Volkswagen Polo Notch has the right qualities but is under-appreciated

THE POLO Notch is fast and fun, considering all the engineering that went through it.

While my generation grew up on Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Nissans, Hondas and later, Hyundai, Fords and Kias, on the other side of the world, Volkswagen has ruled for almost half a century now.

It’s always amusing how the average Filipino motorist reacts when climbing into a typical German-engineered and -designed car: Why is the seating position as such? Why are the headlights activated by a knob on the left side, instead of a column stalk on the right side? Why are the brake pedals and clutch pedals heavy, compared to a Japanese equivalent? And why is reverse beside first gear to the left? And why is first gear dogleg down to the left too?!

Mental programming is the answer. We grew up accustomed to cars that look, conform to and feel a certain way. Mind you, it’s the same way Europeans, particularly Germans, react to when riding in a very Asian, especially Southeast Asian, vehicles.

Chance to sample Euro

So we get a chance to sample a  typical, everyday European  car, Volkswagen’s Polo Notch. It’s a very simple car, devoid of frills, gimmicks and toys we typically find in most Asean-spec cars. It looks boring almost, appears very slab-sided, and would vanish in a sea of other cars in the parking lot, were it not for its VW logo on the grill.

Priced at P888,000, the Polo, despite being a properly German-engineered subcompact sedan, is made in India, which keeps prices down. Indeed, if it were made in Europe, logistical costs would probably have added another $2,000, or P88,000, to the base price (by my estimates). Excise and ad valorem taxes would have been higher, too, probably pushing the Polo well into the P1-million price range.

Inside, seating position is excellent, a preview of what lies in store. But it’s so simple inside! No power side mirrors, manual winder door windows in the back, a simple CD-tuner with no Bluetooth audio or telephony, although there is a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input and a USB port (according to my colleagues, but I failed to find that one). Dark grey fabric covers the seats, with soft touch but somewhat cheap-looking grey plastic covering the dashboard and door sidings. At least the amber instrumentation helps give a cool, Euro vibe and distinct contrast. This seems to be an early-spec vehicle though, as the official brochure lists full-power amenities and a fancier CD-tuner with Bluetooth mobile device integration.

Let a bit of clutch slip

The clutch is firm, the handsome three-spoke steering well-weighted. Slip first gear left and up, and the rather snatchy clutch and throttle combination surprises you. It’s best to let a bit of clutch slip in, as the 1.6-liter TDI engine, which outputs 104 horsepower and 250 Newton-meters of torque from a low of 1,500 to 2,500 revolutions per minute, has a tendency to stall when revs get below 850 rpm, a common complaint in forums abroad where the Polo Notch is also sold.

On the move and it’s there you realize just how much time, money, effort and resources went into the bits and pieces you don’t see: the chassis, suspension and drivetrain.

The Polo Notch rides on small 15-inch wheels which show a massively ugly fender gap. Sixteen- or 17-inch wheels would have been much better for aesthetics. But the small wheels and thick sidewalls help give loads of compliance to the suspension, allowing the firm chassis to shine; it just floats through all the bumps and niggles on the road efficiently and confidently. The soft suspension rolls considerably, but does so in a single, sweeping motion; there’s none of the bouncing, oscillating, up-and-down motion associated with under-damped and under-sprung budget Asian-made cars of yore.

Handy

There’s roll, but you feel confident to push on despite the body roll hard on through the corners. This is especially handy if, like some drivers (present company included), you use body roll as a gauge for grip through the corners. Thankfully the soft suspension doesn’t equal excessive chassis pitching, nose-diving under heavy braking and squatting under hard acceleration because, with the mighty gem of an engine, you end up driving the Polo really hard, really fast and really aggressively.

With a sorted suspension, safety equipment and a proper bucket seat, the Polo would make for the sleeper tarmac terrorist, a B-road blaster, a circuit star or a tarmac rally specialist. Its comparative B segment rivals from Toyota (Vios), Honda (City) and Hyundai (Accent) will never ever see which way the Polo Notch went, not in a million years. And coupled with the diesel’s fuel efficiency, you can run the Polo nonstop at flat-out speeds all the way to Ilocos, as fuel consumption was simply amazing at right around 12 kilometers per liter, flat-out city driving, through bumper-to-bumper traffic!

The Polo Notch is fast and fun,  considering all the engineering that went through it. The technology beneath the skin (Did I mention the 1.6 TDI engine is amazing?), turns it out to be a well-priced car. The sad fact is not everyone drives like a nutjob like me; not everyone loves torque-surfing in third gear without ever shifting gears through traffic; and not everyone appreciates all the technology and engineering that went inside the VW Polo Notch—how a class act the engine is, how solid and firm the chassis feels, how the soft, compliant suspension still provides massive oodles of confidence when pushing on, and, lastly, how a manual transmission-equipped car seems so expensive compared to flashier, more cost-efficient, automatic transmission equipped cars.

Great car really, but sadly, given the current taste of the motoring public, it’s not something the market is looking for. So sell me one really, really cheap VW and I’ll race it!