Review: Volkswagen Polo GTI

17th March 2020

Ben Miles

The small hot hatch world is a crowded place today. Volkswagen’s Polo has always had a place in the list of small cars classified as ‘hot’, but the previous generations have sometimes left a little to be desired. But now the second-smallest GTI is back, with some trinkets from the Golf, can it carve out a new niche?

Performance & Handling

The latest Polo GTI comes with a detuned version of the Golf’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor, in this guise producing 200PS (197bhp) and a more impressive 320Nm (236lb ft) of torque. That’s then routed through a six-speed auto box (unlike the big GTI’s seven) to the front wheels.

Even in the power arms race that the hot hatch world has become, that means that the Polo matches many of its competitors. There is no Clio Renaultsport at the moment, but there will be, and the old one had around 200bhp (or 220 for the Trophy) and the current benchmark – the Fiesta ST – is pretty much bang-on 200 horses.

So what can the Polo GTI do to stand out? Well Volkswagen’s game has never really been to produce the most grin-inducing, spankingly fun car around. In both the Golf R and Golf GTI VW have taken the view that what they can do with consistent excellency is controlled enjoyment. The Golf R is the fastest thing from A to B in its class, but while an i30N will leave you breathless, the Golf R helps you arrive with your suit un-creased. The front-wheel-drive nature of the GTI allows for a little more engagement.

On the road the GTI’s torque is delivered almost straight away – peaking at just 1,500rpm – and you can definitely feel it as you set off, the FWD system at time struggles to reign it all in, but this mostly manifests as tyre slip rather than torque steer. Peak power is at 4,400rpm and the little GTI will head on to 147mph if you have enough room.

Behind the wheel the Polo is undeniably quick, that hit of torque will get you to 62mph in 6.7 seconds, and the steering is light and responsive. Start the GTI up and it makes a decent enough noise, but nothing to compare to the Fiesta ST’s manic three-pot. Point to point the Polo suffers from perhaps the odd whiff of understeer – to be expected – but nothing to really startling. The performance is a totally flat delivery, with nothing to shock, but at the same time little to really send that frisson of excitement.

Interior

That same thought process comes through in the Polo GTI. The Polo has a much better laid out cabin, with the standard VW infotainment system as easy to use as ever and everything nailed together like it’s a warship. The seats feel more like they’ll be ready to get you there in comfort than the ST’s buckets – which feel like they’re holding you in for some hot laps.

Technology & Features

The Polo GTI comes in at around £20,000 before any options are added, pushing it slightly into range of the Fiesta ST, but easily below the oddly-priced Vauxhall Corsa GSi. For that you get 17-inch wheels, LED daylight running lights, air conditioning, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dipping headlights, an electronic diff-lock (from the big brother) and the usual touches like GTI tartan seats and red stitching. This car, in GTI+ spec, will set you back just over £22,000, which adds climate control, heated seats, a better audio and the sat-nav system and 8-inch touchscreen found in most bigger VWs.

Our Verdict

The Polo brings that precision tool feeling to the hot hatch world. Having said that there’s nothing in its class that will get you home as fast, as calm. While there is to be a manual version, the DSG box is excellent and easy in auto mode, but quirky and a little over-protective in manual (it has a propensity to double downshift if it’s already decided on a cog drop) and the chassis has nothing to alarm at any point. If anything could be mentioned as a mistake on the chassis it’s that it’s perhaps a little too sorted. The Polo is measured in the extreme, with an extremely capable ride that soaks up almost anything.

After some time with the Volkswagen Polo GTI there really isn’t anything that would make it anything other than an excellent car. It has its own place in the market, for those who don’t want the visceral experience of the ST, or the vivid looks of the Clio. Ultimately the decision will rest with what you value more, speed and refinement or engagement. If you’re looking for a small car to get you from A to B faster than the rest, then just like the bigger fast VWs there really is very little to compete.