First teased in September 2025 when Volkswagen released pictures of an ID Polo GTI prototype bedecked in camouflage, the reveal of the first electric car to wear the hallowed GTI badge has been confirmed for 15 May at the 2026 ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring race.
In the months since the ID Polo GTI’s arrival was announced, we’ve seen both the real-life car – at the Bicester Motion Scramble event on 18 April where it put in a surprise appearance – and even seen images of the final production model. The car at Bicester (pictured) was in the form of a near-final prototype, in camo, naturally, undergoing testing and final fettling on UK roads to make sure it can cope with this country’s unique road conditions.
223bhp and active differential So, what do we know so far? Like higher-spec versions of the regular ID Polo unveiled a couple of weeks ago, the ID Polo GTI will get the largest 52kWh (net capacity) battery of the two available and will develop 223bhp from its front-mounted APP290 electric motor. Range will be around 260 miles from a single charge and to help make it a more engaging punt than the standard ID Polo, a trick active differential, that’s shared with the celebratory Golf GTI Edition 50.
Outside, a more extrovert rear spoiler and front and rear bumpers will help differentiate it from its less powerful siblings, along with 19in wheels that supposedly reference the steel rims – squint a bit and you can kind of see what VW is hinting at – seen on the original Golf GTI of 1976. Inside, we’re expecting a new take on the classic tartan seat trim, while the rest of the cabin should echo the ID Polo’s where it matters, possibly with upgraded trim, given the sportster’s higher price.
Having seen the car for real, even if it was in prototype form, at the recent Bicester event, we can confirm its stance is squat, it’s size still compact – but appearing larger than it looks – and its style understated, even in its very noticeable, almost lairy ‘GTI’-emblazoned camouflage. That all bodes well; so far so GTI.
Dynamic feel The fact the newcomer has only 20bhp more than the recently departed combustion-engined Polo GTI can only mean that Volkswagen is aiming for a more dynamic feel than previous hot Polos have been endowed with. Indeed, UK magazine Autocar has tested the very car on show at Bicester, and all the signs are good. Describing it as ‘really absorbing and entertaining at its most forthcoming,’ the car appears to be a ‘proper’ GTI in both style and spirit.
We’ll know about the former in just under four days’ time; the other, we’ll have to wait bit longer for. But the ball is now well and truly rolling, and the countdown is on!
After a 28-year run, production of the Polo GTI has been brought to a halt. The model has been discontinued to give way to the all-electric ID Polo GTI, which is set to debut later in 2026.
Rumours began to surface in November, with website speedme.ru stating the hot Polo was beginning to disappear from global Volkswagen website configurators. We can confirm this is the case, and the Volkswagen UK website configurator only lists used models for sale. We asked Volkswagen UK directly if the car had been discontinued, and a spokesperson told us, ‘As we celebrate 50 years of the iconic GTI badge, the Polo GTI is making way for our first ever all-electric GTI model, the ID Polo GTI. The ID Polo GTI is set to make its world premiere later this year, with UK sales commencing in 2026.
‘Thrilling future’
The spokesperson continued, ‘This new model promises to move the hot hatchback game on significantly in terms of design, excitement, and performance, ensuring a thrilling future for GTI enthusiasts. The current Polo GTI is still available through our UK Retailer network, while stocks last. We encourage interested customers to reach out to their nearest Volkswagen Retailer for more information.’
Even though the ID Polo GTI will arrive in showrooms after a debut later this year, we can only assume that the discontinuation of the petrol-powered Polo GTI is to give its new zero-emissions counterpart some breathing space ahead of its arrival. The first electric Volkswagen GTI will have 223bhp from its front-mounted motor, with a driving range, we would imagine, of around 250 miles. Volkswagen states that the less powerful 208bhp ID Polo with the same motor and 52kWh battery as the ID Polo GTI has an official range of up to 280 miles.
