VW 1.2 tsi petrol engine owners out there?

I’m currently waiting for my new car to be delivered, which will have this engine in the 105 bhp form. Anyway I was wondering if anyone on here runs one day to day? If so your comments and opinions would be much appreciated as actual information regarding this engine seems to differ greatly. Thanks in advance, glacier

Not much help but the 1.4tsi 180bhp is a hoot 🙂

I think it’s used in the Polo up to the Octavia, so would be interested to hear more about it.

Got this in the fabia estate. Engine is nice with a good low down pull. Even with 5 up its not an embarrassment. Top end is a bit lacking but you can’t have everything certainly for the money involved in my fabia.

Can get 47mpg, but overall avg is 40.

I suppose a lot depends on which car it is in on how it performs.

Got it in a Fabia hatch with the 7 speed DSG autobox. Had it two years, maybe 20,000 miles.

It’s great. My 12 mile pre-rushhour commute into Nottingham city centre usually gets over 50mpg, have had 45mpg on motorway 75mph runs with 3 overweight adults in it. Regular local runs sees at least 40mpg.

It does have plenty of go in it. Does seem to be a lot of oomph going through the front wheels with not much weight over them from the small engine – doesn’t feel as skittish when we have the winter tyres on it. I imagine the 1.4, 180bhp version is a riot!

I’ve also had the same engine and gearbox in a VW Beetle hire car – again, absolute blast to drive and surprisingly economical for the way I drove it.

There were some hideous reliability problems with the 180bhp 1.4, not affected the 1.2 AFAIK.

Njee was that the missfire caused by ecu going bad ? my colleague had this. Specialist cars vw kept changing the coil and that would solve it for a week or so ……ecus are not cheap and vw tried their best to wiggle out of it. In the end they did it half price as goodwill….. Saft lad.

Breaking pistons IIRC. I had a feeling they were 160s rather than 180s though – Sciroccos particularly I think.

Friend’s brother had some terrifying repair bills come his way. Rather put me off!

Aye this was a scricco too.

Ive seen some internet scare photos of them throwing conrods out the block. i was googling this and emailing him the results when his car went to the garage….ive seen him drive it – digital throttle.

Fwiw, todays hire car for work is a VW Golf with 84hp version of this engine, on 5 speed manual gearbox.

Not as underpowered as I expected, zippy enough to pull away and keep up on the A50, claims to be doing 44mpg so far even with lots of stop start urban driving.

Wondering how it would cope with more than one fat bloke in it….

I’ve had Fabia with the 1.2tsi 105 for the last few months. Feels a little dead before the turbo kicks in, but lovely after that (races away a little in second). Certainly doesn’t feel like a 1.2, although I have read on owners forums that when they’ve put on a road they generally come at about 120-125bhp as standard. I generally get about 40mpg around town, managed to get over 50 on a long run.

We’ve a Seat Leon with one in 105bhp. Plenty powerful enough for the car, unless you really want to drive like a knob. Not as economical as the Fiat 1.3 Diesel it replaced. Not quite 2 years old, so no reliability issues. Performance doesn’t suffer unduly with being loaded up. I’d have another car with this engine in no worries. Can’t say I’ve ever noticed any turbo lag.

I don’t have one, but those on the Skoda forum with the 1.2tsi-equipped Yetis absolutely rave about them: economical, rapid (enough) and full of character.

The wife just traded in her 1.2tsi Seat Ibiza after 3 years and it has had no problems with the engine. Plenty of power to overtake and drive up hill. Although I’d say that we got 35 – 45mpg from it most days so not the most economical engine. But a work colleague reckons his does 60mpg easily (he is 65 though).

No other problems with the rest of the car and that was her second (first one had the old 1.6 lump in it)so no probs with them over 6 years.

Tom KP

If you plan on keeping this car for more than 3years then I STRONGLY suggest you look at getting an extended warranty.

Had a 1.2 tsi in a golf and thought the engine was superb really linear in its power delivery if that makes sense. No peaks just more power proportionate to revs, very impressed.

OP here, thanks for the reply folks, it all seems fairly positive and have just been told mine arrives on Monday! Will let you know my thoughts…

And strangely, when the guy from Enterprise picked the car up tonight he said he had to drop it round the corner – seems my mate who works for another organisation is using it tomorrow.

Now interested to know if Enterprise will deliver it back here tomorrow night as I need a car again on Thursday…..

We have the 1.2TSI in a Skoda Rapid, apparently it has 86bhp, I call bullshine – it really shifts! The turbo is quite fun.
So far about 45mpg but get about 50mpg on a run.

My other half has had a Polo 1.2Tsi for 2 1/2 yearsThe engine is smooth, quiet and drives very well indeed. Not hugely quick, but plenty of low down torque so it feels very nippy. Her car has the six speed (manual) gearbox which probably helps both acceleration and economy on a run. She does a lot of town driving and gets over 40mpg, it will do a measured 48mpg + on a longer run.
She had the 1.6 before, which had the same nominal hp (less torque though). The 1.2 is way better in the way it drives and the economy.