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Drive Thru: Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen’s GTI badge has enjoyed a renaissance of late, thanks largely to the exploits of the Mk5 Golf GTI. The subsequent and still current Mk6 Golf GTI has maintained the momentum with poise and class, as well. So what of its new baby brother, the Polo GTI, can it live up to the renewed heritage of the GTI name?

The previous model (9N3 2005–09) was powered by a 1.8 litre turbo offering 110kW/210Nm. By the time its life cycle had ended replacing the much loved 1.8T was well overdue. Similarly, the chassis of the fourth-generation Polo GTI didn’t reach any great heights as far as the critics were concerned. Mind, while we’ve never driven a 9N3 GTI we’ve seen enough anecdotal evidence to suggest its handling prowess is far better than its reputation. So much so, that, unusually for a Volkswagen, it was the car’s interior which was perhaps its weakest point.

Visually, the fifth-generation 6R Polo GTI hits the spot. We reckon it looks fantastic. The standard Polo provides a good base, of course. But the GTI version, with familiar styling cues filtering down from its bigger brother, follows the hot hatch style guide to the letter. Even the woeful looking and embarrassingly out of date 17″ Denver alloys seem to, somehow, look perfectly acceptable.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Inside, too, Volkswagen has upped the ante. While the previous model looked a bit cheap, if we’re being harsh, the new model could easily pass as a first class interior in the next market segment up. It’s only the seats which don’t look up to the task; is there enough support for the driver when the road gets demanding?

Under the bonnet Volkswagen has also raised the game. While a 1.4 litre may sound underwhelming, the addition of a supercharger for low down grunt and a turbo for upper end polish shows the car means business. This is supported by the 132kW/250Nm on offer.

On paper, purists will bemoan the fact the Polo GTI is available only with a 7-speed DSG box. That’s right, there’s no manual at all for this GTI. Although, the car tips the scales comfortably under 1200kg and the slick-shifting transmission helps it along to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. Exactly the same time required in the Golf GTI.

By choosing to replace a more advanced rear suspension setup with a relatively crude solid beam axle it could be argued Volkswagen has made a backward step. Let’s hope this is not the case.

One of the Polo GTI’s trump cards, ironically for a performance hatch, is its fuel economy. Play nice on a daily basis and Volkswagen reckon it’ll use only 6.1l/100km. On the highway you should be seeing low 5s. This is a good thing, too, as there’s only a 45 litre tank.

Before a key is turned, then, Volkswagen appears to have this nailed, albeit with a few caveats. Still, plenty of manufacturers, least of all VW, have got the GTI-by-numbers theory right in the past, only to fail in practice.

Heading from the city to the well proven AUSmotive mountain test route it’s soon apparent the Polo GTI is a competent car. There’s a feeling of quality that is likely to reassure buyers long after the novelty of delivery day has passed. That said, it’s not without its faults.

At times the drivetrain can feel a little cumbersome, agricultural almost. And from rest the DSG suffers from the now common delay when the accelerator is first pressed. It’s a feeling you don’t fully understand until you experience it first hand and while it would never be a deal breaker it is a slight negative worth noting. Mind, switch off the ESP at the lights and plant your foot as hard as you can when they go green and you’ll have no reason to doubt the claimed acceleration figures. The seamless efficiency of the gear changes is a great example of what the DSG does brilliantly.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Joining us on our test drive was another Polo GTI. This one, though, has seen a few aftermarket modifications, including lighter 17″ OZ alloy wheels, KW H&R coilover suspension and an APR engine tune. Before sampling that car we wanted to see what baseline would be set by the showroom model.

On our test route, with its mix of tight and open corners, coarse and smooth tarmac, steep rises and falls, the Polo GTI provided a near perfect hot hatch experience. On straight uphill sections it felt like the Pogo could do with more power, yet these were quickly forgotten at the very next corner. Here the GTI turns in with competence and encourages you to throw it in even harder at the next turn.

Steering mounted shift paddles ensure you can find the right gear at all times. Gone into a corner a bit too hot? Simply change down a gear and use engine braking to your advantage. This goes against all the rules in the book and would unsettle many cars, but the DSG-equipped Polo GTI laughs at those rules and quietly goes about the work of changing gears and getting on with business.

Overall the handling of the Polo GTI is composed, beautifully balanced and inspires confidence. Even the period-inspired tartan cloth seats manage to hold you in place better than first thought.

It’s a contradiction in some ways, but the Polo GTI has a clinical charm that leaves you marvelling at the pure driving enjoyment a sub-$30K hatch can provide. Want to know what hot hatch motoring is all about? Here is your answer.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen Polo GTI

After discovering what a stock standard Polo GTI is capable of we were desperate to see what the modded Pogo could do. Unfortunately, the quickest lesson learned was regarding wheel offsets. While the stance provided by the OZs and lowered suspension is great to look at, pushing the wheels closer to the guards while reducing suspension travel made attacking this mountain pass totally pointless. On Canberra’s smooth roads this is unlikely to present a serious issue for daily driving, but on a twisty road, which should be hot hatch heaven, it just didn’t work. Rubbing at eight tenths, rubbing at six tenths; there was even rubbing when giving in and just cruising along at little more than commuter pace.

