Engine & Gearbox
The Cross Polo is powered by a 3 cylinder 1199 cc that produces a modest 74 bhp@4200 rpm and 180 Nm@2000 rpm which is identical to the Polo. This 3 pot oil burner is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission which is quite a joy to use. As the exteriors of the Cross Polo suggest its off road likings, the engine on the other hand discourages you from any such attempts as we later found out.
Fire it up and the diesel clatter is quite pronounced and continues to remain so after warm-up. Slot it into the first cog and your will be delighted with the positive clutch and light shift actions of the `box; lift off and you will instantly notice the sluggish torque delivery at crawling speeds. This oil burner definitely needs a few hundred more revs than any other engines out there in the market doing duty in different cars. It suffers from a turbo lag until 2000 rpm after which it wakes from its slumber and springs to life.
The majority of fun lies between 2000-4300 rpm. This engine loves to be revved and has quite an appetite for it. We particularly loved and got addicted to the un-diesel like drone this 3 cylinder mill dishes out while whipping the needle upto its redline at 5000 rpm, a mark which it eagerly reaches every time you prod the accelerator. Coupled with a precisely gate-d gearbox which makes shifting a part of the enjoyable driving experience makes you go up and down the cogs every now and then. Drive enthusiastically and the car feels faster than it actually is & manages a 0-100 in 16 seconds. On a clear stretch, you can reach a speed of up to 160 kmph in 5th with the tachometer nudging the redline.
However, lets picture a typical day in the life of the Cross Polo where its weakness can make it a deal breaker. Imagine crawling in bumper to bumper to traffic or driving around in city traffic; constant stop and go is something this engine will make a laborious affair given the turbo lag. Even though the, gear ratios are well matched the least one can expect an even shorter 1st gear, this unit does not have the typical tick-over tug which modern diesels have. So even while we petrol heads turned diesel devotees love its life past 2000 rpm, marching around in 1st and 2nd gear remains a bother for us. Hence, as mentioned earlier, any attempts to take it off the black tarmac could result in disappointment unlike what its body kit suggests.
Next page for suspension and handling>>>