Volkswagen Polo - What does German car have to compete with Japanese cars in Vietnam?

The low-cost sedan from the German popular car company has a less flashy design, focusing on safety, convenience and performance.

Compared to competitors who are in the process of revolutionizing their designs, Polo has a stagnant strategy. The main markets of competitors such as Ford Fiesta, Honda City or Toyota Vios are developing countries, Polo focuses on winning customers in European countries, which have a long-standing habit of using cars.

This explains why in the top 10 best-selling cars in Europe in 2016, there were 3 Volkswagen models including Golf, Polo and Passat. Polo's headquarters is located in India and exports to the world. VW's factories in Russia and South Africa also assemble this car line, but mainly serve the domestic market.

In Vietnam, Volkswagen Polo has hatchback and sedan versions. The hatchback version is 5 million VND more expensive than the Polo sedan, priced at 690 million VND, excluding discounts at the dealer. In terms of size, the sedan version is longer than the hatchback. The wheelbase is 2,552 mm. The length, width, and height parameters are 4,384 mm, 1,699 mm, and 1,466 mm, respectively, equivalent to the Toyota Vios or Honda City. Polo uses the VW A05 chassis (code PQ25) shared with the Audi A1 luxury car.

Polo competes with familiar names to Vietnamese customers such as Vios or City.

The equipment of Polo sedan is quite similar to Japanese competitors, with some small equipment being more prominent. Manual headlights, halogen bulbs with integrated fog lights below. Electrically folding and adjusting rearview mirrors. Four electric windows, one-touch automatic up and down. The two rear windows can only be lowered halfway for the purpose of ensuring safety when children are sitting in the back. When the driver is outside the car, hold the open button on the key, all four windows automatically lower to release heat before the owner gets in the car. This is the opposite when locking the car, if the driver forgets to raise the windows, it can still be easily controlled from the key.

Single-zone automatic air conditioning. Entertainment system can optionally have a touch screen, Android operating system with Bluetooth, USB, SD card connections and Vietmap navigation. Polo is equipped with 4 standard speakers.

Safety features on the sedan are modest with ABS brakes. On the hatchback version (VND 5 million more expensive), it is equipped with an electronic body stabilization system ESC, traction control ASR, emergency brake assist BA, traction control ETC and headlights with the ability to expand the beam angle when cornering.

The engine equipped on the two versions is the type1.6 liter capacity4-cylinder inline naturally aspirated. MPI multi-point electronic fuel injection system and DOHC double camshaft. Front-wheel drive. 6-speed automatic transmission, not equipped with dual-clutch DSG transmission. Polo reaches 105 horsepower at 5,250 rpm, maximum traction of 153 Nm at 3,800 rpm. The announced fuel consumption is 5.3 liters/100 km, although traffic conditions in Vietnam are quite difficult to achieve this number.

The difference between the Polo sedan and its Japanese competitors comes from its performance. Vios is superficial, lacking in personality but practical, City is personality but noisy, Polo combines the above factors. The Polo steering wheel is square-bottomed like many Audi sports cars, convenient for the driver to get in and out of the car.

The Germans have arranged the cabin space in a practical way with many storage compartments. The armrest can be adjusted in height, and the storage compartment is something that competitors do not have. The high roof makes the interior space airy and has a wide view. The second row of seats has a moderate recline, comfortable for long journeys. The second row of seats does not have an armrest.

The cabin space is arranged by the Germans practically with many storage compartments.

The power steering is more solid than the Vios but not as precise as the City. The sound of the door closing is solid and German, the Polo sedan cabin has good soundproofing. The noise that enters the cabin mainly comes from the engine. Moving in the city, the Polo is flexible thanks to its moderate size. Turning radius is 5.4 m. The gearbox does not "hiccup" and is easy to recognize like Japanese cars.

On the highway, Polo shows its superiority over its competitors, but still faces many limitations of the "stomach sedan" line. Acceleration reaches 120 km/h, which few small sedan drivers want to reach. Polo's gear changes are not too smooth, but the gearbox is flexible and understands the driver's intentions. The accelerator pedal is heavy in German style, and starting off is not as fast as Japanese cars. At high speeds, the advantage of the "Germany" chassis helps Polo not to easily falter, making the driver hesitate. The shock absorbers are stiffer, not bouncy, although the car is a bit bumpy and hurts when going over speed bumps or potholes.

Keeping a steady speed of 100 km/h, the engine speed reaches 2,100 rpm. Wind noise is the loudest sound in the cabin due to the less aerodynamically optimized design, VW is forced to trade off for functionality. Good soundproofing of the floor is typical of German cars. The speed of 80-100 km/h is the most stable operating range of the Polo on the highway. In addition, operating the Polo at high speeds when going over speed bumps or potholes, the phenomenon of tail swing does not appear thanks to the solid body and stable power steering.

The B-class car segment (including sedans and hatchbacks) in Vietnam is currently a showcase of Toyota Vios and Honda City, the two top choices of customers with business needs. Mazda2, Ford Fiesta or Toyota Yaris score points thanks to advanced technology, designs that appeal to young customers or proven durability. The door is not completely closed for Polo in particular and VW in general thanks to the quality of the platform and the German factor. However, to squeeze into the pre-divided market share, the German "giant" still needs more determination and will from distributors in Vietnam./.

According to VNE