Following the launch of the updated Polo back in April this year, Volkswagen has now unveiled the new range-topping Polo GTI with a new face, and some fancy new tech.
Just like the regular Volkswagen Polo, the new Polo GTI has also been given the new Golf-esque styling touches, including the new head and tail lights. The former now comes as standard with VW’s new IQ.Light LED matrix headlights and illuminated front grille, while at the back, you’ll find the “animated brake light” alongside dynamic turn signals.
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But of course, to mark the sportier sibling out from the regular ones, the Polo GTI also gets several GTI-specific touches, including the more aggressive bumpers, red accents on the grille and brake calipers, 18-inch alloys, and a litter of GTI badges all round.
Inside, the new sportier Polo still retains the iconic GTI tartan fabric on the seats (upgradeable to optional sports seats). For the ultimate “sporty” feel, the dashboard trim also gets a glossy red finish, instead of the dark brushed aluminium look of the standard Polo.
The most significant change, tough, is the new VW infotainment system, which comes with a hi-res 8.0-inch touchscreen display as standard, alongside a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. New connectivity features such as Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now comes as standard, and customers can also opt to upgrade to the 9.2-inch “Discover Pro” infotainment system.
The previous Polo GTI was almost as quick as its elder GTI sibling! Check out the drag race here.
And for the first time, the Polo GTI can now also be equipped with Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive advanced driver assistance suite, which includes semi-autonomous driving features such as adaptive cruise control and lane departure assist.
Unfortunately, these changes do not carry into the powertrain of the Polo GTI. Underneath the bonnet, you’ll still find the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-banger, which delivers 207 hp and 320 Nm of torque to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
There’s no mention of a six-speed manual transmission in the press release, so we think that it’s unlikely it’ll make an appearance here – just like its predecessor. But with the DSG, the Volkswagen Polo GTI does the century sprint in 6.5 seconds, onward to a top speed of 240 km/h – unchanged from the pre-facelift car.
Just as before, the Polo GTI also comes with a 15-mm lowered suspension and VW’s XDS torque vectoring system. Customers can also opt for the “Sport Select” adaptive suspension, which lets you firm up the ride in conjunction with the several drive profiles that alters the steering, engine, and gearbox response.
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