PoloDriver

The new Polo GTI has been a while coming, but with the first customer car now in the country, the new owner tells us about his first weeks with the car, and his first impressions of the 178bhp twincharged performance Polo…

I’ve had a few incarnations of hot Polos over the years (1999 Polo 16V, 2001 and 2007 Polo GTIs) but this latest model was the most eagerly anticipated. And so far I haven’t been disappointed. I’ve come to this car from a 2007 last-model Polo GTI, but as soon as you sit in the car and close the door, (which has a satisfying ‘clunk’ to it), you realise you are in a car which feels like its from the class above. As noted in comments posted on this website, it does really feel like a small Golf GTI.

Out on the road the supercharged/turbocharged engine is eager to please, and with 184lbs ft of torque, there is plenty of power on tap. Just as happy as a motorway cruiser or negotiating the twists and turns of a country lane, this pocket rocket really is a pleasure to drive. It’s self-assured, gripping the road in whatever direction you send it in. The seven-speed DSG box is a smooth operator with satisfying gear changes, and whether you play with it in ‘Sport’ or stick it in ‘Drive’ and relax, it copes brilliantly. You could drive for miles in this car and still feel refreshed at the end of the journey, not something that can always be said for smaller cars.

Inside the cabin, road and other noise is kept to a minimum, a vast improvement on previous models. Gadgets and gizmos abound in the new GTI helping to give a hi-tech feel, and there are many nice touches for 21st century motoring. The only downside is that there is no Bluetooth option available on the UK specification models (Volkswagen UK’s official response is here – PD). This in a communications age seems a little bizarre and disappointing to say the least. In my opinion, someone at VW has slipped up by not having it included in the car.

So far then, just over a week of new Polo GTI ownership and although I’m still getting to know the car, I have to say it’s a delight and bags of fun to drive. It really turns some heads, too, even those of drivers in their huge and expensive machines. I haven’t regretted one solitary penny and as everyone knows it takes quite a few of them (£19,200 to be precise in this case) to purchase this latest baby GTI. But, thanks to Volkswagen, the supermini has truly grown up and what a classy act it’s turned out to be.