Past year, Volkswagen dropped a bomb when they introduced their one of the most powerful hot hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Polo GTI. The model was introduced as a Limited Edition version which was limited to only 99 units in an overall. The GTI sports a powerful 1.8 TSI Turbocharged Petrol Engine that churns out 188 Bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. But the thing that bothered enthusiasts the most, is its price tag. The Volkswagen Polo GTI landed with a price tag of ₹26 Lakhs, ex-showroom.
But in a bid to clear off the stocks, the prices were revised to ₹19.9 Lakhs, dropping the original price by upto ₹6 Lakhs. As per reports, dealers are offering a discount of upto ₹6 Lakhs on the Polo GTI, which is the Volkswagen’s most premium hatchback available in India right now.
Today, you can walk into any Volkswagen’s showroom and get your hands on a Volkswagen Polo GTI for ₹19.99 Lakhs, which certainly looks a good deal. That essentially means, you can get both Volkswagen Polo Trendline (Petrol) and the Volkswagen Polo GTI for the full price of the Polo GTI (₹26 Lakhs). The Volkswagen Polo Trendline starts from ₹5.46 Lakhs, ex-showroom, New Delhi.
On the other hand, the Volkswagen Polo GTI only comes in an exclusive 3-door variant which looks and feels more aesthetically pleasing and upmarket than the regular Polo. Coming to the interiors, there is an all new GTI steering wheel with red contrast performance stitching and paddle shifters. The Dashboard hold a bigger 8” touchscreen that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The seats are very neatly stitched with signature GTI upholstery, but they lack automatic adjustment for this price range.
Also, the Polo GTI sports full LED headlamps with DRLs. The front bumper looks more aggressive than before and there is a new Honeycomb grille with red highlights that spreads through the headlamps too. The front Honeycomb grille also includes a signature Volkswagen GTI logo as standard.
The rear bumper is redesigned too, with a new rear bumper and twin chrome exhaust pipes. There are only 4-colour options that are available globally. The Polo GTI is available in Black, Red, White and Silver. Also, the car is offered with certainly more ground clearance than the European models, keeping the Indian road conditions in mind. Moreover, the Indian-spec version comes with 16” Alloys as standard, but you can definitely opt-in for the 17” ones too.
Tesla is among one of the fastest reputation gaining brand out there. As of now India hasn’t got any Tesla, but soon will. India will get their all new compact Vehicle – The Tesla Model 3 later this year. Until now, we have seen the car in the concept form only, but now, Tesla is all set to make this a reality. Moreover, everything else that you need to know is just below –
What the Tesla Model 3 really is?
This new compact model 3 will be the Tesla’s cheapest car across the world. Until now, Tesla has a Sedan with the name Tesla ModelS and a SUV with the name Tesla Model X as per their nomenclature, but the Model 3 will be a compact addition to their existing range of vehicles.
This Model 3 is focused upon the masses that need the futuristic technology, that don’t want a big car and those who don’t want to be extravagant about their spendings. The Model 3 range will start as low as $ 35,000 (approximately 23 lakhs INR).
Taking a quick glance at the features, the Autopilot is the feature to talk the most about Tesla cars. Due to this futuristic technology, Tesla cars can actually drive themselves without human intervention, but for a pre-defined period of time. Every variant of the Model 3 will be equipped with the Autopilot hardware.
The car will be the one to fulfill the 5-Star Safety Rating and will consist of a super-charging option. The Model 3 would sport a massive glass roof, that not only looks good, but also provides a nice sensation of space overall. All the functions of the car are easily customizable by a centrally placed large touch-infotainment display. The further details of screen size and other features aren’t released yet.
The technical specifications for this vehicle are yet to be released. However, what is known for sure is that it will have a single-charge drive range of 215 miles (346 km) approximately, which is quite effective for a regular everyday car like this. Recently, Tesla were in the news because the much talked Model X and Model S are amazingly fast due to the introduction of Ludicrous+ mode among them. Following this, Elon Musk also revealed that its slowest car, the Model 3 will hit 0-100 within 6 seconds. For the first time, Elon Musk also shared a video of the driving Tesla Model 3 –
Surprisingly Yes. The Bookings for Tesla Model 3 have been started by Tesla across the world, and yes, that includes India of-course. A lot of people were able to book this car by depositing a sum of $1000. Though Elon Musk revealed that the car will be launched in mid-2017, but due to enormous bookings and huge demand for this vehicle, the deliveries are expected to begin either in 2017 fall or the beginning of 2018.
