When the notation comes to a car fanatic to choose between a German and a Korean brand, then but obviously that person without hesitating will go for the European brand only. It’s because he knows what the potential is there in getting ourselves behind the steering of a Germen metal rather than compromising some knick knack in going after the Korean one. Well, this terminology of perception is most probably concluded in the way as, Germans are the first to do most of the invention in automobile fraternity, whilst the Koreans only copy those content and make them very lucrative in shape as well as aerodynamics to lure most of the customers. In fact the Korean car brand also joins the competition with competitive pricing to make most of the market shares. Yet, the Germans will remain Germans, they don’t compromise on quality, unlike the Koreans, and are very much focused on their goal what they want to achieve from the respective ideology.
But why are doing this discussion here? To answer that, one needs to know what both of the above mentioned cars had under their bonnet and what characteristics they do posses. In fact, we are very much aggressive towards Korean because of their copying acts, like what Samsung had did from Apple, and many others too lie there regarding it. In recent, Hyundai had started the automobile company like that way itself, and nowadays it seems due to the heavy monetary backing this Korean is gaining more and more talents to generate the new covers in market. Comparison over here is of the Hyundai i20, which had recently received facelift, and the recently launched Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. Both of them posses automatic gearbox, but the newbie i.e. VW badge had been gaining more hype in media so we thought of pitting both the bugs against each other. However, i20 automatic was there in the market since long back, where it was actually rolled out when the diesel demand was on the verge, so due to the inclining numbers towards low driving cost, it failed to make most of roll outs. But now in the times when the difference between petrol and diesel prices is reduced to a minimal notch, then it again started gaining the lost limelight. It is to be true that automatic transmission is preferred most probably by the fairer sex only. While looking at the new generation who tends to drive themselves now prefers this sort of crank-less option for them to be hassle free always. The automatic gearbox gets mellowed easily when it’s given with the hatchback. This premium boot-less variant of car segment is mostly acquired by the persons who drive their cars by its own, so looking for a lot of convenience behind steering is their main priority. Those respective customers are basically the hard core urban commuter who needs to go the office daily, ransack the on-route traffic, and after all that manage to find a sufficient parking spot near the destination. One may say, why one of this kind don’t get himself a bike instead of doing this much hassle. Yes, that’s also right too, many of them had opted for this option in Mumbai and other metros, but, obviously there is nothing to which one can replace the car in all sense. So the makers nowadays are cashing heavily while beefing up the automatic transmission.
Setting ourselves between the Hyundai i20 and Volkswagen Polo GT TSI, we had studied a lot regarding what the new trend is going to have, or what they can have from the existing product range of automobiles in India.
Terming the price difference first, VW Polo GT TSI is tagged at Rs. 7.99 lakh which is pricier than Hyundai i20 by approximately Rs. 13,000. So hopefully now one will get to know how our further comparison will flow, and in which of the streams.
Since the launch i20 had remained famous with Indians throughout all the time. It possess those glamorous galore and cosmetic which our locals desire a lot from the carmakers. Step inside and there is ample of room for five people to sit inside the cabin comfortably. The width and height of the car is relatively more than the GT moniker. Rear bench too is comfortable for going distances, but what has clichéd us a lot on those seats were the bit tad thigh support. It sometimes feels insufficient to many of the customers. In addition to goodness, even tall persons can also find themselves subtle at the rear. Thanks to higher roofline and large windows. It also helps in increasing the comfort level in the rear. Coming to the front, one may not find any of the sorts that need to be complained off. Everything seems settled in place. Dashboard is nice and fresh, as had recently received the new ones in facelift version, which the combination of grey and beige had notched it more briefly in the upmarket direction. Grey tweaking around the audio, new dials for the speedy flick, whilst the digital fuel and temperature gauge between both the dials, brings in the i20 facelift as the tempting new face of Hyundai. Front seats too are comfortable. No issue with those duos but one component that we found out was very bad to name it over here. Driver’s seat is not bestowed with height adjustment, which hopefully every car now is pulping it as a standard feature. Trade-off for this glitch given by Hyundai is the acre of boot space which we hope nobody in India can find it insufficient for this sort of hatchback. Coming to the Polo GT TSI, we learnt that VW had marked it most dynamically in all the aspects. Interiors first, the single aura of inside is definitely going to impress viewers at its first looks.