On the positive side the ride quality of the H&R suspension felt very good. Surprisingly, though, the APR tune, which on paper offers a 17kW/52Nm increase, wasn’t immediately noticeable in our back to back test. However, given the disappointment of the drive in a general sense we wouldn’t read too much into our comments. Generally speaking, APR and their competitors, offer great bang for buck.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

When framing this review we were in two minds whether to share our thoughts on the modded car. However, we thought it served dual purposes which made it worthwhile. The first, obviously, is to ensure you carefully consider the effect any changes you make will have on the overall driving experience. Clearly, this is down to each individual’s preferences and driving style and it’s not for us to preach any particular approach. Secondly, our back to back sample of the two Polo GTIs proved that Volkswagen has actually done a fine job with the car and buyers can look forward to plenty of smiles with the car left in standard trim.

At the start of this review we wondered if the new 6R model had advanced the GTI cause sufficiently from the previous 9N3. In short, the answer is a resounding yes. And it does so with equal parts finesse and raw thrills. Indeed, this is no longer a car lost in the shadow of its bigger Golf GTI brother. The Polo GTI has a genuine character all of its own and now sits proudly alongside its more mature sibling.

With lead times for the Polo GTI currently around 12 months it’s both a blessing and a curse. As a value proposition there’s few, if any, equals in its price range. But could you really wait a whole year for a sub-$30K hatch? (Note: we hear VW Australia is working hard to remedy availability issues, see comments from Richard below.)

Ignoring that for a moment, let’s go back to the genesis of the hot hatch and the GTI badge. The Mk1 Golf GTI broke new ground in 1976 when Volkswagen took an otherwise mundane hatchback and gave it new purpose. We’re not the first to say it, but it is now the Polo GTI, not the Golf GTI, that retains the hallmarks of Volkswagen’s very first hot hatch. Today, as then, Volkswagen has taken a platform not really cut out for performance motoring and made it come alive. You can’t really put a finger on any one aspect to prove that statement beyond doubt. And it’s in the beauty of that mystery that the GTI tradition lives on.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

34 replies on “Drive Thru: Volkswagen Polo GTI”

Nice review! The 9N3 did handle better than reviews suggest, especially when the oem soft sidewalled Conti Sport 2s were changed to anything else. Sounds like the new one is a huge improvement though, nice!!

Great review, pity about the rubbing on the modded GTI.

In the first pic, does the graffiti in the top right say “A Polo”?

“lead times for the Polo GTI currently around 12 months” what?
so they’re not really very serious about selling many then.

and then there’s the story in the latest Economist about over production by Europe’s car makers.

@shauno, looks like it does. That’s a VWA press pic though, so I wasn’t on location for that one.

@Trev, actually the oil consumption on the stocker hasn’t been too bad. The owner may pop in later to provide some longer term feedback.

@Rick, I think the issue is more that VW can’t make enough Pogos to meet demand well beyond expectation. It’s a shame the A1 equivalent is so much more expensive, because it is probably a nicer car overall.

12 month wait? Dealers have been posting on vw watercooled forum about cars coming into stock now. If you don’t load the car up with options then the wait is FAR less than 12months.

The head of VW Australia has negotiated more Polo GTI stock (twice the initial forecasts). They have also standardised comfortpack, stereo upgrade and bluetooth so that floor stock is more likely to meet buyers’ needs.

@Trev

As the owner in question, I wouldn’t say the oil consumption has been a problem at all – 1.2 litres in about 11,000k’s. Considering the first service and oil change doesn’t actually happen until 15,000k’s (I’ll let it go that long because I choose to rely on the team of highly paid/skilled VW engineers rather than internet hearsay/voodoo engineering), that’s pretty good and certainly not that much worse than other new cars I’ve owned.

The Polo GTI is a great car but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that IMHO it is spoilt by a transmission that tries to be a manual and an automatic but doesn’t do either particularly well.

You can drive a manual transmission by feel, you can’t drive a DSG by feel – you need that indicator in the dash to tell you what gear you’re in. A manual transmission would also do away with the silly and at times exasperating assumptions the software engineers have made about how people want to use these cars as well as the frustrating lag on takeoff. I’ve owned both manual and automatic cars in the past and have really enjoyed them but I just can’t come to like let alone enjoy the DSG – I’d happily trade a couple of tenths of a second in 0-100 time and the DSG’s foolproof repeatability for a nice close ratio snicky 6 speed transmission. In my opinion, the DSG transmission is the Polo GTI’s only Achilles – but I fully appreciate that my view is not supported by the vast majority of DSG users.

I have consumed 2ltr in 7000km. I have always felt the DSG went well with the cars character. It lets you putter around town being sensible for work then gives you some fun for the weekend.

