The 1.6L MPI engine on Volkswagen Polo Sedan for South Africa generates 110 PS of power and 152 Nm of torque, mated to either a 5-MT or 6-AT
After being launched in India, Volkswagen Virtus has now been launched in South Africa, as the Polo sedan. It is offered in two trim levels and a sole engine option – 1.6 MPI petrol engine. It does not get the 1.0 and 1.5 TSI engines on offer in India.
There are two trim levels on offer named Sedan (Polo Sedan Sedan?) and Life. Polo Sedan costs between 332,400 and 381,700 South African Rand. Today’s currency conversion shows a price between Rs. 14.8 and 17 lakh.
Volkswagen Polo Sedan for South African Market
For starters, VW has refrained from offering GT trims for South Africa. The design elements, tech, hardware and componentry exclusive to GT Line in India has not made it to South Africa-spec Polo Sedan. Dimensions are similar, including the 179 mm ground clearance.
The base Sedan trim gets LED headlights, LED tail lights, electrically adjustable ORVM, parking sensors, steering mounted controls, 8 speaker audio system, 7” touchscreen with Android and Apple connectivity, insulated glass windshield, manual AC, auto headlights and wipers, and other features.
It is powered by a 1.6L MPi 4-cylinder engine with 110 PS of power at 5800 RPM and 152 Nm of torque between 3840 and 4100 RPM, coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission. Volkswagen and Skoda offered the same 1598cc engine in India as well, but it has long been discontinued. It used to power the Vento, Rapid, etc.
Top-spec Life trim gets the larger 10” infotainment system, 16” alloy wheels, wireless phone charger, wireless app connectivity, cruise control, keyless entry, push button start, foldable ORVMs, automatic climate control, cooled glovebox, rear camera, ambient lighting, leather-wrapped steering and gear knob, paddle shifters with automatic, front and rear armrest and more. Engine is the same, but gets a 6-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox.
Volkswagen Polo Sedan can touch 190 km/h top speed with both manual and automatic. Manual variants can hit 100 km/h in 11.2 seconds, while automatic takes a second more. Polo Sedan manual variants consume 6.2 l/100 km combined (16.12 km/l) and automatic variants consume 6.5 l/100 km combined (15.38 km/l).
Volkswagen – Safety is a priority
Volkswagen has made quite a few safety features as standard fitment across the variant range. These include electronic diff lock, ESC, ABS, anti-spin regulator, trailer stabilizer, vehicle immobiliser, front airbags, 3-point seat belts all around, tyre pressure monitor and more. The 5 star crash rating recently awarded to VW Virtus in both GNCAP and Latin NCAP is commendable as well.
