What is this?
A Polo. A Polo with a really big, motor, but a Polo nevertheless.
How big?
In a world of downsizing the Polo GTi takes a hard left on the highway of upsizing and goes full-metal-jacket with a 1.8-litre TSI motor. It’s the same EA888 motor that overwhelms the front tyres of the Superb and Octavia, the same motor that used to power the old Audi A4 (the new one, by the way, has downsized to 1.4-litres), and a motor that is closely related to the bigger 2-litre unit in the Golf R. Let’s chew over that for a bit – a 1.8-litre motor punching out 189bhp in a dinky little hatchback. That’s 12bhp more than what you get in the much larger and heavier Superb and Octavia. That’s a lot of firepower going through a 7-speed twin-clutch DSG gearbox, the only transmission available on India-spec GTIs.
How fast?
6.9 seconds to 100kmph. And a max speed of 236kmph. To remind you again, this is a Polo, but one that is knocking on sports car territory. And it feels proper fast, like only a motor with many cee-cees can feel. This direct-injection turbo-petrol unit has a load of bottom-end grunt, so much so that you only breathe on the throttle to get proper shove. There’s a meaty soundtrack that is both powerful and grownup. And when you do rev the motor hard it has the toys to play at the very top of the rev range. And remember, all this in a Polo weighs 1.28 tonnes.
How does it handle?
Despite a load of power and torque the GTi doesn’t tie itself up into knots. It is lively and entertaining while being a proper Volkswagen in the sense that it always feels safe and secure, even when the roads are wet and greasy.
And when you do find dry roads, wow, it gives a new meaning to the term pocket-rocket. On first acquaintance the acceleration is downright startling but as you get used to the turn of pace and move into the fast lane of the German Autobhan you realise it has enough firepower to keep up with fast-moving, de-badged Audis and Mercs. At well over 200kmph (the bare minimum required to stay in the fast lane of a derestricted German Autobahn) the Polo felt planted, stable and well in control of proceedings.
On the handling front, the tweaks to the suspension – wider track and stiffer anti-roll bars – have made the GTi more pointy, more darty and all but eliminated body roll. There’s a lot of bite from the front end, enhanced by the wider and larger 17-inch rubber, and the lifeless steering feels a little less lifeless than in a regular Polo. Step on it on the exit of corners and the XDS+ electronic front differential lock (which mimics torque vectoring) does a game job of cutting inside wheel spin and the associated torque steer delivering great drive, a gratifying exhaust pop on upshifts and minimal fuss. And the latter is the main character trait on the GTi. While it is lively and entertaining, after all 250Nm is a lot for the front tyres to handle, it doesn’t let you go all-out. You can’t switch off ESP completely; you can’t smoke the front tyres and be a complete hooligan.
To match the go there are bigger brakes, 310mm ventilated discs at the front and 230mm at the rear. The ride height has also dropped, by 10mm at the front and 15mm at the back. And you will have to live with a considerably stiffer ride quality that even on German roads resulted in an unsettled ride in Sport mode.
Only a three-door?
While in Europe the Polo GTi has both three- and five-door variants in India, to differentiate from the regular Polo, the GTi will only be available as a three-door. It does put a big dent in practicality but, when you’re putting down 25 lakh rupees on one, there has to be a significant visual talk-point.
On the outside it also looks like a shrunken Golf GTi, and that’s a good thing. In terms of iconic detailing it gets the red stripe on the honeycomb grille, a sporty front bumper with a wider air intake, deep side skirts, twin exhausts sticking out of the (fake) rear diffuser, a subtle roof spoiler, big 17-inch wheels with barely any daylight squeezing into the wheel arch gaps and day-time running lamps. It makes for an understated but fantastic-looking car.
On the insides the India-spec GTis will get leather seats with heavy bolstering to keep in with the sporty theme (not the iconic tartan cloth seats). There’s also a thicker-rimmed steering wheel with GTi branding and red stitching and gloss-black inserts to add a more expensive feel to the cabin. And the stereo now gets Apple CarPlay with MirrorLink.
When can I buy it?
Homologation of the Polo GTi is complete and the first lot of GTis are on the boat to India as we speak with a November launch all but confirmed.
Verdict
Take everything that we know and love about the Polo – class-leading dynamics, a super-rigid body shell, fantastic build quality and stability at speed that will put cars many classes higher to shame – add a hefty dose of power and you have the Polo GTi. It will also cost an eye-watering sum; twenty five lakh rupees is borderline insanity for a hatchback, but this is a heart-over-head car. Forget for a moment that it has a Polo badge on the boot, and instead focus on the GTi badge on the nose, because that’s what this car is all about. This is a car for enthusiasts, for people who enjoy driving, for people who believe in The Thrill of Driving, and on that front it delivers everything you could ask of it and then more.
evo Rating: 4.5/5