Hot on the heels of the facelifted Polo hatch comes its sporty sibling – the Polo GTI.
This returns as the fastest and priciest Polo you can buy, now with a Golf-inspired new look that brings the brand’s latest styling elements, including a full-width light bar at the front and wider, more angular taillights at the rear.
The Polo GTI also wears VW’s latest branding, with the ‘GTI’ logo taking the place of the ‘Polo’ model name underneath the VW badge on the tailgate.
>> Our full Volkswagen Golf GTI review
How big of a power upgrade does it get?
The latest GTI still features a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, but it now makes 207hp – seven hp more than it did before.
The torque figure is unchanged, so don’t expect a vast upgrade in performance from the previous car.
That power endows the Polo GTI with a 0-62mph sprint time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 149mph – very similar to the Ford Fiesta ST which we’d consider its biggest rival. The Polo’s 1,286kg kerbweight is in part responsible for this sprightly performance.
There’s no mention of a manual gearbox in here, though, leaving just the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic option from the previous car as the likely sole transmission choice in the UK.
The GTI sits 15mm lower to the ground than a standard Polo, and there’s an electronic differential lock to aid handling.
What other upgrades are there?
The light bar at the front links new IQ Light headlights – these are adaptive and can be left on full beam, with sensors dipping individual sections of LEDs to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.
On the inside, there’s an upgraded infotainment screen that blends with the now-ubiquitous Virtual Cockpit digital dials. Thankfully, there hasn’t been a full interior upgrade, and the Polo doesn’t have the same laggy system as you’ll find on a Golf or an ID.3. It does retain physical climate controls, though they’re the awkward touch-sensitive sliders introduced on the Tiguan.
New driver assist tech has been added, particularly VW’s ‘Travel Assist’. This links up adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist to drive the Polo GTI semi-autonomously on motorways. Autonomous emergency braking, side assist and rear traffic alert are also fitted.
What this means for you
The Polo’s always been the grown-up option in the hot supermini category. Frankly, the Parkers team is a load of children, which is why we’ve always had a proclivity towards the Ford Fiesta ST instead.
But if quality and comfort matter more to you than the last degree in driving involvement, the Polo GTI’s always been a decent option – and this latest model now has even more tech to satisfy the nerdiest would-be boy racer.
Pricing information will emerge later this year.
Further reading
>> Our full Volkswagen Polo review
>> Considering a rival? Read our Ford Fiesta review
>> The best small cars on sale
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