There’s also no escaping the fact that basing an iconic badge’s new chapter on a less important model – the Golf GTI has been the halo GTI model for the past 50 years and remains so – is less risky for Volkswagen, too. But whatever the motivation, the ID Polo GTI has a great deal resting on its ‘Pure Positive’-designed and shapely shoulders.
Final cars speedme.ru reports the final combustion-engined Polo GTIs are now being built at Volkswagen Group South Africa’s Kariega plant – the only factory to produce Polos destined for European and Asia-Pacific markets. According to the website, final cars will roll off the line in week 12, 16-22 March 2026, presumably the fulfilment of the last order allocations.
It brings to an end the availability of the second-longest Volkswagen model to wear the GTI badge after the Golf. In 2026, both that car and the badge itself celebrate 50 years since either first appeared, with the special edition Golf GTI Edition 50 marking the golden anniversary.
Polo GTI Edition 20
The hot petrol-powered Polo’s exit after 28 years will be marked by a special edition, in South Africa, at least. Volkswagen Group Africa began production of the Polo GTI in 2006, and so is releasing the Polo GTI Edition 20. In the same vein as the Polo GTI Edition 25 released in 2023 to celebrate 25 years of the Polo GTI globally, the GTI Edition 20 is largely a cosmetic revamp. The most noticeable feature is the Crystal Ice Blue exterior colour choice, the same shade as offered on the regular Polo Edition 50 special model, first introduced in 2025 to commemorate the Polo’s 50th anniversary.
In addition, the Polo GTI Edition 20 gets a black contrast roof and wing mirror caps, a special ‘20’ decal stripe on each side of the car, all of those almost identical in idea to the Polo GTI Edition 25. A set of 18-inch ‘Faro’ alloy wheels – previously a cost-option upgrade – are also thrown in. Set to be introduced in March 2026, the price of the last Polo GTI special edition hasn’t yet been announced.
It’s perhaps a whimper rather than a bang – which some would cruelly say sums up the Polo GTI’s life – but it’s nice to see the second-longest running combustion-engined GTI model go out with at least a little sense of occasion. Yes, it’s with a tear in our eye that we wave the regular Polo GTI into the sunset, but we’re also looking forward to the new chapter in the hot Polo’s story the ID Polo GTI will begin. We hope the promise is delivered upon; we shouldn’t have too long to wait.
Volkswagen is celebrating 25 years of the Polo GTI in 2023 with the limited edition Polo GTI Edition 25, and following the German on-sale date of 1 June, the UK has been confirmed as one of the markets which will get the car. The special model will only head to Europe and Japan.
UK order books for the Polo GTI Edition 25 opened on 31 July, with 350 of the 2,500 production run cars available from 3 August. Prices start at £31,295, and those lucky Polo GTI fans who secure a Polo GTI Edition 25 will get a host of features unique to this anniversary model. The Edition 25 marks the first time Volkswagen has celebrated the Polo GTI with a commemorative version, unlike the numerous anniversary models associated with the Golf GTI.
Visual tweaks
For the extra £2,390 the Polo GTI Edition 25 costs over the ‘standard’ Polo GTI, buyers gain visual tweaks and extra equipment. Outside, there are gloss-black 18-inch ‘Adelaide’ alloy wheels (the standard Polo GTI wears 17-inch ‘Parker’ rims), and unique ‘25’ and honeycomb graphics on the doors, in a style similar to those on the commemorative 2021 VW Golf GTI Clubsport 45. The roof and door mirror caps are also painted gloss black. An additional unique feature of the Polo GTI Edition 25 is the addition of Ascot Grey to the usual GTI colour palette.
Inside, the sports seats are trimmed in perforated black and red leather, and the dashpad is finished in gloss black with red air vent surrounds. A ‘GTI’ logo sits ahead of the passenger, while a ‘25’ logo appears in the steering wheel’s lower spoke. Sill plates also state that individual examples of the Polo GTI Edition 25 examples are ‘One of 2500’ – there is no personalised number.