The Audi A3 cabriolet is most affordable and practical two-door convertible available on sale in India right now. You’ll definitely get the full Audi experience, but just in a shrunken package. The 2017 Audi A3 is the refreshed version of the earlier model with some more practical tweaks and much more aesthetic design. Moreover, this new A3 Facelift looks just like an A4, atleast on the front.
This facelifted version is not just an aesthetical upgrade, major insides have been taken care of as well. It gets an all new engine and some other practically useful features which makes this car even more appealing. Overall, there is quite a lot to talk about.
To make the entry level cars more affordable and economical, Audi India has been replacing the engines on its entry level cars from the original 1.8 Liter Petrol engine to a smaller 1.4 Liter TFSI Turbocharged Petrol engine.
This change was initially implemented on the new Audi A3 Sedan, followed by the 2017 Audi Q3 and now, the Audi A3 Cabriolet. The Engine being provided on the new Audi A3 Cabriolet is less powerful and more economical. The 1.4 litre TFSI motor generates 150 PS of peak power at 5100 Rpm and 250 Nm of peak torque between 1500-3500 Rpm. The peak torque production by this new unit is same as that of earlier 1.8 Liter one but it is the peak power, which saw a drop of 30 Ps. The Audi’s 7-Speed S-Tronic gearbox is extremely smooth and responsive and you’ll not get a chance to complain.
Another one of a great economical feature that the new Audi A3 inherits from its bigger sibling, the Audi Q7, is the Cylinder On demand (COD) which shuts down 2-cylinders out of the available 4 when car is coasting and results in notable fuel savings in overall. The fuel efficiency of 1.8 Liter engine in the previous version car was quiet good in real life, but the new engine is as much as 10 -12% better.
The engine might appear smaller but it generates the same amount of torque as the previous generation engine. The 1.4 TFSI Turbocharged petrol motor provides a sudden burst of acceleration every time you need it. The Audi A3 Cabriolet accelerates from a standstill to 100 Kmph is just about 9 seconds, which is pretty impressive for this mid-ranged sedan.
The Audi A3 cabriolet has a slight edge over other everyday cars. It is quiet economical and much more practical. It’s much refined and it is definitely not for the true enthusiasts. If you’re an enthusiast and is expecting much from this car in terms of engine power and torque reliability, you’ll definitely be disappointed.
Now for the comfortability, the rear seats are strictly not for adults. The rear seats lack legroom and are much tighter, especially for the adults. However, it is much better for children.
The Audi A3 cabriolet is an uncannily better for its class and its ride quality. The Audi A3 Cabriolet glides on rough surfaces and broken roads quite well and the dual-zone AC unit provides a good air conditioning and a premium Bang and Olufsen sound system creating melodious beats. The seats are comfortable, however, the lack of electrical adjustment for the seats (driver’s seat at least) is not acceptable for this price range.
Other New Features ?
The Audi park assist in the new A3 surprised us as it was not available in the earlier version. Using the Audi’s Park Assist system, the Audi A3 cabriolet can park itself either parallel (or perpendicular) when guided to a suitable spot.
The three spoke steering wheel is standard with analogue-speed tacho and a color-MID display in the middle. However, you can opt-in for an optional virtual cockpit as well as it displays vital driving information in a High Resolution 12.3 inch TFT screen. This system has been installed out for the very first time in an Audi A3 cabriolet.
The MMI menu is retractable and is redesigned to make it more responsive and feature loaded with Apple’s car play compatibility. The MMI button control sports a touch sensitive touchpad, compatibility for multi-fingers gestures and to allow zoom-in function as well.
