New GTI’s a Polo for the purist
Manual version of junior GTI comes with slick-shifting 6 speeds
WHEN Volkswagen South Africa upgraded its Polo GTI from a supercharged-turbocharged 1.4 to a turbocharged 1.8-litre engine earlier this year, it was initially only available in a seven-speed DSG automatic version packing 141kW and 250Nm.
Now it’s also been launched as a six-speed manual to satisfy the ‘purist’ leanings of drivers who prefer three pedals. The two cars have the same power output – which is 9kW more than the old Polo GTI – but in the manual the torque’s been boosted by a whopping 70Nm (apparently the dualclutch DSG ‘box can’t handle a full 320Nm of twisting force).
In theory, this extra grunt makes up for the DSG transmission having an edge over a manual in standingstart sprints.
In practice, the three-pedal version slightly trails the auto in the sprint tests, although both cars are very eager performers.
Using a Vbox to test both cars at the Gerotek testing facility near Pretoria, the auto GTI recorded a 0100km/h time of 6.65 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint of 14.9 secs, while the manual respectively achieved 6.9 secs and 15.2 secs.
Some might find this performance difference trifling, others not, but both versions of the Polo GTI outsprint rivals like the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTI (see figures at bottom of article).
It’s clear that apart from being a little quicker, the Polo GTI auto’s also a generally easier driving expe- rience than the three-pedal vesion, especially in heavy traffic.
The manual does have its own charms, however, as you feel more involved and connected with the car as you hook through the gears. As manual transmissions go this six-speeder’s a slick effort, with a gearlever that moves crisply through its gate even when being hurried. The clutch is light but seems robust too, and happily took the abuse of our repeated attempts to match the auto’s sprint times.
Both the manual and auto have an identically-quoted top speed of 236km/h, but it’s the manual that wins the economy stakes with its fairly impressive 8.2 litres per 100km consumption, compared to the auto’s 9.3 (both these figures are as tested by us, not VW’s claims).
Along with its migration to a bigger engine the updated Polo GTI underwent a styling makeover with new bumpers, flared door sills, and red strips in the radiator grille and headlights. LED headlights and LED daytime running lights became optional for the first time, while other items that none-toosubtly display the GTI’s boy-racer image include 17” Parabolicca wheels, roof spoiler, chrome dual tailpipes, darkened tail lights, and black-grained diffuser.
The GTI-fication of the interior involves red stitching on the leather sports steering wheel, gearlever and handbrake lever. Other GTIspecific treatment includes aluminium-look pedals, black headliner, and Alcantara-upholstered seats with heating and cooling for the front occupants.
Also standard in Polo’s GTI are features such as Hill Hold Assist, a Driver Alert System that senses when you’re tired and sounds a warning, and a Post-Collision Braking System that automatically brakes the vehicle after an accident’s taken place to avoid secondary collisions or at least reduce their severity.
The updated infotainment system has a colour touchscreen with Bluetooth and USB connectivity for mobile phone and audio streaming, and a proximity sensor that reacts to your hand approaching the screen.
The sport suspension’s been retuned and the wheels widened for improved agility, and cornering assistance is provided by a stability-control system that includes an XDS+ electronic differential lock.
For the first time the Polo GTI is available with optional electronically-adjustable dampers selectable at the press of a button. This feature’s available in conjunction with a Sport Performance Kit that also affects the responses of the steering and throttle, and activates a sound actuator that intensifies the engine noise heard inside the car.
This kit, which adds R4 200 to the pricetag, was fitted to our test car and I can see it being a popular option with more hardcore driving enthusiasts.
In normal mode the Polo GTI’s suspension fuses crisp handling with a firm-but-not-uncomfortable ride quality. The junior GTI keeps body roll and understeer well in check as it nips through sharp turns, and the diff-lock ensures there’s more grip than wheelspin when powering early out of tight corners.
In the Sport setting the dampers harden like the attitude of a night club bouncer, all the better for corner-carving but delivering a choppy ride that’s not a pleasant experience on anything but glass-smooth roads.
At R313 300 the manual Polo GTI is cheaper than the R328 800 automatic, but both versions of the junior GTI are bargains compared to bigger hot hatches like the Golf GTI and Focus ST which cost north of 400 grand.
Naturally, legroom is a bit tighter in the Polo.
The price includes a 3-year/120 000km warranty and 3-year/45 000km service plan. VERDICT A 6.9 second 0-100 time is impressive in anyone’s language, making the manual Polo GTI just 0.3 seconds slower than the manual Golf GTI.
With its huge R103 000 price saving over a Golf GTI, the Polo GTI might perfectly suit the needs of pace seekers who don’t need the extra legroom and badge prestige. Now available in two flavours – auto and manual – its appeal is broadened to a wider audience.