0-62mph in 6.5 seconds
Sadly there is also no boost in power, which has, in the past, been a feature of anniversary Golf GTI models. So power is the same at 204bhp (207PS/152kW) as the standard Polo GTI, with which the Edition 25 also shares its running gear, including ‘XDS’ electronic differential lock and 15mm lower suspension than a ‘standard’ Polo. The standard Polo GTI’s seven-speed DSG gearbox is also fitted, helping the Polo GTI Edition 25 get from 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds.
Mobile phone preparation with inductive charging, keyless locking and starting with Safelock, heated front seats and a rear-view camera are also standard, the £31,295 RRP ‘on the road’ price including VAT. The 2023 Volkswagen Polo GTI Edition 25 is available from Volkswagen Retailers with a £1,500 deposit contribution, as well as a 6.9 per cent personal contract plan from Volkswagen Financial Services.
Polo GTI history
The hot Polo story began in 1979, with the 1,272cc, 60bhp Polo GT and went on to include the supercharged 113bhp Polo G40. The first Polo GTI went on sale in 1998 as a special edition of the third-generation Polo. Only available in Germany, it enjoyed a limited production run of 3,000 units. Read our previous Polo GTI Edition 25 post for more on the quarter-century history of the Polo GTI.
The 48-year-old Golf GTI may be Volkswagen’s most revered sporting hatchback, but the Polo GTI has been offering a similar recipe in a smaller package for just under three decades now. Volkswagen is recognising this fact with the new Polo GTI Edition 25 model announced today. On sale on 1 June, the 2023 Volkswagen Polo GTI Edition 25 will be priced from €35,205.
The first Polo GTI went on sale in 1998 as a special edition of the then third-generation Polo, enjoying a limited production run of 3,000 units and German market-only availability. The hot Polo story began in 1979, though, with the 1,272cc, 60bhp Polo GT and went on to include the now fondly remembered supercharged 113bhp Polo G40.
Host of unique features
In a similar style to the numerous Golf GTI special editions that have punctuated the hot hatch’s career, the Polo GTI Edition 25 features a host of unique features. And like that original Polo GTI, the Polo GTI Edition 25 is a limited-run model, with only 2,500 units being produced. Power is the same at 204bhp (207PS/152kW), with the same running gear as the standard Polo GTI including ‘XDS’ electronic differential lock and 15mm lower suspension than a ‘standard’ Polo.
Where the Polo GTI Edition 25 differs most to the standard Polo GTI is in both visual and kit enhancements. Externally, 18-inch ‘Adelaide’ alloy wheels finished in gloss black join the usual red-trimmed grille and red brake calipers, with the roof and door mirror caps also gaining the dark finish.
Ascot Grey paint debut
In the initial press images, a repeating honeycomb graphic similar in style to that of the 2021 Golf GTI Clubsport 45 adorns the lower part of the front doors, the rear doors featuring a ‘25’ logo. Ascot Grey is added to the Polo GTI colour palette for the first time, the Polo GTI Edition 25 also available in the standard shades of Deep Black Pearl Effect, Kings Red Metallic, Pure White, Reef Blue Metallic and Smoke Grey Metallic.
Step inside, and a ‘One of 2500’ sill plate signifies that the Polo GTI Edition 25 is something a little more special – there is no true personalised number, though. The standard ‘Jacara’/’Clark’ tartan seat trim has been junked, the sports seats trimmed in perforated black and red leather with stitched-in ‘GTI’ logos.
Black and red inserts
Upfront, the usual ‘Deep Iron Grey’ coloured dashpad has been replaced with a gloss black insert with red highlights around the air vents and door handles, as well as a red ‘GTI’ logo ahead of the passenger. The multifunction steering wheel – to which the paddleshifts for the seven-speed DSG gearbox are attached – is fitted with a ‘25’ logo in its lower spoke. A high resolution eight-inch ‘Ready2Discover’ infotainment system is standard.