Everything is crafted in such manner that sometimes we had felt, are we really sitting in the entry level Volkswagen car of India spec? Though the premium price what they had asked for this bug is hopefully the highest in this segment, but when we saw the value proposition inside, we hadn’t felt the tag is too obsessive for this metal. Peacefully leather draped steering rim, precise detailing, excellent material quality, and many more of them can be named here. Hopefully, we suggest one must get inside the cabin of GT if he gets a chance to do it so once in a lifetime. It’s because those entire factors which are there on the board cannot be explained by us in detail over this article, unless the person doesn’t get the firsthand feel of the respective VW monikern in actual. Rating the upholstery, there isn’t a thing which we could name it out of context. The built quality of Germans is surely to talk about something at the car owners’ meet. It is really triumphing over the Hyundai in terms of quality, but that doesn’t mean VW had completely won the competition of cabin note. It is not that same way. When taking down the note of both the cars in numerical, then the VW moniker feels cramped in most of the major areas. The width of Polo GT is not that beefy as of the other one, so only two persons can seat comfortably on the rear but that too not as comfortably as the inside the i20 cabin. Reclining roofline at rear and small windows makes the vision claustrophobic for rear passengers. Even the dark colored interiors keep on adding the same doom at backside. Getting back to basics where we had started, both of the cars are meant to be self driven, so the need of rear bench gets juiced out for the audience towards which this segment is targeted. Our rating for the best interiors amongst the two them goes to VW Polo GT TSI. Its build quality and material used is up to the mark of some niche badges, and price for which it is asking to give away these things is comparatively efficient that any of the badges of hatchback segment in India.
Drivetrain:
Polo GT here is equipped with the most advanced engine of the whole segment; even gearbox too is of that same quality. Their assimilation can be termed something as lethal to one of the hatchbacks. It houses 1.2L TSI petrol which is capable of producing 103 bhp and 17.84 kgm of torque at 1500rpm. The RPM marking over here on the 1.2L TSI seems a bit tad for the petrol driven car. Let us tell you, the actual game of GT TSI starts after crossing the bespoken mark of 1500rpm itself. The turbo lag in the new Polo gets activated above the 1800 mark to 2000rpm. So going further, power of GT moniker can be started feeling inside the cabin. The GT feeling is not that aggressive on the Volkswagen which it is like on other leading badges, but it is totally a different conversation to be looked in this comparison here. Mid range, and high range churns out the most of it. When driving in city, as we said the engine feels sleepy pre 1500rpm, but to contradiction, the small displacement of engine that is 1.2L capacity makes it to reduce the nag to lowest point possible during same. In short, city drive is not that rigid which one would be thinking of. Moving onto the open stretches with same, the easy gear shits at mid and top range gives in the terrific performance. Shifting gears using triptronic via the gearstick gives you the perfect throw at every turn. Moreover, that seven speed dual clutch gearbox is planted in such a way right amount of response is delivered at right time. Overtaking in this sort of automatic is not a tough task, needs not a lot planning like that of other automatic hatchback. Just put the throw in perfect slat of stick down with right direction, and feel the temptation all the way straight to your throttling extravaganza.
In addition to all these aspects, the Sports mode selection will get you in the strongest yet meanest performing range of DSG. It will continue to excite you with the bouquet of adrenaline rush from the mid range to the redline mark. Meanwhile, the D selection mode will lend you the perfect horizon of city rides. The reference which we had mentioned above, that engine is quite small and other such thing can be concluded easily in the city, it can be experienced best in the said D mode. Need to slot the stick in that respective slat and then twizz around corners of streets swiftly, also sometime draw the chance to flaunt your power of GT in front of all the audience at places.
Terming the Hyundai’s drivetrain, it is a 1.4L motor which houses turbocharger even at a low speed. It will ground you enough while driving lesser then 1500rpm too. Even when one if changes to the 1500-3000rpm mark then also the supply of excitement is not broken off. Leniency is maintained all the time with smooth gearshifts. Whilst the gearbox ploughed in Polo is sometimes giving you jerk when shifting from one slot to another. The wrong side of i20 start coming to surface when you go post the 3000rpm mark. Then one would realize that the engine is not capable of delivering more than it. The old school four speed gearbox is also giving you the negative nag at those high revs. As a result, this causes the overtaking on highways very risky. One needs to plan a lot while catching up the pace of other vehicles at the time. The case with Polo is not this same. Engine is powerful and refined than Hyundai’s. Though it isn’t better than the Koreans in city rides, but at high revs thoughtfully on highways no need of looking at the gearbox. There are enough of it slotted inside the complexion, just you need to select the right one for past swooping the others. And as said before too, VW had the advantage of being the most advanced hatchback till date in India, so our vote for the best drivetrain between the two goes again to Polo 1.2 GT TSI.
