It also comes with better specs - a better radio, rear air-conditioning vents, a center armrest, bla, bla,bla, yadda, yadda, yadda. There are more goodies, but in my opinion the price drop is the biggest good thing that happened to the Polo Sedan. Actually I am recommending you people out there who are yearning to buy a VW to get this (quite pathetic) car because it is my opinion that this is THE MOST reliable Volkswagen you can buy in Malaysia at the moment. I'll tell you why.
You see, I have always found it hard to recommend any Volkswagen to any of my relatives and friends. I would recommend any Volkswagen to my enemies or to people I do not like (hence I'd like some of the local politicians to buy a few) as these days I have been hearing horror stories of Volkswagen-Audi Group cars dying due to excessive engine oil consumption and a very jerky as well as seriously unreliable Dual Clutch Gearbox (DSG).
I have driven Golfs which aren't smooth in traffic (check out one of my reviews on last generation's Golf 1.4TSI) and I have friends in Polos, Golfs and Passats with the same problem. This has something to do with the mechatronic gearchange controller according to a Audi specialist who seems to have to change handful of VW and Audi cars every month (those that are out of warranty). I also hear the same thing from people within the industry about this and it isn't just a localized thing. Sometime last year, VW Singapore did a recall for cars fitted with the DSG.
And when I was over in Perth, Australia earlier this year I happened to watch the news on telly that VW was suffering from a whole lot of customer complaints regarding the engine. It's a global thing. And I've very recently read that VW will not be fitting the DSG in cars that aren't performance oriented (do a search if you do not believe in me). Of course they're denying any claims that there have been reliability issues. It may be true as here in Malaysia, things get ridiculously humid and it could be this humidity that affects sensitive electronic equipment. Whatever the case, I tell my friends and family to avoid DSG equipped VWs and Audis and tell my enemies to buy as many as they want so that they feel pain and suffering. Great isn't it?
Anyway, this is the reason why I am recommending the VW Polo Sedan. It may be slightly dull and clinical. It is well built and put together. But it comes with a very basic 1.6liter engine that does not suffer from excessive engine oil consumption (due to a lack of direct injection TFSI/TSI setup and the extremely high compression ratios that comes with it causing extra stress to the engine overall) as well as the fact that it has a traditional 6 speed torque convertor automatic.
I also have to mention that my Brother-in-Law bought one and has been running it for a year. It has not caused him or his wife one bit of trouble. It is simply because the car does not have the TSI or DSG. In fact, he was told a few months after buying the car by his salesman (who became his friend) that this was THE ONLY VW that he would recommend people to buy. The rest is shit. Putting it bluntly.
And so, if any of you out there wants to buy a Volkswagen, you can only buy this car. The Polo Sedan. Not the Golf, Scirocco, CC, Passat. Of course you could and if you're one of the lucky ones will never face any problems. But I somehow have a bunch of friends and acquaintances who still have to face such problems as they're stuck with their cars for awhile. Or you could say, no pain, no gain. It may be painful to buy a faster VW, but you gain from it? Yeah, righttttt.
So go ahead and book this car. The 2014 Volkswagen Polo Sedan the safest, most reliable Volkswagen you can buy. It may not be the glitziest, fastest, best looking, sexy VW, but its the most reliable. Remember that folks.
