Volkswagen Polo GT TSI Review

What is one of those first few things that a mother would want for her children? They would be safety and security at home and outside. At home we can take the necessary measures to keep our children safe, but what about the world outside?

While we cannot control the situations in the outside world, there are a few things that we can work on from our personal level. For instance, it starts from as simple habit of wearing a helmet or a seat belt, not overtaking from the wrong side, not honking without reason – these are small yet responsible acts that will leave a strong positive imprint in the minds of our children and go a long way in ensuring safety for self and others.

Recently I took a test drive to Juhu in a gorgeous bright and happy cherry red Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. It was pouring heavily on that particular Sunday yet the car drove through smoothly over the numerous potholes on the Western Express Highway.

The brilliant suspension in the car didn’t allow us to feel much and the classic numbers playing on the superb inbuilt stereo was the perfect way to beat the monsoon traffic in the city.

With the incidents of road mishaps increasing in our cities, there’s a huge concern amongst consumers and car manufacturers in upping the car safety standards. Unfortunately for some consumers, safety as a standard is yet to get its due, as we’re mostly driven by looks of the car, space and most importantly the mileage.

We’re also of the mindset that most of the safety features are usually available in high-end cars and not in the small car segment and that, we would have to shell out a lot more just for the additional safety features as they ‘may not always be required’.

But this is where the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI has managed to change the mindset of the consumers as this automatic small segment car comes equipped with some brilliant safety features be it the Airbags, ABS, 3 point front and rear seatbelts, auto-dimming IRVMS (interior rear view mirrors) which I think is a must have for every family car.

For instance, DSG (Dual-Shift Gearbox) allows you to shift at the level of an automatic gearbox, split-second gear changes and smoother driving with undisturbed acceleration – nothing a mother would want more when driving her kids to school or play.

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) – this helps to stop the wheels from locking up during an emergency halt or when you brake suddenly on a slippery road, ensuring that you’re still able to steer the vehicle to safety – a total thumbs up for any mom who’s driving home her kids on a rainy day.

Airbags – in combination to the seat belts, the airbags help reduce the risk of severe head and chest injuries in case of severe collisions. If the crash sensors record an impact that exceeds the permissible limits, it triggers the gas generator, which inflates the airbags located in the steering wheel and the dashboard in front of the front-seat passenger. This gets inflated with within 30 to 40 milliseconds provide a cushion to the head and upper body of the driver and the co-passenger in the front seat.

Other features I liked about the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI are:

• 7-Speed Automatic DSG Transmission – pickup is awesome!
• Cooled Glove Box – Perfect for those summer drives
• Electrically foldable mirrors – now I don’t need to manually adjust the mirrors before driving
• Multimedia console & of course, how can we forget the stylish upholstery

In 2014, Volkswagen Polo was one of the first hatchbacks in India to receive a 4-star rating by a credible global authority for adult occupant protection and if the Polo GT TSI passes the test from a mother and her 4-year-old toddler, then it’s definitely worth considering if you’re planning on getting a new car for yourself or your family.

Remember, it starts with something as small as being responsible citizens or adults so that our children emulate the good habits right from driving and observing road safety for self, others and of the car.

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