Ride and Handling:
Comparing the aerodynamics of both, Polo’s one is better in the competition. Swoopy, fazed, well intended, robust, and lastly the rightly proportioned, are terms which describes the aerodynamics of GT in itself. The case with Hyundai i20 is something different. The high roofline gives it a bit shorter confidence on the turns and twists, whereas the Polo goes to straight to the desired direction with its accurate yet slightly dampened steering. And the reclining roofline of the 1.2 GT gives a feeling of being more surefooted than the other one in this race. In fact due to the relatively jarred body, i20 gets more body roll to the people sitting inside. The steering of Hyundai’s offering is quite light to swift you in the towns and cities but won’t let you to win over the GT in any of the race on open stretches or highways. We hope, if the right person is derived a chance to sit behind the steering (of Polo) in crowded streets too, then the Hyundai will face a lot of brushes in spite of being light in every component. Suspension setting of both the vehicles are cranked as per to their respective plethora. Hyundai is soft on the small bristles, but will tout you from one lane to another when it goes in speed over the midsized or the bigger potholes. The response with Polo is also not that satisfactory in the suspension setting, but we say it is better than the two of them. However, Germans had kept some of the stiffness in spring because the hard braking in it must not lend you in some other fuss, like what does it happens in Hyundai i20 for most of the time when you apply brakes hard. Well, again and again, Polo is gaining brownie points consequently, and hopefully all the sections of test driving are almost completed over here. Now the one that is remained is safety and features where most probably the number lures Indian more than the quality. So let’s find out is that really Korean ready to lure Indians, or the new German is enough to swipe them all out.
Safety and Equipments:
As already proven in the above stanzas that VW is any time better than the Hyundai, and so it was considered on the basis of technicalities. But now for the typical Indian it is necessary to reveal the numbers of features available on a car, which had become the most daunting task of any car showroom sales representative here. No doubt that this trend is started by Maruti, but disappointingly the international players too had to enter the same way for getting masses number in their kitty via this fizzy yet useless sentimental route. Though still the best will be the best, again the Volkswagen had ticked in more boxes than the rival, as it posses the first in segment “ESP” with ABS. It isn’t there on any of the hatchback till date in India, but in the bespoken slight premium price tag the Europe’s largest carmaker is providing this feature to delight the number-ridden audience. Again more to it, i20 has only single (driver’s side) airbag in the car, whilst the Polo GT has couple of it, one of the pilot and other one for the co-passenger. Hill hold function, rear parking sensors, and pinch guard for the four power windows are some of the other tweaks which are gaining the points over Koreans. On the back side of flip, i20 carries ABS with EBD, automatic headlamps, reverse parking camera, parking assist system with sensors on front and rear. The unique addition that is witnessed in the comparison is the heat insulated windscreen on Polo.
Though one may not find it most aggressive amongst others, but to our perception VW had taken all the pain itself to give you the comfort of riding as much as possible, directly just after rolling out the car from showroom itself. No need to stop at the after sales/accessory shop to fit some of the additional requirements before going actually there on the outrageous flow. Complementary, VW marks also provides you the Climatronic automatic air conditioning, 2-DIN music system, four speakers, USB, Aux-in, Bluetooth connectivity, and SD card slot, rear windshield wash and wipe, defogger, in the standard list. The Hyundai i20 also gets 2-DIN integrated music system, USB, Aux-in, four speakers, two tweeters, automatic climate control and power windows as a standard fitment. Yet, no card slot is provided in the car.
Lest, Hyundai i20 boasts the 14”, and Polo GT TSI carries the 15” alloys as standard.
Overall, the VW model plate has better standing in the comparison than the competitor too in numbers, so now the next sub-step of ours is towards the most efficient Indian customers, who first look for the fuel efficiency rather than features while buying the car.
Fuel Efficiency:
The major competition is here, which we hope will decode the final verdict in front of you directly. Before divulging our conclusion let us confirm, we had drove both the vehicles in city as well as highways. So the numbers that is going to be mentioned here is a mixed derivative of both the temperament, which most of it was performed in city only. We hadn’t professed the numbers with exact technical support this time, whilst this is what our near to perfect experience had to say. Driving the Hyundai, it has yielded us around 9.5kmpl, whereas the most awaited Polo GT had provided 10.5kmpl in the respective plethora.
Conclusion:
Well, we hope getting back to the Introduction again is of utmost important now. In the start we have described an image about what the Koreans do to make their most of their sales. And now hopefully Germans had strike them again in their own game of number adulated features and most adorable cosmetic gimmicks, rather than providing us with the good aerodynamics, driving scriptures, and overall that basic engineering which still lacks today in most of the Korean products today as well.
Giving you the “perfect” driving style in hatchback segment, with a whole lot of features, a more importantly the trust of German engineering, VW Polo GT TSI emerges as the clear ‘winner’ here by providing sheer driving pleasure, garnered with the good fuel efficiency and decent cabin quality. Now we hope Koreans had got their answer of just copying the products rather than deploying their own unique ideas in it.