This update also features the wireless charging for mobile phones and a more receptive voice control. Bi-Xenon headlamps are standard, however, you can also opt for the optional LED Headlamps for a premium. With the LED package, you’ll also get amazing set of LED taillights which features the Audi’s latest dynamic turn indicators.
How well does it drive ?
The audi A3 is focussed on comfort, reasonable price and its practicality. However, some amount of body roll is experienced when you steer really hard. It is much comfortable for bad roads and It is quiet and good to drive. The gear lever is pretty well shaped and manual mode is the place where the most fun can be had.
Styling
The bumper is restyled and the front is now sportier with the radiator grille and the grille is bigger and more edgier than before. The bumper features bigger, angular and fuller looking air intake and the 7 horizontal single slats is replaced by six units of paired elastic. Now the headlamps are more flatter with a new found angular extension at bottom. Under the bumper, the rear diffuser is redesigned into a new shape and new colours are also added to palette.
The overall theme remains unaltered. However with addition of a bit more aggression and flamboyance to the front.
Worth buying?
We believe that this one is more practical and reasonable and can be used as regular everyday cars pretty well. Other options are available, however, they are premium Mini cooper S or C – class cabriolet. The C class is more comfortable and practical but the prices are higher too.
At INR 49 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) Audi A3 Cabriolet is the most affordable convertible . You maybe thinking of a better alternative, but you won’t find anything much better at this price range.
With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) becoming live on 1st July, 2017. The smaller family of cars witnessed a slight drop in their prices. But it was the Ultra-Luxury family of cars that benefited the most due to GST. Ultra Luxury cars witnessed a massive drop in their respective prices.
With the price cuts as much as ₹67 Lakhs, Automobile Industry saw the most benefits oncoming due to implementation of GST. Check out the list below –
Bentley Bentayga – ₹27 Lakhs
Bentley’s Bentayga is one of the most premium SUVs on sale in the indian automobile market. Not only this costs much more than others, it is also the fastest among others. Thanks to the 6.0 Liter W12 Engine generating 600 Bhp and 900 Nm of peak torque. The Bentayga witnessed a price drop of ₹27 Lakhs approx.
BMW 7 Series – ₹11 Lakhs
BMW’s premium flagship sedan, the 7 Series witnessed a price drop upto ₹11 Lakhs. The flagship 7 Series got a new makeover past year which now comes with 4 engine options. The Base model 740Li comes with 3.0 Liter 6-cylinder Petrol which generates 322 Bhp and 450 Nm of peak torque. The Base Diesel model 730 Ld comes with 3.0 Liter 6-Cylinder which generates 262 Bhp and 620 Nm of peak torque. The 750Li saw a massive increase in power, thanks to the 4.4 Liter V8 which generates 450 Bhp and 650 Nm of peak torque. BMW also added a new model to their 7 Series range which holds a M-performance badge. This model, known as the 760Li, sports an enormous 6.6 Liter V12 generating 600 Bhp and 800 Nm of peak torque. This model is also based on BMW’s xDrive All Wheel Drive system.
Rolls Royce Phantom – ₹67 Lakhs
The Rolls Royce Phantom, the most expensive Ultra Luxury sedan on the sale in India, saw the largest drop in prices among this list. The Phantom comes either as a normal sedan or a more premium extended wheelbase version which obviously costs much more. The Phantom is also available wither as a convertible or a coupe. It sports a huge 6.75 Liter V12 which generates 455 Bhp and 720 Nm of peak torque.
Lamborghini Aventador – ₹24 Lakhs
The Aventador did go through a nice makeover this year which, came out to be as Aventador S, gets more aggressive proportions and even more power than before. Power comes from a same old 6.5 Liter V12 but is now tweaked to generate upto 730 Bhp and 690 Nm of peak torque.
Rolls Royce Ghost – ₹51 – ₹52 Lakhs
The Rolls Royce Ghost, which can be identified as the base model of the entire Rolls Royce range, saw a price drop of upto ₹51 Lakhs. The Ghost is also available in either normal or the premium Long Wheelbase version. It sports a 6.6 Liter V12 generating 564 Bhp and 780 Nm of peak torque.
