THE Volkswagen Golf GTI was launched some 30 years ago and has since, become an icon among petrolheads. It had carved out a niche as the first 'hot hatch' before the segment attracted other manufacturers in Europe to join in. But ever since then, the Golf GTI has had to grow and oddly enough, attract and appeal to different markets, but with the same ideals as the original. However, Volkswagen AG has re-created this 'hot hatch' experience with the latest Polo GTI that we are reviewing this month. About the same dimensions as the original Golf GTI, the Polo seems to be the latest sensation from the VW performance stable.
It is small and compact, feisty and attractive, just like the Golf GTI three decades ago. The Polo GTI was recently launched in Malaysia and, for a price tag just short of RM140,000, it is an 'icon' that should appeal to many. The Polo GTI is a small car, no doubt. It is a mere 3,915mm in length, which means this car hasn't been designed with many passengers for
the rear seat. It can accommodate two adults but that is all it can take. The car is compact, with everything fitting neatly. Everything is to a minimum, as the Polo GTI does not come with an automatic transmission, cruise control or even a multi-function steering whee
But the package does make up for an interesting experience with a sweet and precise 5-speed closeratio manual gearbox, a sports suspension with a 15mm lowering kit and those gorgeous 'Interlagos' flat woven fabric seats. Add these to the 1.8-litre, turbocharged
engine it is a nostalgic experience, especially for those who've had the opportunity to drive the Golf GTI MkI in the 70s. The 150ps engine is beautifully tuned and hardly feels
extremely powerful. Torque of 220Nm kicks in smoothly and without effort. There is no turbo lag in the Polo GTI, which makes it a lot easier to drive. The suspension set up tremendously helps in some very spirited driving, especially along winding and twisty country roads. Entering and exiting a corner is smooth and without drama. But being a
manual, you'll need to be in the right gear before you get in and out of a corner as the wrong gear wouldn't be as fun. Steering wheel input is pretty precise. You'll get good feedback from the road surface through the steering, which helps in gauging the conditions. Unlike the European version, the one in Malaysia is a four-door hatchback thus
ensuring extra space for rear seat passengers.
However, the overall appearance of the GTI is attractive. The 16- inch 'Denver' alloy wheels don't feel out of place as complementing the lowered suspension, it actually looks very sporty. Other than the wheels and the stainless steel twin exhaust tailpipes to distinguish it from the normal Polo, the honeycomb radiator grille with the 'GTI' emblem is the only other indication that this car is indeed special. Inside, the dashboard is very
simple and plain. But the built quality is commendable as everything, including the knobs,
dials and indicator stalks, are firm and solid. The steering wheel is wrapped in perforated leather trim, for that added sporty touch. Just like all other vehicles bearing the GTI badge, the Polo also has an attractive blue dashboard illumination, with the needles glowing in red.
The dashboard has an in-built cup holder that can hold practically any kind of bottle of cup and a cardholder slot. It isn't cluttered with lots of buttons, which is probably due to the weight factor, which is fine. The RCD200 audio system with CD player and MP3 player is complemented with four loudspeakers to go with it. It isn't all that great fun enough to pass the functional test.
Despite all this, the Polo GTI still weighs some 1,700kg but the 1.8- litre engine propels this car to 100kph in 8.2 seconds. Not very fast compared to a lot of other cars but one thing the GTI ensures in pure driving fun. It very easily hits its top speed of 216kph without
fuss. But due to the smaller dimensions, up to 200kph is just ideal. Just like any car designed for fun and following in the footsteps of an icon, the Polo GTI hasn't
been designed for superior fuel consumption. But an assurance is the fuel tank that can only take in about 45 litres of fuel and so it doesn't feel all that bad.
On paper, the Polo GTI boasts 7.8 litres per 100km travelled but during the test drive, we had so much fun in it that we could hardly ever gauge the fuel consumption. In order to achieve such figures, we'd have to be as light footed as a feather and we were not prepared to go that far. Another huge downside is the boot space. You could hardly fit in a huge suitcase and so a long distance needs to be carefully planned out with this car.
