In a move that could surprise many, Volkswagen India has launched its hatchback Cross Polo ahead of what was expected to be its launch date. At an event organised by the company, Managing Director for Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Arvind Saxena was quoted as saying, “The Polo is an important carline in the Indian portfolio and with ongoing updates we keep it relevant and exciting for our customers. The Cross Polo has been created for those looking at a premium hatchback in a sporty crossover style.”
As expected, the car is seen equipped with a 1.2-litre TDI diesel engine, which has been mated out to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which currently power the standard model of Polo. The car is priced at Rs. 7.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the base variant, which means that it cost around Rs. 60000 more than the standard Polo's highline variant. As far performance of the car is concerned, this mighty engine derives maximum power of 74 bhp along with a peak torque of 180 Nm. This powerful engine of this vehicle renders a strong performance when tacking rough terrains.
At exteriors, the car was seen sporting new front and rear bumpers, which are more edgy as compared to standard hatchback Polo. In order to give Cross Polo a more bulky appearance, a side cladding is provided apart from silver roof rails. The car gets all new 5-spoke alloys, which enhances its look. The sportiness of Cross Polo can be seen through the black moulded covers for wheel arches along with rocker panel. As far as interiors are concerned, the car is provided with all black leather upholstery and is equipped with security features like lane change indicator, rear parking sensors, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and dual front airbags.
Cross Polo is provided with automatic climate control system and for serving the entertainment purpose a 2-Din RCD music system is present with USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity. Cross Polo has been offered in three different colours, namely Flashy Red, Reflex Silver and Deep Black Pearl. Volkswagen's recently introduced hatchback is basically a crossover version of existing Polo model with a Sports utility Vehicle (SUV) like body structure. The model shares the same Polo based platform and has a slight different body line as compared to standard Polo. With the launch of a new flagship model at a higher price range, it is evident that this model will be slotted above the existing hatchbacks of the company.
Polo Cross is presumed to offer competition to the likes of already established cars like Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport along with recently unveiled Nissan Terrano. It will be interesting to see how the latest offering of Volkswagen performs against the stalwarts of the utility vehicle segment. It must be noted that the recent slowdown in the Indian car market has forced major auto makers to launch newer models so as to boost their sales and now with Volkswagen launching Cross Polo, it becomes all more evident.