Other standard innovations include Volkswagen’s IQ Light LED matrix headlights with dynamic light assist functionality and LED daytime running lights. The optional Travel Assist system forms part of the IQ Drive assist package which also includes adaptive cruise control and lane assist systems.
‘Home of the Polo GTI’
The Polo GTI Edition 25 and other sixth-generation Polo-based Polo GTIs are exclusively built at Volkswagen South Africa’s Kariega plant. The ‘home of the Polo GTI’, the factory, opened in 1951, is situated near Port Elizabeth and is the largest car manufacturing facility on the African continent. ‘Our team in South Africa is really proud of this car’, said Martina Biene, managing director and chairperson of Volkswagen Group South Africa. ‘The Polo has a long tradition here – especially the Polo GTI.’ Volkswagen South Africa produces the Polo Vivo, the Polo and the Polo GTI.
POLO GTI: A BRIEF HISTORY
The third-generation Polo was the first to wear Volkswagen’s iconic three letter badge. Limited to 3,000 units, the limited model sold out as fast as its 9.1-second 0-60mph time. Marked out by ‘GTI’ badges, 15-inch BBS alloy wheels, red seatbelts and unique ‘1’ interior trim, the subtle-looking model started the Polo GTI ball rolling.
1999-2001 Polo GTI Updated in 1999 when the facelifted third-generation Polo arrived, the GTI became a permanent fixture in the Polo range. Featuring much the same recipe as before, its 1.6-litre 125bhp 16V engine with variable valve timing technology was 5bhp up on the 1998 version.
2006-2009 Polo GTI
The introduction of the refreshed fourth-generation ‘9N3’ Polo in 2006 saw the next Polo GTI arrive. With 148bhp from its 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, a special 178bhp Polo GTI Cup Edition was fitted with a unique body kit based on the Polo Cup racing cars that pounded the racetracks in Europe.
2010-2017 Polo GTI
Switching tack was the twincharged (super and turbocharged) Polo GTI of 2010. The 1.4-litre TSI engine was exclusively paired with a seven-speed DSG gearbox for a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. With 17-inch ‘Monza’ wheels that aped the Golf GTI, it looked every inch the hot hatch. Sharpened up in 2014 with the arrival of the updated fifth-generation model, the 1.4 engine was swapped for a 1.8-litre turbocharged unit with 189bhp and the choice of both manual and DSG gearboxes.
2017-2023 Polo GTI
Now very firmly a mainstay of the family, the Polo GTI of the sixth-generation Polo range had 197bhp and a six-speed DSG gearbox, sprinting to 62mph from rest in 6.7 seconds. A suite of new high resolution infotainment systems and a 10.3-inch digital driver’s display were among the technological highlights. In 2021 the refreshed model debuted – still based on Volkswagen’s successful MQB platform architecture – with 204bhp and subtle styling enhancements inside and out. It is this car on which the Polo GTI Edition 25 is based.
The Polo GTI of the sixth-generation Polo has been campaigned successfully in motorsport, both on and off the track. The car has provided a base for the Polo GTI R5 rally car, as well as the Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa Polo Cup one-make series circuit racer.
This one probably falls more under the ‘car’ rather than the ‘classic’ of the listing website’s title, but whatever, it looks very appealing to this author’s eyes. Behold the clean-lined – and red – majesty of this 2012 Polo GTI, freshly imported from Japan.
The fifth-generation Polo GTI (not the actual fifth-generation of Polo GTI) was unveiled in May 2010, 14 months after the debut of the ‘regular’ model. Following the 148bhp model of the same name based on the fourth generation ‘9N3’ Polo, the newcomer – ‘6R’ in Polo geek speak – packed a 178bhp punch courtesy of a turbo and supercharged engine.
