof for me already.hahahahahhaa, joking. Im sentimental type, no rush, want relax, enjoy driving.
Hi,
Just read your complete review on VW Polo Sedan and I am really impressed with the car now. You have mentioned about change the audio unit to RCD? What is RCD and can I upgrade with VW while during purchasing Polo Sedan. Or can I change it outside with other audio unit like Sony, Pioneer. Advance Ttanks for your reply.
VW has 2 generic head units; Radio CD (RCD) and Radio Navigation System (RNS). The Polo sedan’s inherent headunit is a RCD210, a very basic, single DIN. The headunit cavity allows for double DINs and this means possible upgrades for easily sourced, original VW headunits locally includes the RCD310 (as found in Golfs), RCD510 (as found in Passats) and RNS510 (as found in R models). Upgrades to original HUs will not void warranty. If you plan to change to others, try your best not to have the installers cut any wires and ensure the original HU can be refitted …. even then the risk of voiding warranty is ever present
Hi Ken,
When you drove the polo sedan, don’t you feel that the steering is too light (over assisted) and not much feedback to the driver? It may feel stiff at higher speed, but it is still very light, right?
The steering is electric assisted and being a city car that it is, it’s light but not to the point like Asian made cars where there’s hardly any feedback. Personally for me, I didn’t encounter any issues that compromises my confidence in driving the car at low or high speeds. Have you tried testing other vehicles to compare?
bro. lets say you own the sedan. what upgrade would do for the sound system? i am scared to let the guys open the door panels la. how? need help!
First, I would soundproof (or some call it sound deaden) the doors before doing anything. You’d be surprised how much better the sound is once that’s done. Next, it would depend on how far you want to go to achieve the type of sound you want. And the type of sound you want would also determine what kind of equipments to install. For example, a person who has a good home HiFi set and is aiming for an SQ (sound quality) set up might prefer to change the headunit to a less crisp output, a mellow type of speakers, a pair of tweeters angled on/off axis to the listener, an amplifier, a subwoofer …. it’s pretty endless (not to mention costly). So for me, I would do things one step at a time …. just get the doors sound deaden. That not only improves the sound from the speakers but also serve to cut down road noise somewhat. The rest take your time to do more research (or join some car clubs to listen to their set up)
I was test driving the car the other day. The SA told me there’s engine temperature showing in the display. But I can’t seems to rememeber that.
Also, my wife notice there’s small button just at the bottom of inner B pillar (Beside seat back control). The SA told us is to switch off the side airbag.
True or not ah?
But most importantly, I like the car and it handles well…
bro,
any idea how to switch on the parking lights?
Switch off the ignition and depending whether you want to turn on the left or right side of the parking lights, signal left or right.
wow thanks bro.
Just get my polo sedan, but why I dun have that parking distance warning system like picture( 4 sensor at bumper)
Really? Odd as the car has reverse sensors. Bring it back to the dealership and ask them?
hehe..reverse’s sensor. c’mon man.
i’ll gonna test drive PS at Alor Setar end of this month. There’s no VW dealer here in KT.
SA at Alor Setar said that Nov 2012 stock quite cheaper than 2013.
Ken..i wanna ask you..
what about quality ?? is’t small or huge different in Quality btween 2012 and 2013 stock..??
Advise pls..
Difference in quality? Not that I am aware of. I would be more concerned about how and where the 2012 stocks where stored.
Fantastic write-up ! Keep it up 🙂
Well this petrol AT in India retails for around RM 60k OTR(1.05 million INR), with leather seats, auto climate control, and a RCD310 stereo with USB, ipod etc. Quite expensive in Malaysia.
No vehicle is ever “cheap” in Malaysia.
True, I’m finding out about it soon enough(just been here for a month).
Hi Ken,
Yes, I have tested both Honda City and Vw Polo Sedan. No doubt, the build of Polo Sedan is really solid and give me the feel of class above normal Japanese car, and I almost want to make the booking. However, after the test drive, I found that the steering is a bit too light or over compensated. Subsequently I tried Honda City for comparison and surprisingly the Honda City give me better steering feel and make the drive more lively. There were few reviewers also mentioning that Polo Sedan steering is too light (see link below). I am just wondering is it European prefer light steering driving habit? Or this is vw design?
a. http://www.zerotohundred.com/2012/auto-features/driven-vw-polo-sedan-cheapest-in-vw-line-up/
b. http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/volkswagen-vento/volkswagen-vento-petrol-at-test-drive-review/
I don’t think it’s a question of Europeans preferring a lighter steering; more like the Polo sedan (or as you have shared in the link, Vento in India) is designed as a city car and light steering is a boon rather than bane under such an environment. Having said that, so is the Honda City so each to his own. With regards to who has the heavier steering (hence better transfer of road holding information), I’ve not put them back to back so I can’t say for sure. I do know that managing the road feel is not an issue for both cars. And it’s great that you have tested both. At the end of the day, you have to decide which car to choose on your own. I think both options are very sensible.
Oh, with both options, I’ve come across a video comparing both. It’s a little outdated but perhaps it might help you along the way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOoahObIoA
I still wish Volkswagen Malaysia specced the Polo Sedan with the SpaceMax, that lever you see at 6:06 in the video.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for your nice review and good explanation.
Hi all, just wondering if there is any issue on the car since you all have a few years of ownership now? I am looking to get vento 1.6 comfortline..