Volkswagen Polo and Vento Discontinued
According to Team-Bhp, Volkswagen will finally be pulling the plug on the Polo and Vento. Both the vehicles have been on sale for the past 12 years. That is a lot considering both of them never got a significant update. Vento’s sales are expected to end in May while the dealerships will stop taking bookings of the Polo in June.
Vento will be replaced by the new mid-size sedan that is expected to be called Virtus. As of now, there is no confirmation on the launch of the new generation Polo. Ashish Gupta, VW India brand director hinted that they are evaluating the new Polo for the Indian market.
However, for this, the manufacturer would need to do some re-engineering because the global Polo is longer than 4 metres which means it would not get the tax advantage. So, Volkswagen might base the new Polo on the MQB-A0-IN platform that is also being used on the upcoming Volkswagen Virtus, Skoda Kushaq, Volkswagen Taigun and upcoming Skoda Slavia.
Volkswagen is testing a more affordable version of the Polo for emerging markets. It is possible that the manufacturer might bring that version of the Polo but use the MQB-A0-IN platform to keep the costs in check. If this happens then it will be the seventh generation of the Polo that comes to our country. The engine will be the same 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine and there will be no diesel engine on offer.
The next launch from Volkswagen in India will be the Virtus. As mentioned above, it will be replacing the ageing Vento but will be priced and positioned higher than Vento. This is because Virtus is larger, more powerful and a more premium sedan. It will be competing against Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the upcoming Skoda Slavia.
Volkswagen has already started releasing the teasers of the upcoming sedan. They will be unveiling the Virtus globally on 8th March. Launch in India is slated to happen by the third week of May 2022. Virtus will be based on the MQB-A0-IN platform which means, it will have a wheelbase of 2,651 mm which is one of the longest in the segment. So, there should be ample legroom for the rear occupants.
There will be two turbocharged petrol engine options to choose from. There is a 1.0 TSI that will be preferred by most people. It produces 115 PS of max power and 178 Nm of peak torque. Gearbox options will include a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
Then we have the 1.5-litre TSI that will be for the enthusiasts. This engine produces 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It will be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.
