While the international market receives the 6th generation Polo hatchback, the Polo in India remains unchanged. The brand is still selling the 5th generation Polo in the Indian market, but according to a media report, Volkswagen is evaluating the 6th generation Polo which made its debut in the international market in 2017. The next-generation Volkswagen Polo is likely to arrive in the Indian market soon.
The 6th generation Volkswagen Polo is based on the MQB-A0 platform in the international markets. The brand could use the Indianised version of the MQB-A0, the MQB-A0-IN to underpin the next-generation Polo. However, the next-generation Polo could receive heavy updates for India such as the length of the Polo in India could be revised to the sub-4-metre category to save taxes. The Volkswagen Polo in the international market measures 4053mm in length, but the Polo in India could be smaller to keep the price competitive.
Volkswagen is currently concentrating on the SUVW strategy which includes four SUVs that include the Taigun, T-Roc, Tiguan and the Tiguan Allspace. The hatchback segment also doesn’t have quite a pull and thus it is not currently on the brand’s priority. Hence, speculations are that the 6th generation Polo could be still a few years away from the Indian market.
Powering the Polo in the Indian market is BS6 compliant 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder in-line turbo-petrol motor that produces 110 PS of power and 175 Nm of torque. The engine comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The next-generation Polo could come with the same engine and Volkswagen could further add mild-hybrid electrification technology to keep up with the growing emission norms.
The Volkswagen Polo faces tight competition from the Tata Altroz, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza, Honda Jazz and the Hyundai i20.
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