Item: Volkswagen Polo GTI
Rating: 2
Author: What Car? Team

Our favourite Polo engine gives you 94bhp to play with and offers plenty of shove from low revs. It really shines when you’re driving around town, where it feels suitably nippy, but is more than happy at motorway speeds. It actually makes the more powerful 1.0 TSI 110, that’s available with the R-Line trim, look like an unnecessary expense. 

1.0 TSI

Hatchback

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

POLO

Entry-level Life trim is actually our pick of the bunch. That’s because it keeps costs down but still gives you a good amount of kit, which includes 15in alloy wheels, manual air conditioning, rain sensing wipers, an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. For extra comfort, we’d advise adding the reasonably priced adjustable lumbar support. 

Life

1.0 TSI Life 5dr DSG

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

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.

Whichever version you choose, the Polo GTI is more expensive to buy outright or on a PCP finance deal than the equivalent Ford Fiesta ST, but it's cheaper to lease and predicted to hold its value better over three years. However, it’s cheaper than the 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport and undercuts its bigger brother, the Golf GTI, by thousands, too.

The Polo scored higher marks than the Fiesta in its Euro NCAP safety test, and you get automatic emergency braking as standard (something you cannot have with the Fiesta ST) to help prevent you from accidentally running into the car in front. Meanwhile, blindspot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert (a system that warns you of approaching vehicles when you’re reversing out onto a busy road) are reasonably priced options.

Turn the key (or push the starter button if you’ve opted for the GTI+ version) and the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine bursts into life before settling into a comparatively subdued idle – at least in comparison with some of its rivals' fruitier motors. But being essentially a detuned version of a Golf GTI engine, it produces the goods; its 197bhp (the Golf has 227bhp) matches exactly the Ford Fiesta ST and standard Peugeot 208 GTi outputs.

Unlike those manual-only rivals, though, you can only have a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox with the Polo (a manual option will follow later in the year), and this tends to blunt initial acceleration when you bury your right foot as the car’s electronics decide which is the best gear to be in. Once hooked up, though, the Polo GTI catapults you forward with such ferocity that it will outgun (just) the Fiesta ST from 0-60mph. When we tested both on the same day, the Polo did the sprint in 6.4sec to the Fiesta's 6.8sec, although the Fiesta beat it for in-gear punch.

A key feather in the new Polo GTI’s cap is its standard Sport Select suspension. It allows you, at the touch of a button, to firm up the car’s adaptive dampers to make them better suited to spirited driving. In this mode, the Polo GTI retains a reasonably comfortable ride but becomes more composed through corners and hugs the road better, especially over dips and crests.

Mind you, the Polo GTI never matches the enjoyment levels of the altogether more aggressively set up Fiesta ST or 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport. It’s still decent fun and offers reasonable grip, but leans more through corners, feels less playful at its limit and refuses to change direction as nimbly. The latter point is partly down to the steering, which isn’t as sharp or as precise as a Fiesta ST’s, although its weighting, particularly as you begin to execute a turn, feels fractionally more natural.

So, rather than being designed for thrills alone, the Polo GTI comes across as more of a compromise – one balanced towards everyday usability. And to that end, select Normal or Eco driving mode, which softens not just the adaptive dampers but also the throttle and gearbox response, and the Polo GTI is noticeably more comfortable than its rivals. The ride is barely any harsher than the standard Polo's, both in town and on the motorway, and there's very little road or wind noise at higher speeds. Whether that’s important in a hot hatch really depends on your point of view, but for us, there's no doubt a little more focus on unadulterated driving thrills would've been welcome.

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

2.0 TSI

20-tsi

The GTI badge may be most synonymous with sporty&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a>&nbsp;Golfs, but hot Polos have worn these famous three letters for more than two decades.

And the latest Polo GTI is the most overtly sporty yet, thanks in part to its miniature&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/review/n149">Golf GTI</a>&nbsp;styling. It has a raft of bespoke decor, including a red strip across its nose, a subtle but reassuringly athletic bodykit and eye-catching tartan seats. If the car’s character can follow suit and offer hot Golf performance and usability in a smaller, more affordable package, the Polo GTI will be off to a very good start indeed.

Over the next few pages, we’ll tell you how the Polo GTI stacks up against its key&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/hot-hatch">hot hatch</a>&nbsp;rivals, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n140">Ford Fiesta ST</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/208/hatchback/review/n192">Peugeot 208 GTi</a>, in all the key areas and we’ll also walk you through the options you should consider if you decide to buy.

As always, don’t even consider parting with any cash until you’ve checked how much you could save on the brochure price.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/configure/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/?engines[]=vwpo20hpt6200&amp;fueltypes[]=p&amp;step=3&amp;sort=price">Click here for our latest deals</a>&nbsp;on the Polo GTI.

