In the first week of March 2020, Volkswagen introduced the BS6-compliant range for Polo and Vento. Both models lost quite a lot to bag that mandatory badge. We haven’t even got out of April yet, and Volkswagen has already made more changes to their portfolios. Don’t worry, though, as the tweaks don’t concern the mechanical section. They are limited to trims.

There’s no Comfort Line trim level on offer anymore. Comfort Line Plus has replaced that in both model line-ups. With the common change out of the way, let’s focus on the specific changes to the Polo now. If you want the hatchback with an automatic transmission, you’d have to settle for the GT trim. Earlier, the two-pedal setup was available in the High Line Plus form as well. There are no such changes in the Vento line-up. Here’s how the revised variant lists stand:

All the variants across both the car lines come with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine. Those marked with the TSI tag have 108bhp/175Nm on tap. The rest make do with just 75bhp/96Nm. As for the transmission options, there are three available. The lesser of the two engines (MPI) comes coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. It is only the TSI engine that is available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic (torque converter) gearbox.

You have to agree that both models in question have started to show their age. Against some of their rivals, they look desperate in terms of equipment and powertrain options. That said, both VWs have their cult followers. Why? In terms of quality, there’s no matching either of them (ignoring the Skoda Rapid because it is essentially a rebadged and restyled Vento!).

Rivals for the Volkswagen Polo include the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza, Hyundai Elite i20 and the Tata Altroz. The Vento, on the other hand, locks horns with the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna and the Toyota Yaris.