It seems Volkswagen has heard and answered some prayers. Pleas came from people who wanted an automatic transmission option in the mid-trim. Well, here it is! The Polo TSI AT is now available in Comfortline trim. There are two options – one with a metallic paint job and one without. The latter costs Rs 8.51 lakh, whereas the former demands Rs 10,000 more. Compared to their manual counterparts – Polo TSI AT Comfortline – they cost Rs 1.1 lakh more. However, they cost considerably less than the Polo TSI AT Highline Plus variant, priced at Rs 9.6 lakh.

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Earlier, the automatic gearbox option was reserved for the Highline Plus trim and the Polo GT. Propulsion for the newly introduced variant comes from a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. That pumps out 109bhp/175Nm, all of which is harnessed and fed to the front wheels by a 6-speed AT (torque converter). The claimed fuel efficiency is 16.47kmpl.

The other engine option available in Comfortline spec is the 1.0-litre MPI, which generates 75bhp/95Nm. That powerplant, however, is only available with a 5-speed manual transmission and a claimed mileage of 17.74kmpl.

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The Comfortline trim means the list of features is pretty decent. Over the entry-level Trendline, the mid-spec offers stuff like ambient lighting, glovebox cooling and light, electrically adjustable ORVMs, all four power windows and a rear defogger with wiper. Gizmos such as a trip computer, speed-sensing auto door locks, a music system, remote-controlled central locking and front fog lamps are also available in Comfortline and not in Trendline.

Volkswagen Polo is the oldest competitor in its segment. It falls in the same space as the Honda Jazz, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz and the Toyota Glanza. There were reports that Volkswagen is working to bring the new Polo to India. Even if that is in the pipeline, it won’t materialise for customers before 2022.