But despite all this, we still were in love with the Polo GTI. It remains an appealing and attractive little package. Because of its simplicity and functionality, it somewhat steals the show from the Golf GTI that has been incorporated with so much technology and innovation that it has shed its 'hot hatch' feisty heritage. Where the Golf has let off, the Polo GTI has picked up. It provides an experience of nostalgia to those who love to drive, and still enjoy it, in a manual of course.
source : www.asianauto.com
It is small and compact, feisty and attractive, just like the Golf GTI three decades ago. The Polo GTI was recently launched in Malaysia and, for a price tag just short of RM140,000, it is an 'icon' that should appeal to many. The Polo GTI is a small car, no doubt. It is a mere 3,915mm in length, which means this car hasn't been designed with many passengers for
the rear seat. It can accommodate two adults but that is all it can take. The car is compact, with everything fitting neatly. Everything is to a minimum, as the Polo GTI does not come with an automatic transmission, cruise control or even a multi-function steering whee
But the package does make up for an interesting experience with a sweet and precise 5-speed closeratio manual gearbox, a sports suspension with a 15mm lowering kit and those gorgeous 'Interlagos' flat woven fabric seats. Add these to the 1.8-litre, turbocharged
engine it is a nostalgic experience, especially for those who've had the opportunity to drive the Golf GTI MkI in the 70s. The 150ps engine is beautifully tuned and hardly feels
extremely powerful. Torque of 220Nm kicks in smoothly and without effort. There is no turbo lag in the Polo GTI, which makes it a lot easier to drive. The suspension set up tremendously helps in some very spirited driving, especially along winding and twisty country roads. Entering and exiting a corner is smooth and without drama. But being a
manual, you'll need to be in the right gear before you get in and out of a corner as the wrong gear wouldn't be as fun. Steering wheel input is pretty precise. You'll get good feedback from the road surface through the steering, which helps in gauging the conditions. Unlike the European version, the one in Malaysia is a four-door hatchback thus
ensuring extra space for rear seat passengers.
However, the overall appearance of the GTI is attractive. The 16- inch 'Denver' alloy wheels don't feel out of place as complementing the lowered suspension, it actually looks very sporty. Other than the wheels and the stainless steel twin exhaust tailpipes to distinguish it from the normal Polo, the honeycomb radiator grille with the 'GTI' emblem is the only other indication that this car is indeed special. Inside, the dashboard is very
simple and plain. But the built quality is commendable as everything, including the knobs,
dials and indicator stalks, are firm and solid. The steering wheel is wrapped in perforated leather trim, for that added sporty touch. Just like all other vehicles bearing the GTI badge, the Polo also has an attractive blue dashboard illumination, with the needles glowing in red.
The dashboard has an in-built cup holder that can hold practically any kind of bottle of cup and a cardholder slot. It isn't cluttered with lots of buttons, which is probably due to the weight factor, which is fine. The RCD200 audio system with CD player and MP3 player is complemented with four loudspeakers to go with it. It isn't all that great fun enough to pass the functional test.
Despite all this, the Polo GTI still weighs some 1,700kg but the 1.8- litre engine propels this car to 100kph in 8.2 seconds. Not very fast compared to a lot of other cars but one thing the GTI ensures in pure driving fun. It very easily hits its top speed of 216kph without
fuss. But due to the smaller dimensions, up to 200kph is just ideal. Just like any car designed for fun and following in the footsteps of an icon, the Polo GTI hasn't
been designed for superior fuel consumption. But an assurance is the fuel tank that can only take in about 45 litres of fuel and so it doesn't feel all that bad.
On paper, the Polo GTI boasts 7.8 litres per 100km travelled but during the test drive, we had so much fun in it that we could hardly ever gauge the fuel consumption. In order to achieve such figures, we'd have to be as light footed as a feather and we were not prepared to go that far. Another huge downside is the boot space. You could hardly fit in a huge suitcase and so a long distance needs to be carefully planned out with this car.
But despite all this, we still were in love with the Polo GTI. It remains an appealing and attractive little package. Because of its simplicity and functionality, it somewhat steals the show from the Golf GTI that has been incorporated with so much technology and innovation that it has shed its 'hot hatch' feisty heritage. Where the Golf has let off, the Polo GTI has picked up. It provides an experience of nostalgia to those who love to drive, and still enjoy it, in a manual of course.
source : www.asianauto.com