The 1.4-litre ‘twincharger’ unit was around 400cc down on the engine of its predecessor, which appeared in all manner of Volkswagens, Audis, SEATs and Skodas. Despite being smaller in size than the one before, the new four-cylinder unit was advanced in terms of technology, and the new car scampered to 62mph from rest in 6.9 seconds, 1.3 seconds faster than its forebear. The 6R GTI was lighter, too; the three-door GTI’s 1269kg a smidge less than the 9N3 GTI’s 1283kg.
Exclusively DSG
One important difference between old and new was the fact that the 6R GTI was exclusively available with Volkswagen’s much-praised DSG dual-clutch gearbox. Both a blessing and a curse, its high-tech appeal won over some drivers, while others bemoaned the lack of a manual option. With small paddles behind the steering wheel, and a ‘Sport’ mode in the gearbox itself, Volkswagen did compensate for keener drivers, but for some, it wasn’t enough. However, it did make the car an arguably easier daily driver for those scooting about the city.
For PoloDriver.com, the 6R Polo GTI’s crowning glory was always its looks. Taking cues from the popular and acclaimed Mk 5 Golf GTI, the contemporary hot Polo featured 17-inch ‘Monza’ (or ‘Detroit’, depending on the market) alloy wheels, new front and rear bumpers, a red-trimmed and honeycomb mesh-filled front grille, side skirt trims, a rear spoiler, and twin exhaust pipes. Inside, there was ‘Jacara’ (or ‘Jacky’) tartan-trimmed sports seats, black headlining, and a squared-off and leather-trimmed steering wheel with red stitching and a ‘GTI’ badge. In terms of looking the business, it was job done. Mature and subtle it predictably was, but it was none the worse for it.
A facelift – the car renamed the ‘6C’ – in December 2014 dispensed with the twincharger engine, replacing it with a turbocharged 1.8-litre engine with 189bhp, and also brought sharper looks inside and out. But the 6R Polo GTI appeals because of its subtler appearance, the Golf GTI-aping alloy wheels and the certain charm of the earlier interior.
Still plentiful (ish) in the UK – comparatively, the GTI has never been a strong-selling Polo – a small but increasing number of right-hand drive cars are starting to appear on UK soil from Japan. One such car is the car pictured here, currently up for auction on the Car & Classic website. Resplendent in its Flash Red paintwork, the 2012 car has covered just 45,300 miles from new, and looks superb. There is a little wear and collapse on one of the driver’s seat bolsters, but that’s the only discernible mark that can be seen after 11 years of use. Due to the lack of salt on the roads in Japan, the underside looks nice and clean and the car certainly seems to have been looked after well.
Notable features
Another ex-Japanese car, this time a Candy White example with 54,000 miles, is for sale here, and like the Car & Classic GTI, has a couple of notable features over UK models. While the DSG automatic box is shared with Uk and European markets, Japanese cars appear to get climate control as standard (a £375 option in the UK), as well as a touchscreen infotainment system – a Grundig unit in the Car & Classic GTI’s case – the cheapest of which in the UK was the £300 RCD 510 system (another £420 bought the RNS 315 system with navigation). Other bonuses of these cars are the standard-fit bi-xenon headlamps and LED daytime-running lights, a £765 UK option.
While we can’t detect anything different with either car’s engine, it’s worth noting that 6R Polo GTIs in China came with a 1.4 TSI engine with 130bhp, not the full-fat 178bhp. A quick online check reveals that Japanese cars appear to share the higher output of their European cousins. One question we do have though, is why the sudden rash of imports; a handful of right-hand drive Cross Polos have also recently landed on UK shores.
A car which was transformatively much better than the car which preceded it – and the 6C is sharper still – the 6R Polo GTI is an evergreen PoloDriver.com favourite. We’d have very little hesitation in investigating the Car & Classic car, but do check is all well mechanically, as the twincharged engines can have oil use issues. Once that is done, though, just drive and enjoy, revelling in the high quality fifth-generation Polo build. If the Car & Classic GTI goes for under £8,000, then someone will get a bargain. The Car & Classic 2012 Polo GTI auction ends at 20:15 on Monday 27 February.
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