The regular&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/review/n83">Polo</a>&nbsp;has a brilliant driving position, so it’s hardly surprising that the GTI variant impresses in this area, too. In fact, the figure-hugging tartan sports seats make this range-topper even more comfortable than its cheaper siblings, and you get adjustable lumbar support as standard to help with your posture. You sit fairly high up, although less so than in the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTi.

Visibility is excellent for the class, and the fact that you get both front and rear parking sensors as standard means you’ll have no excuses if you scrape a bumper. You have to pay extra for a reversing camera, though, and you’ll need to go for the GTI+ version (or pay extra) for powerful LED headlights to improve visibility at night.

The logical dashboard layout is worthy of praise, with big, chunky and clearly marked buttons and dials positioned within easy reach. Quality is a step above what you’ll find in the Fiesta ST and 208 GTi, thanks to a dashboard built mostly from appealingly squidgy plastics. Mind you, the slab of matt plastic across the face doesn’t feel very classy.

The infotainment system is the same as the one you’ll find in most regular versions of the Polo, and that's a good thing. The 8.0in touchscreen is super-bright, with crisp graphics, and it responds very quickly when you press it. The menus are also intuitive to navigate, so overall it’s a superior system to what you’ll find in the car's key rivals.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring come as standard, but you’ll have to fork out extra if you want a built-in sat-nav or voice activation (we wouldn’t bother). Meanwhile, the more expensive GTI+ model comes with Volkswagen’s Active Info Display, which replaces the regular analogue instrument dials with a configurable digital display.

A fine all-rounder, but rival hot hatches will put an even bigger smile on your face

Even in Volkswagen’s own line-up, there are bigger hot hatches (Golf GTI) and smaller ones (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/review/n17310">Up GTI</a>). However, compared with similar-priced rivals, namely the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTi, the Polo GTI impresses on the passenger space front.

Anyone sitting in the back will find similar knee room to the Fiesta, but there's more head room and a wider rear bench – something that will be particularly useful if you plan to carry up to three tall teenagers or adults in the rear. You also get rear doors as standard to help with access, whereas some of the competition, including the 208 GTi, are three-door only.

However, boot space in the Polo GTI is disappointing. Because of the big 2.0-litre engine up front, the battery, which on regular Polos sits in the engine bay, has to be moved to beneath the boot floor in the GTI. That means the GTI has a smaller boot, into which we could squeeze just four carry-on suitcases; the Fiesta ST takes five. The GTI variant also misses out on the handy height-adjustable boot floor that’s standard on most other Polos, although you do get 60/40 split-folding rear seats.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

A fine, comfortable all-rounder, but rival hot hatches will put much more of a smile on your face.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Engaging handling </li> <li>Thrilling performance </li> <li>A characterful engine with an enticing soundtrack </li> <li>Reasonable running costs </li> <li>Not hard to live with day to day</li></ul>

A popular choice with UK buyers since the days of the original Volkswagen Golf GTI, the hot hatchback mixes everyday practicality with higher performance and the sort of handling and agility that’s ideally suited to British roads. A good hot hatch should be fun and, since it’s likely to be your daily drive, it should also deliver respectable running costs.

The Golf GTI remains one of the best hot hatches on the market, along with its main competitor,&nbsp;the&nbsp;equally as responsive and cheaper to buy Hyundai i30 N. But there are some terrific options for even less money than both of these cars. We're big fans of the Ford Fiesta ST, which is definitely one of the best hot hatches ever and certainly one of the most fun to drive. It's full of character and its engaging handling makes it a bit of a hoot at all speeds.&nbsp;

If you’ve got a bit more money to spare, there are even faster cars available, such as the Honda Civic Type R. This latest version is sublime to drive, either on road or on a track, as it's so sweetly balanced. It's also incredibly quick in a straight line&nbsp;and round a corner, and yet it's as practical as a regular Civic.&nbsp;

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Volkswagen Polo GTI review

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Buying advice for the Volkswagen Polo GTI covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

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.,Whichever version you choose, the Polo GTI is more expensive to buy outright or on a PCP finance deal than the equivalent Ford Fiesta ST, but it's cheaper to lease and predicted to hold its value better over three years. However, it’s cheaper than the 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport and undercuts its bigger brother, the Golf GTI, by thousands, too.,The Polo scored higher marks than the Fiesta in its Euro NCAP safety test, and you get automatic emergency braking as standard (something you cannot have with the Fiesta ST) to help prevent you from accidentally running into the car in front. Meanwhile, blindspot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert (a system that warns you of approaching vehicles when you’re reversing out onto a busy road) are reasonably priced options.,

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