Maruti Baleno vs VW Polo In A Tug of War – Shocking Results!

On paper, the Maruti Baleno is more powerful than the now-defunct VW Polo MPi. However, in the video that we have here, it's easy to see how the Baleno fares against the Polo in a classic tug of war match. This is the first time we have seen a tug of war challenge between B2-segment hatchbacks. In fact, this kind of face-off challenge is usually the game of SUVs to showcase their outright power and grip on the ground. Nevertheless, let's have a look at a tug of war match between Maruti Baleno and VW Polo. 

Maruti Baleno has worked like a charm since it was first introduced in 2015. The Baleno holds the title of segment-leader for many good reasons, one of which is surely the fairly nice performance on the roads. So far, the VW Polo has pretty much failed to outsell the Maruti Baleno but it is no doubts one of hottest hatches out there, which is thanks to its world-class build quality, fun to drive engine and decent handling. 

Frankly, it is easy to understand if you bet much on the Maruti Baleno here as it is more powerful than the Polo by quite a margin. While the Maruti Baleno is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine generating 83 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque, this VW Polo featured here comes with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit that makes 76 PS/ 110 Nm.

The tug of war challenge was conducted on the slushy surface and both cars were trying hard to find traction. Things started to go wrong after just a couple of seconds as the Baleno went out of control. The VW Polo, on the other hand, managed to keep itself at one place. Going by the power figures, it should have been the Baleno to have come across as a clear winner. However, it was completely defeated by the Polo in this game.

It is worth noting that despite having more power and torque on tap, the Maruti Baleno is lighter than the Polo by about 200 kilograms. It weighs around 835 kilograms while the VW Polo has 1072 kg of kerb weight. This is exactly why the Maruti Baleno seems to have no grip compared to the Volkswagen Polo and that is the primary reason for Polo's victory. 

For the uninitiated, the 1.2-litre MPI engine of the Volkswagen Polo came a long time ago and it was replaced by a smaller 1.0-litre MPI unit. Also, the 2020 Volkswagen Polo is even on sale with a 1.0-litre TSI motor that’s good for 110 PS of power and 175 Nm of peak torque. Transmission choices for the Polo include a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic unit. The Volkswagen Polo is currently priced in between Rs 5.82 – 9.59 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) while the Maruti Baleno is priced at around Rs 5.63 – 8.96 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).