Mercedes-Benz Maybach – ₹26 Lakhs
The Flagship Mercedes-Benz Maybach range saw a price reduction as much as ₹26 lakhs. The Maybach is available with 2 Engine options – in which both of them are Petrol motors. The S500 Maybach sports a 4.7 Liter V8 generating 454 Bhp and 700 Nm of peak torque. While the S600 Maybach sports a bigger 6.0 Liter V12 generating 530 Bhp and 830 Nm of peak torque.
Range Rover Vogue – ₹50 Lakhs
The entire Land Rover range got a reduction in their prices due to the fluctuation of British Pound earlier this year and now, the price drop is as much as ₹50 Lakhs. However, there is a variety of engine options available on the Vogue. The base diesel, which is 3.0 Liter V6 generates 245 Bhp and 600 Nm of peak torque. The more powerful diesel, which is a 4.4 Liter V8 generating 335 Bhp and 740 Nm of peak torque. Coming to the petrol motors, there exists a 3.0 Liter petrol generating 335 Bhp and 450 Nm of peak torque. And, a 5.0 Liter V8 which generates 543 Bhp and 680 Nm of peak torque.
Range Rover Sport – ₹25 Lakhs
Much like the likes of its elder brother, the younger sibling Range Rover Sport became cheaper by as much as ₹25 Lakhs. It is also available in a variety of engine options. The Base 3.0 Liter V6 petrol which generates 335 Bhp and 450 Nm of peak torque. On the other hand, the base diesel is a 3.0 Liter V6 which generates 289 Bhp and 600 Nm of peak torque. There are also a couple of premium engine options available such as the petrol V8 and the diesel V8, which are same as in Range Rover Vogue.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta – ₹24 Lakhs
The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, which is now set to be replaced by the company’s flagship model known as 812, has got a price reduction by upto ₹23 Lakhs. It sports a massive 6.2 Liter V12 that generates 730 Bhp and 690 Nm of peak torque.
Porsche Cayenne – ₹24 Lakhs
This German Luxury Cars brand offers a wide range of models across its entire range. With the introduction of GST, the reduction gets even better. The max discount on the Cayenne that can be attained is as much as ₹24 Lakhs. It comes in either a 3.0 Liter V6 generating 245 Bhp and 550 Nm of peak torque or a huge 4.8 liter V8 which generates 500 Bhp and 700 Nm of peak torque.
Range Rover Evoque – ₹13 Lakhs
The Range Rover Evoque, which is the smallest and most affordable range rover did undergo a big price cut as well. With a price reduction of upto ₹13 Lakhs, the Range Rover Evoque is now very well priced. It comes in either 2.0 Liter Petrol which generates 237 Bhp and 340 Nm of peak torque or the 2.0 Liter Diesel which generates 177 Bhp and 430 Nm of peak torque.
Porsche 911 – ₹13 Lakhs
The 911 is of the most customizable cars available on sale in India right now. There are plenty of options available to suit every individual. With this much design options, it is available in a wide variety of engine options. Their latest release in the 911 range is the GT2RS, which is the most powerful and relentless 911 ever.
Audi A8, Audi Q7 – ₹8 Lakhs
The Audi A8 and the Audi Q7, are the most premium cars in their respective segments. Both of them did not witnessed a massive price drop, but for the die hard Audi fans, it is all that they need. The A8 is available in 2 Petrol and 2 Diesels engine options, while the Q7 is only available in 3.0 Liter V6 Diesel, which generates 245 Bhp and 600 Nm of peak torque.
Ford Mustang – ₹6 Lakhs
The Ford Mustang is the cheapest V8 on the sale in india right now. Not only this is the most affordable V8, but it is now much more well priced. It is powered by a 5.0 Liter naturally aspirated V8, which generates 396 Bhp and 515 Nm of peak torque.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) became live on 1st July, 2017. This new taxation system allowed a large number of manufacturers to revise the prices of their entire range.
With the Price Revision by some of the major Two-Wheeler manufacturers such as Honda, Suzuki and Bajaj, now its turn of Royal Enfield to announce their post GST prices accordingly.
