Chassis, Suspension, Handling
Since, the Cross is essentially a Polo, its underpinnings remain the same. This also means the Cross handles like the Polo, great!! With changing tastes of auto buyers, today it’s not unusual to find SUVs and Soft roader customers who buy into the segment only for the rugged looks, while expecting the car to handle like a hatch or a sedan. The Cross is another such hatchback/crossover which displays impressive road manners. McPherson struts upfront and Semi-independent trailing arms with coil springs and shock absorbers at the rear shoulder the weight and handling responsibilities. This is one area which VW has managed to impress us where the overall package comprising of the steering, suspension and braking is spot on, well almost!
Of course the Polo isn`t exactly a track tool, but it’s as much fun a reasonably priced, practical everyday car could be. With its well-tuned spring rates and damping, it offers a comfortable suspension too. The bump absorption is good even on broken surfaces and shod with the 185/60 R15 Apollo Acceleres (increasingly found on many cars as OEM nowadays), the car manages do exhibit a fine balance between handling and comfort. Even as speeds build up, the Cross Polo feels confident and stable, a trait very few hatchbacks are blessed with.
Steering is an integral part of communication between the driver and car dynamics and also finds a mention here. The steering on the Cross Polo is rightfully light at parking speeds and weighs up as speeds build up without being vague at all, however it feels a bit light at triple digit speeds. The steering setup on the Cross definitely adds up the fun factor while being behind the wheel of this popular hatchback.
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