Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
There are two versions to choose from: the regular GTI and GTI+. The latter carries a fairly hefty premium, but you get plenty of extra luxuries, including automatic LED headlights, tinted rear windows, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control and digital instrument dials.
Mind you, the regular Polo GTI is hardly spartan, with air conditioning, front and rear parking sensors and 17in alloy wheels all standard. We haven’t sampled the optional 18in wheels to be able to tell you how they affect ride comfort, so as it stands, the only options we’d recommend considering are the Winter Pack (heated seats), climate control and, if you’re nervous about parking, the rear-view camera.