PoloDriver

These first drive reports have literally just pinged into our inbox. Fresh from Volkswagen’s Nurbürging 24-hour race Polo GTI driving event, the two UK motoring weeklies have today delivered their verdicts on the Polo we’ve all been waiting for. They’re – not surprisingly – conflicting verdicts, too. Auto Express states in its drive that, ‘The steering is well weighted and offers good feedback. Body roll is also virtually non-existent, thanks to firmer springs and dampers.’ Autocar’s verdict (which is more relevant for enthusiasts) is delivered in the video below. One verdict is the same, though; that of price. At £18,275, the 2010 Polo GTI is priced above arguably more able – but less refined – competitors.

Edit, 19 May 2010: Autocar‘s written verdict on the 2010 Volkswagen Polo GTI has been posted online today. The Auto Express first drive is in the current issue of the magazine, while the Autocar write-up will be in print next week.

A quick trawl around the world of official Volkswagen websites reveals Spain to be the country with the most diverse Polo choice, and if all the models profiled on its nuevoPolo.com microsite haven’t landed yet, then they must be close. It’s one of the only banks of VW pages to include both the CrossPolo and Polo GTI (both due to hit continental showrooms around the end of May). At the moment it seems that barely a day goes by without some new detail about the 2010 Polo GTI being revealed.

As well as the regular hatchback model available in Advance and Sport trims, there are photos of the newcomers as well as a section on the just-launched up to date version of the BlueMotion. There’s also a neat configurator designer where prospective owners can create their own styled cars. No CrossPolo or Polo GTI brochures yet, though, but click the small gallery below for the images from the microsite, taken from the GTI sales catalogue seen elsewhere in Europe.

Following more detailed information and the new photos that were released last week, the 2010 Polo GTI put in an appearance at the massive Wörthersee 2010 performance VW event in Austria over the weekend. Traditionally a springboard for new and official Volkswagen models and concepts, the company and its offshoots have huge motor show-type stands at the show, where they launch all sorts of specially-created for Wörthersee cars. This year, VW itself showed off the Golf GTI Adidas Edition and the Golf GTI Excessive, but of more interest to us, was as official presentation of the new Polo GTI.

On what appears to be larger, polished ‘Denver’ rims (which aren’t in the preliminary sales brochures), the car pictured above is in final production form, following on from last year’s Polo ‘Wörthersee 2009 Concept’ which Volkswagen took to the Austrian meet in 2009. Marketing for the car is really stepping up ahead of its official launch at the end of May; at the Nürburgring 24-hour race, a driving experience campaign supporting the market launch of the Polo GTI also took place, supporting the company’s three-car Scirocco entry. We’ve also seen the first German-language brochures become available in the last few days.

‘The Polo GTI is back. A powerful 180 PS comeback!’ Drip-feeding the hungry and prospective owners and teasing the rest of us, Volkswagen has released more information about the long-awaited Polo GTI. Coming from the company’s German headquarters, the latest press release tells us few things new, but it is, interestingly, headed ‘Wolfsburg/Nürburgring’. Is this where VW is going to let the first media drives of the car happen; does the company have that much confidence in its latest pocket rocket?

We suspect that part of the development work for the new hot Polo was done at the ‘Ring, and Volkswagen is marking the connection, as every new production seems to boast some sort of Nordschleife connection. Whatever, there are eight new photos too, this time of a red car, much more subtle than the white car images released back in February. From the new release, we learn that the interior roof liner, roof pillar trim, grab handles and sun visors are all black, and that the 0-62mph dash takes 6.9 seconds.

With a German launch at the end of May, the 1194kg, 1.4-litre TSI-engined, 178bhp Polo GTI will then be introduced to Europe and Japan. Due to hit the UK in the summer and priced at £18,275 for the basic three-door model, there’s no word in the latest press information about a manual gearbox version, so it’s seven-speed, paddle-shift DSG only. We look forward to bringing you a first drive report later in the year. For now, though, the latest full and unedited Volkswagen press release follows below.

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‘The new Polo is very attractive,’ it says. We’ve got our hands on the latest brochure for the new 2010 Polo GTI. Months before the car comes across to the UK, this French language, February 2010-dated, 12-page catalogue could be considered a piece of preview literature, but with specifications and paint colours, the only thing that’s really missing is a price list. We suspect it was a hand-out at the recent Geneva motor show.

There’s not much contained within it that we don’t already know. But, what we can tell you is that the new hot shot Polo is available in two standard flat paint colours (Black and Candy White), while optional metallic finishes are Flash Red, Argent Grey and Shadow Blue. Intense Black is the only pearl-effect colour. Standard kit includes a larger rear spoiler, ‘GTI’ script (in recent VW tradition, no Polo badging is on the car at all), Xenon headlamps, twin exhausts, front fog lights, 7J x 17 ‘Denver’ alloy wheels and a 15mm lowered chassis.

Moving inside, there’s ‘Jacky’ red and black tartan trim covering the sports seats, Climatic semi-automatic air-conditioning, a multifunction computer and an RNS 310 CD/MP3/SD card music system. The only factory-fitted, pay-extra options appear to be optional LED running lights, automatic Climatronic air-conditioning, RCD 210/310/510 music systems and black alcantara trim for the sports seats. We’ll let you know when UK prices and specifications for the 178bhp, DSG-equipped new Polo GTI have been confirmed.