Under the new GST Taxation, Royal Enfield witnessed a reduction in prices of their entire Range which falls under the 350cc Category. For their range with engine capacities greater than 350cc, there will be a suitable price hike.
Here are the revised prices post GST application. Here’s the price list shared by Royal Enfield including all its model range. (ex-showroom, Chennai)
The Bullet – Electra saw the biggest price cut overall. The new Royal Enfield Bullet – Electra will now cost Rs. 1.41 Lakh as compared to earlier Rs. 1.43 Lakh. Whereas, on the other hand, Himalayan saw a price hike of Rs. 3000 approx. It will now cost Rs. 1.84 lakh as compared to Rs. 1.81 Lakh before.
The Indian Automobile market is definitely getting bigger upon Performance Hatchbacks. The demands for cars with more powerful engines is growing exponentially. From Volkswagen Polo GT to Fiat Punto Abarth, indian automobile market is experiencing a great demand for these hot hatchbacks.
Now, Maruti Suzuki is out with a much faster version of their popular hatchback, the Baleno. Termed as the Baleno RS, it will sport a 1.0 Litre turbocharged petrol engine competing with the already established hot hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Polo GT and the Fiat Punto Abarth.
While the Fiat Punto Abarth sports a much larger 1.4 Litre turbocharged petrol engine, it wouldn’t be fair to compare it with 1.0 Litre engine on the Baleno RS. But it can definitely compete with the likes of Polo GT.
Price Comparison –
Just like the Polo GT, the Baleno RS will be available in the higher end Alpha trim only. It is however priced lower than the Polo GT which has the sticker price of Rs. 9.05 Lakh (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi).While the price gap is not that much, the Polo GT can be considered as value for money as you’ll just get more features at a little price more. The feature will be Volkswagen’s excellent 7-Speed DSG gearbox. (This is only available in the TSI Petrol version though)
Specifications –
The Baleno RS will be powered by Maruti’s new 1.0 Litre Turbocharged Petrol engine, that churns out 100 BHP power and 150 NM of Peak Torque. The transmission available in the indian version is 5-Speed Manual. However, internationally, there Is an option of a 6-Speed Automatic too.
The Polo GT TSI sports Volkswagen’s 1.2 Litre Turbocharged Petrol Motor that outputs 105 PS Power and 175 NM of Peak Torque. This model however is only available in 7-Speed Dual Clutch Automatic Gearbox. There are no paddle shifters or a Push Start Button but it has Electronic Stability Control and Hill Hold Control.
If you want a Polo GT manual, then you’ll have to go for the GT TDI Diesel version which is solely available in the manual transmission only.
Dimensions –
In accordance with the exterior dimensions, both cars are similar, but it is the Polo GT, that lacks cabin space, especially at the rear seats. But it do have a larger Boot as compared to the Baleno RS. On the other hand, Baleno RS has a really decent cabin space and the passengers will be quite comfortable at the rear seats of the Baleno RS.
Both these cars only have a Higher Performance Engines apart from their regular counterparts. There is no change in dimensions though for both of them.
Mileage –
ARAI claimed mileages of Polo GT and Baleno RS are 17.21 KMPL and 21.1 KMPL respectively. Real world figures however will vary.
Features –
Both the cars are available only in the higher-end trim as I told earlier. So they definitely are feature loaded. Whereas, Baleno RS gets certain latest technological features such as LED Daytime Running Lights, Projector Headlamps and LED Tail Lamps. However, it lacks certain features that Polo GT consists of such as Cruise Control, Cooled Glove Box, Cornering Headlights and Rear Fog Lamps.
Conclusion –
Price – The Volkswagen Polo GT is certainly priced somewhat higher than the Baleno RS but you’ll
Get more features for more price.
Specifications – The Polo GT wins here as it has more power and a better Dual Clutch Automatic Transmission.
Features – Polo GT is fairly well-equipped but Baleno RS is unique in its own way.
Design – Looks and feels are one’s personal choice. This depends upon one’s taste in cars and how one sees a car. This is definitely to be decided by you.
