EVOLUTION OF VW POLO

Tracing the footsteps of India’s most enthusiast-friendly hatch

The Volkswagen Polo and this magazine are inextricably entwined – so much so, that the Polo was partially responsible for the creation of evo India. We look back over the years gone by to see how the Polo has been the centre of our enthusiast focussed stories

F THERE WAS A CAR THAT WAS SOLELY responsible for kick-starting evo India magazine back in 2013, it was the humble Volkswagen Polo. You would think a performance car magazine was inspired by the high-octane, fire-breathing supercars of the day but no – it was a humble hatchback with aspirations far beyond the daily commute that did the job.

Four car enthusiasts from Pune, including editor Sirish, had formed a team called Slideways Industries to participate in the national rally championship. They were the first to develop the Polo for the INRC, the first to rally it, and the first to claim a class win with it as well – in its debut rally, no less.

While hooning around in the Polo, they realised that despite the abundance of automotive media in India, none of them quite portrayed the enthusiasm they had for cars. They decided to put together a magazine that authentically captured the joy they had rallying, but more importantly, reflected the joy of motoring and the fun that you can have with cars. With their combined expertise, they put together the first issue of evo India in October 2013 and there has been no looking back since!