Words by Yash Sunil
Volkswagen India has upped the ante in the desi hot-hatch market, with the launch of the Polo GTI. Priced at Rs. 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the GTI is the latest offering from the VW stable but sadly the 3 door GTI will be limited to only 99 units in the country.
The car is powered by a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 189bhp and 250Nm of torque which is mated to a 7-Speed DSG gearbox launching the car from 0-100 in 7.2 seconds. You can tell the GTI apart from the standard Polo with the red inserts in the headlamps, the dual chrome exhaust pipes, the honeycombed grill, and of course, the two missing doors. The hot-hatch theme has been carried forward in the interior with red coloured stripes embedded in the seat and hot-hatched styled stitching.
Michael Mayer, Director Volkswagen India stated, “At Volkswagen, safety is not an option, but an intrinsic part of the brand. The GTI comes well equipped with 6 airbags, ABS, Hill-hold and ESP and we believe the GTI, will once again set the bar for young Indian car enthusiasts.”
The GTI is now the most powerful hatchback available for petrolheads across the nation, but has been limited to just 99 units. The car will lock grills with the like of the Mini Cooper S, the Fiat Abarth 595, the VW Beetle and the Volvo V40.
Read the driven story of the Polo GTI here.