VOLKSWAGEN POLO VIVO 1,6 GTS

Does the sportily styled GTS at the summit of the popular Polo Vivo hatchback range deserve its badge?

R200 300

T10,32 sec 77 kw/155 N.m 187 km/h HERE’S no shying away from the fact that the GTS insignia af xed to the rump of this particular Polo Vivo is ambitious at best. The priciest of Polo Vivo hatchbacks does, after all, boast no added grunt from its 1,6-litre, four-pot heart. Of course, Volkswagen SA has followed this all-show-no-extra-go recipe before with the Vivo GT – with a fair amount of sales success, too – and it’s this vehicle that the GTS replaces. While the engine is carried over, however, the difference between the two amounts to slightly more than the addition of an “S” to the badge. This locally 7,92 L/100 km 157 g/km built newcomer now comes in a practical ve-door avour only, whereas its predecessor was initially also available in the sportier three-door body style.

So, is the GTS sporty? Well, it clearly parades a racier persona than the 1,6 Comfortline derivative on which it is effectively based, thanks in no small part to the brash two-tone GTS stripes running along each side of the vehicle. The 16-inch gloss-grey alloys, meanwhile, are a little subtler and sit relatively snugly in the wheelarches thanks to a 15 mm drop in ride height.

Further performance-hinting exterior touches include a black-painted roof, gloss-black side-mirror covers, twin chrome tailpipes and a rather subtle rear spoiler. Interestingly, no Polo Vivo badging appears anywhere on the body.

The cabin has come in for similar visual fettling, but also includes a pair of supportive yet comfortable sports seats up front (with the driver’s perch featuring