Starting the engine, changing gear and parking

Gear-change indicator

~1min read
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings

In some vehicles, the instrument cluster will show which gear should be selected while the vehicle is in motion to reduce fuel consumption.

Display Meaning
The current gear is optimal.
A higher gear is recommended.
A lower gear is recommended.

In vehicles with a manual gearbox the recommended gear will be indicated in the form of a number and a recommendation to shift up or down into the gear shown will be displayed in the form of an arrow.

In vehicles with an automatic gearbox if the selector lever is in the tiptronic position, the current gear will be indicated in the form of a number and a recommendation to shift up or down a gear will be displayed in the form of an arrow .

Information on cleaning the diesel particulate filter

The exhaust management system detects when a diesel particulate filter is filling up and aids the filter's self-cleaning process by recommending the most suitable gear when driving. This may mean driving with increased engine speed in exceptional cases .

The gear-change indicator is only designed to assist the driver and cannot replace the driver's own judgement.
  • The driver has full responsibility for selecting the correct gear in all situations (e.g. when overtaking, driving up and down hills and when towing a trailer).

Driving in the correct gear can reduce fuel consumption.

Gear-change indicator display goes out when the clutch is depressed in vehicles with a manual gearbox or when Tiptronic position is deselected in vehicles with an automatic gearbox.

Test yourself

A quick Volkswagen Polo quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.