I’m the “other” car owner, the one with the OZs. It does scarp as Ausmotive has said, pretty badly actually, not visibly to the detriment of the metalwork or tyres. It is irritating if anything but I doubt I will ever go to the trouble of addressing the issue as 90% of the time it is ok. (wish the original owner had fixed it before I bought it ; ) )

The DSG, it sucks. I would have loved a manual and am not sure why VW didn’t bring one out as such, noting of course that the car would have been ~$2k cheaper if they had done so. Lag off the mark is really frustrating, much like a Liberty GT Auto we had some years ago… nothing then bang. I also find it problematic when trying to move slowly in carparks and it is not that happy in traffic either DSG DSG DSG! other than that it is a great little car and servers it’s purpose for me round town for work.

I got my Polo GTI on Jan 3rd and had to get oil from the dealership put in on Feb 20th 2012 as the Oil Warning came up. Checked and there was NO oil in the car. I hit 4000km’s and had to put in oil already. Only let down… why? Also, small rattle in the dash…

Great review probably one of the best I have seen as for a “drivers” perspective.

What about a “proper” shoot out with the Clio RS200? I have only seen the Clio loose to the Polo GTI in one review and it had to be a Australian review.

But anyway how to both compare?

I like your thinking!

I’ve only had a very brief drive of a Clio and its steering feel is first class. It’s lacking torque compared to the Polo, but on a twisty road that wouldn’t be a drama as you’re generally high in the rev range anyway.

As regards to finding a winner between the two, I reckon you could make a case for either car depending on your frame of reference.

Sometimes it’s not about declaring a winner, but rather celebrating the differences.

@AndrewH

Fully agree with your assement of the DSG.

It’s a great automatic, but it’s no replacement for a manual.

As the original owner of the modded car (haha we are all here aren’t we), I have to say that this car is fun! Alpine, all you need to do to have that scrapping fixed is to get the guards rolled. I didn’t have it long enough to have time to do anything with it lol.

As for the suspension, Lima, it’s a H&R monotube coilover and not KW eventhough I normally use KW. This is the same set up as Guy’s car in Motor mag BFYB. The ride was actually MUCH harsher than stock, before I changed to the lighter wheels. This is a lesson for the young ones, the difference some unsprung weight makes is HUGE! As for power, perhaps it’s because you didn’t get a chance to fully test it, but the difference is massive.

Ok, 12 months + for an order is ridiculous but what else can you buy for around $30,000 BRAND NEW that is THIS GOOD?? I can comment as I have driven them… LOT’S… The Golf is still much nicer but you pay for it… At least you know where the extra money went!
@ Liam
I don’t know how you think the A1 is a better car but that’s open to interpretation. I think its dog ugly and wouldn’t consider one. I haven’t even seen them on the road! Are they selling them?

Oil use- The engines are designed to use oil but a couple of liters between services (at $30 a lt!) is a lot and some or shall I say most owners wouldn’t know what a dip stick was let alone how to fill it properly.

DSG- It’s faster than a manual. Sounds better between shifts than a manual (burble)… Gets deeper under brakes than a manual (try heel toe with touchy brakes). Shifts faster than a manual, I can use the torque exiting tight twisty corners short shifting limiting slip. Ok it can jerk and delay at times but that’s easy to live with considering the benefits! You can always buy a Mazda3 SP25 manual….

@RE, you’re right about judging a car’s looks, it is subjective. I like the exterior look of the A1, just as I like the Polo.

I also think the A1 is a bit better again on the inside. But for the asking price in Australia it would want to be nicer.

Nice write up Liam. ACT180 and I would like to mention, we are available to join you for said tests on your “mountain loop in Canberra”. Glad to see Gerald Slaven looked after you.

@Alpine – am glad you have mentioned the preference of a manual transmission (dislike of the DSG). I had a deposit on a Pogo GTI specced up to $38K d/a but took a manual Mk6 Golf GTi for $4K more – bonus, it was already sitting on the dealer floor. 13 months later, am sure I would not have my Pogo delivered by now. Good times in the Golf!

My wife has a Golf 118 TSI, same engine/transmission combo. The dealer brought it in for an “Inspection” at 1500 kms, and topped up the oil, I suspect. I haven’t had to put any in between 15000 km service intervals. The car has done 38 000 kms of mostly city driving. @RE Penrite make a VW 504/507 approved oil around $60.00 for 5l.

DSGs are different than slushboxes. If you remember your right foot is controlling both clutch and accelerator you’ll be ok. A light tap to engage the clutch, then push down. Stops both the “why am I sitting here” and the “why did the traction light start flashing” scenarios. Bit of a pain when you hop from car to car but with Ford and even Hyundai introducing twin clutch automated manuals, I think we’re going to have to get used to it.

An audi A1 = polo in a frock with 4 rings. The Audi A1 with same engine as the Polo GTI costs the same as a Golf GTI. An Audi A1 with the same engine as a Polo TSI costs the same as Polo GTI !

You end up paying $10,000 in idiot tax if you buy the A1

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Wife taking delivery of polo gti next week, will speck with oz a/w would like more specific from first owner re APR performance! Is flat spot banished with tune APR state 132 kw on standard car was not possible on dyno. Is tune car hugely more responsive? Cheers

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