Yellow Yellow ain't a Dirty Fellow

I'm not going to tell you how unfair it is that Yellow is always related to Ah Bengs. I'm also not going to touch on the fact that Yellow has been long associated with the lack of cleanliness, no thanks to some nursery school rhymes ("Yellow Yellow dirty Fel...", you get my point).

What I'm going to say, though, is that the extravagant COE prices have brought upon a dire impact on fun and good cars such as the Suzuki Swift Sport (let's just affectionately dub it SSS) and have led to people choosing continental brands over carmakers that have brought you Ramen and Kim Chi. It's true we should all pay for a quality product (since price is inevitably important) but are Japanese cars not comparable to continental ones or have our COE prices moulded us into brand whores?

Before I attempt to taint the rest of the compact hatches (other than the SSS) verbally, let's get something polite out of the way: I could be wrong. I mean, I love the buttless cars rolling out of Volkswagen, I really do. But when we pitch the Swift Sport against the Polo 1.2, and decide to support the latter, it constitutes the greatest act of brand favouritism or a declaration of war against my general principle.

Ok, I may have exaggerated a tad, but this is, nonetheless, a thinking exercise.

Thinking caps on or off, the Yellow Fellow holds a few surprises over the White Horse. No doubt that it loses to the Polo off the line, the Swift Sport feels more refined and enthusiastic when thrown around. Of course, it's no hot hatch, but having a six-speed manual (previously a five-speed) gearbox allows it to move more comfortably over its predecessor and reasonably quiet at 3,000rpm at highway speeds.

More relevantly, the manual gearbox is a joy to behold, especially to purists. The throws are pleasingly short and it shifts in a mechanical manner, giving them the feel of a sportier nature. Its stimulating character allows it to rev freely and wildly, yet keeping to the reasonable 15.3km/L. The Polo, on the other hand, has an impressive DSG gearbox, but it doesn't encourage fun 'hooliganism' and 'connection' between driver and car.

At around $8,000 lesser, the SSS is equipped with a pair of sports bucket seats to match up to the sportier handling. Even the red stitching on the seats and steering wheel uplifts the already sporty atmosphere by a couple of notches. The Polo? Not that exciting. It fits the bill perfectly as a base model in the Polo line-up but for the fact that it doesn't come equipped with a push start button, disappoints.

Where both hatches are concerned, they're sure as hell durable. They're strong, solid and even spacious because they were built that way. Volkswagen may be the inventor of the cult car, GTI - one that requires a fair bit of dough to purchase and a hell lot more to maintain - and may, thus, hold an impeccable reputation for hatchback cars such as the Polo 1.2. But Suzuki's proposition reaches out to humble individuals with its potent combination of performance and handling that can be exploited to its full capability without having the need to fork out tons of cash to buy and maintain.

Cars aren't cheap now. When it comes down to a good car, there are so many to choose from. But let's get one thing straight. Driving a car with a continental badge doesn't mean it's the right one. With enough research, you could make the right buying choice, without compromising on looks, handling and fuel consumption figures. You just need to open up to the Japanese.


The Brand and Buck affair

You may call me a brand whore.

But the Polo 1.2 will easily be my choice between the twins we have here. In fact at the price point, it is what I would delectably sign for.

The brand versus buck affair. These two elements are usually proportionate: the greater the perceived value of the brand, the higher the price it commands. Most, if not all, Singaporeans perceive continental marques (especially those from Germany) as of higher quality and prestige than their Japanese and Korean counterparts. But with the carmakers furiously expanding their model lineup to tap into every single demographics and market segment, there comes a point when you ask - am I paying for quality or the little roundel emblem on the hood?

This brings us to my side of the argument - is it unjust for the advocates of base offerings to be slapped with the common notion of 'brand whore'?

The Polo 1.2 is the latest 'entry-level' offering from the Wolfsburg carmaker. In fact, it is the cheapest ride amongst the brand's lineup here in Singapore. It is actually quite adequate if you should (mistakenly believe) think that the Polo is nothing much but the cheapest entry into Continental ownership. Now you get the drift.

I believe Julian would have probably gone gaga about how the Swift Sport made him fall head over heels, and how real abilities are usually hidden beneath the hood. Do allow me to illustrate my point, then.

A couple of cold hard facts on the two rides: the Polo commands close to $8,000 premium over the Swift Sport. Figurative speaking, the Swift Sport seems to have the edge over its German rival - the 1.6-litre straight-four pumps out 134bhp, quite a fair bit more than the 90 garnered from the Polo's 1.2. So why pay more when for something lesser?

In the real world, what seems less on paper is actually more. For instance, the Polo unleashes the ponies via a highly capable dual-clutch box, putting most if not all of the horses effectively to the tarmac. This means that unless you double as a street-racer, the Polo will get you off the lines faster than the more powerful Swift Sport.

In terms of running costs, the Polo, once again, proves its edge over the Swift Sport. Naturally, the 1.2-litre powerplant attracts a lower road tax than the 1.6-litre Swift. Taxes aside, the nippy Polo is small on fuel sips too, which helps to save more at the pumps.

On the inside, there is no denying that the Polo's interior is sparse in comparison. However, it is by no means the Polo is deprived of the usual creature comforts for your day-to-day commutes. What it does however, is to make you realise that more often than not, niceties such as push-start buttons, electronic handbrakes are good-to-have features, rather than need-to-haves. Did Julian talk about the lack of start-stop button?

Do not for once be misled into thinking that functionality takes a cut with the price too. Instead, the Polo thrives in terms of functionality. Besides an adequately spaced rear bench for full-sized adults, the rump packs an equally functional boot - far more usable than that found in the Swift Sport.

So now, the next time when you spot someone driving along in a Polo - think twice about branding him or her a brand whore. For the Polo is definitely a potent contender in its class, not to mention a worthy bearer of the VW badge.