You can now buy a Polo or a Vento in TSI Turbo Edition form. Volkswagen has carved that spec to offer the goodness of a turbo-petrol engine at much lower prices. The brand has taken the Comfortline trim level as the starting point. At Rs 6.99 lakh, the Polo TSI Turbo Edition costs Rs 1.095 lakh less than the Polo TSI Highline Plus. That’s where the turbo-petrol engine starts in the hatchback’s range. All lower variants make do with the no-turbo 1.0-litre MPI engine. The Vento TSI Turbo Edition has a sticker price of Rs 8.69 lakh – Rs 1.3 lakh less than the Vento Comfortline.

As you’d expect, the TSI Turbo Editions are available for a limited period. Both pack the same 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which pumps out 109bhp/175Nm and comes mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. In the Polo, that engine-gearbox combo can return up to 18.24kmpl. As for the Vento, it can go as high as 17.69kmpl.

Now, obviously, Volkswagen had to make these limited-edition models stand out. So, it has given them ‘Turbo Edition’ seat covers, ‘Turbo’ badge on the fender and glossy-black ORVM caps and spoiler. The Polo TSI Turbo Edition also gains automatic climate control, a creature comfort that’s missing on the Polo Comfortline. The rest of the package remains the same. So, features like 15-inch alloy wheels, front and rear fog lamps, Bluetooth/AUX/USB-enabled music system with four speakers, height-adjustable driver’s seat and rear defogger with wiper, are available.

Moving to the Vento TSI Turbo Edition, it offers stuff like a cooled glovebox, front fog lamps with static cornering lights, cruise control, automatic climate control, 15-inch alloy wheels and speed-sensing auto door locking function. All-in-all, Volkswagen is offering quite a compelling product at that price.

In India, the turbocharged Polo competes with the Hyundai i20 and the Tata Altroz. There are other premium hatchbacks in the segment, but they don’t have a turbo-petrol engine option. Even in Vento’s case, it is the same story. As a turbocharged sedan, it rivals the Hyundai Verna and the Skoda Rapid. Otherwise, models such as the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City and the Toyota Yaris are also part of the same bandwagon.