An elephant showered its love for the VW Polo in a unique way to test the NCAP rating of the premium hatchback. The incident took place on a jungle safari in South Africa. The images are quite vivid in showing what happened there. VW Polo is a 4-start NCAP-rated vehicle and the build quality of the Gerɱaп carmaker has been unequivocally praised all over the world. But it is situations like these that put that safety rating to test. The Polo involved in this event is the same model as sold in India. Internationally, Volkswagen has launched the new-gen model which is unlikely to make its way to India. VW may bring the facelifted version to our shores directly. Let us focus our attention on the details of this incident.
Elephant Tests VW Polo NCAP Rating
The images show the elephant caressing the hatchback at first and then almost trying to hug and sit on it. The poor hatchback seems to be taking the bashing quite well with no evident signs of bulging. Although it is hard to believe that the car won’t have scars from this unique battle. Reportedly, the passengers of the vehicle were safe. This is a testament to the build quality of VW Polo which stood the beating from an elephant highlighting its 4-star NCAP safety rating. In the events of jungle safaris, such sort of incidents must be common. Still, one needs to be aware of such things before venturing into the jungle to ensure the safety of the occupants.
We expect the next-gen model to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform specifically built for the emerging markets. The Taigun is the first car to come out of that platform. VW will also build the next-gen Vento (Virtus) on the very same platform. This will ensure cost-effectiveness and will cater to the needs of Indian customers by offering large cabins for the rear passengers too. The current-gen Polo comes with a 1.0- naturally aspirated engine making 75 hp and 95 Nm and a 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol making 108 hp and 175 Nm of peak power and torque respectively. There are options of a 6-speed ɱaпual or an automatic gearbox. The prices range between Rs 6.27 lakh and Rs 9.99 lakh, ex-showroom. In our market, it goes up against the likes of Hyundai i20, Maruti Baleno and Tata Altroz.