The 189bhp Volkswagen Polo GTI has been launched in India. Here are 10 things including power, price, features and competition that you need to know about it.
The Polo GTI is the most powerful Volkswagen in India right now
The Polo GTI is only available with a 3-door configuration
The Polo GTI in India will be restricted to only 99 units
The long awaited Volkswagen Polo GTI has finally been launched in India. The eagerly awaited hot hatch marks the introduction of the GTI name in India and here are 10 things you need to know about it.
The Polo GTI is the most powerful Volkswagen you can buy in India today. It makes 189bhp from a 1.8-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The torque figures are rated at 250Nm. The engine is the same unit that also features in the likes of the Audi A3 and the Skoda Octavia amongst other Volkswagen group cars.
The Polo GTI in India is available only with the 7-speed automatic gearbox. Internationally, the Polo GTI is also available with a 6-speed manual with 320Nm of torque as compared to the 250Nm that the automatic gets. The automatic has less torque as the 7-speed DSG is designed to only take 250Nm of torque.
The Polo GTI that we get in India is slightly different from the ones available internationally in terms of suspension setup. Ground clearance has been increased a little to allow it to run on the bumpy Indian roads. The wheels are also downsized from 17-inch to 16-inch so that the tyres get a little more sidewall to play with.
The Polo GTI is only available with a 3-door configuration and not the standard 5-door that the regular Polo comes with. This is mainly so that there is some differentiation between the regular Polo and the GTI. The 3-door is also a little stiffer than the 5-door variant which in turn results in better handling.
The Volkswagen Polo GTI will be the first VW offering in India that gets LED headlamps. These headlamps will also be available soon in the facelifted Vento as spy pictures have suggested. Other exterior styling features on the Polo GTI include a rather neat looking dual pipe exhaust tip and sportier bumpers with a rear faux diffuser.
The Polo GTI in India will be restricted to only 99 units. Each car will cost Rs 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The premium pricing is due to one of many factors including the fact that the Polo GTI is a CBU and attracts heavy excise duties and taxation.
The Polo GTI offers red accents on the grille and in the headlamps. This red accenting has been a GTI trademark since the very first Golf GTI, which was launched, in the late 70s. The red pinstriped grille has been a standard feature on all Golf, Polo and Lupo GTIs since. The Polo GTI also has red GTI badges that have been placed strategically to compliment the GTI pin stripe.
The Polo GTI interiors hark back to the tartan (or checkered pattern) interiors that came on the Golf GTI in the mid 70s. Of course, in India you get the leather seat option with the checkered pattern instead of the cloth seats you get abroad. The Indian seats also get a lot more bolstering and are sportier than the ones available as standard on some of the international models.
Performance figures: The Polo GTI can get from 0-100kmph in 7.2-seconds and can touch a top speed of 233kmph. This makes it the fastest Volkswagen in India. That said, the Indian variant is slower than the international version but this could be because of fuel quality and the tyres offered.
The Volkswagen Polo GTI in terms of power and price point has a few rivals. They include the Abarth 595 Competizione that is priced higher at Rs 28.85 lakh but is down on power at 158bhp. Then of course you could choose a Mini Cooper S that is priced at an even more premium Rs 31.50 lakh but also gets 189bhp, which is identical to the Polo GTI.
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