It’s tough to know the place to start with the Polo GTI. These three letters are arguably Volkswagen’s most useful model property, couple that with certainly one of Wolfsburg’s best-selling hatchbacks and certainly you can’t go improper? The factor is although, the Polo GTI has managed to drift round in purgatory for fairly a while now. It took Volkswagen the very best a part of 30 years to even give the Polo its GTI wings, and since then it has managed to fly underneath the radar with out a lot fuss, at the very least in comparison with its bigger sibling. Thanks largely to the actual fact it normally had smaller engines, much less GTI elaborations and a hefty price ticket in comparison with its friends.

Nonetheless, because the Polo GTI has advanced, it’s slowly stolen increasingly from the ever-popular Golf GTI. The purple grill stripe, the tartan seats, the honeycomb grill. All these little touches that make a GTI, a GTI. And now, in a barely un-VW transfer, they’ve given it the identical 2.0TFSI engine with over 200bhp. That is now a Polo that may do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, and go on to a prime velocity of 149mph. That has the potential to not solely fear its friends, but in addition the Golf GTI.

However earlier than we get too far forward of ourselves, this automotive as examined has a value of £31,845….
Now you’ve completed mopping up all the beverage you simply spat out, I’ll remind you that inflation has skewed all new automotive costs of late. So while the Polo GTI begins at £27,985, its nearest rivals are all in that ballpark.

And what of the competitors? Nicely Ford have scored a slight personal aim by culling the ever-popular Fiesta. In order that leaves the £26,000 Hyundai I20n. The problem right here is the i20n is guide solely, whereas the Polo is DSG solely. So, if you would like an auto, it needs to be the Polo anyway. Maybe this can be a very good transfer from VW from a business standpoint, or it’s only a manner of conserving the Polo from stealing Golf GTI clients. Both manner, my private opinion is that it’s a crying disgrace we don’t have the choice of three pedals.

I’m certain you’re all ready for the cliché to return now, the predictability of a GTI reviewer saying the basic line: It’s very succesful, however not as involving because the competitors. I genuinely assume this isn’t true with the Golf, for 2 most important causes. Firstly, no person is driving all these vehicles back-to-back and making an attempt to determine which one is best, that’s a really remoted state of affairs on this planet of automotive reviewing. And Two, when its your individual cash, you’d most likely moderately have the Volkswagen to depend on than the rest. Residual values, reliability and (as a lot as I hate to say it) some model credit score.

While I’ll proudly stand by this opinion, and combat anybody who disagrees, my first enterprise out within the Polo has me falling straight down this precise gap. The primary few drives left me wanting extra, it felt like all of the elements have been proper however the closing outcome was water. Nonetheless, I used to be undeterred, typically it is advisable scratch the floor a bit of bit extra with a GTI, and maybe this Polo was the identical?

I made a decision to line it up for a few of my favorite take a look at roads, and even with the climate not on my facet, I pushed its boundaries a bit of extra. While the Michelin Primacies fitted to this take a look at automotive are fairly under common in something however dry situations, for each really feel and grip, I did begin to really feel a few of that sparkle. I believe the preliminary feeling I had was most likely as a result of truth I wasn’t anticipating it to be so grown up, and that character is obvious if you push on as nicely.

When utilizing the automotive usually, you possibly can (and I did) do many miles in it with no effort in any respect. Helped by the radar cruise management, DSG field and comfy seats. Push it laborious although, and moderately than be offered with the same old squirrely and rabid sizzling hatch character, as soon as once more this grown up and stable really feel are on the forefront. The chassis feels utterly unwavering, which at occasions leaves you wanting a extra playful facet, however there’s one thing to be mentioned for the boldness it conjures up.

I actually don’t assume there’s one other automotive in its class that may eliminate a B Street with such velocity, and so little drama. The 15mm decrease suspension, and XDS Differential (which regardless of the identify is extra of a trick ESP system than a bodily part) are the primary modifications VW made to sharpen the GTI up over commonplace fashions. Okay that will not sound like so much, however to me that simply reveals you the way good the usual automotive is.

After a stable week with the GTI, I believe I lastly understood the depth of functionality of it. It could look like an costly proposition, however if you examine it to its friends, it’s nearer than you may assume. I’d be mendacity if I mentioned it was a automotive I fell in love with, there are nonetheless some components that felt irritating at occasions. I gained’t trouble mentioning the haptic steering wheel controls, nor the contact delicate local weather management panel. For me, the most important irritation is that beneath the wise, grown up exterior, there’s a recipe for an all time nice sizzling hatch. And I can’t assist however assume it could be so simple as giving us a guide.