RE: Volkswagen Polo GTI: Driven

[tonyb1968]

I'm not sure what VW are thinking of with this car, they have given it a 2ltr engine in a class where 1.6ltr engines dominate, it's weight is comparable to the class above, so where is it meant to fit in?

Its too heavy to compete with the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST, Renault Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTI etc and yet too under powered to be a competitor for the likes of the Peugeot 308 GTI 270 (and shove a person in comes in at 1280kg), its big brother the Golf GTi, the Ford Focus ST... I really just don't see the point of this new Polo GTI (and please don't say you can tune it to stupid bhp).

VW, what are you doing??!!

[ian2144]

My wife has a 2016 Polo GTi 1.8T with 193 bhp . For a shopping car it’s quick. I showed her the picture of the new one, she thinks it’s too loud, Still got a year to go with the current one.....as for a replacement, none of the current opposition will fit the bill.
Hyundai i30N is being considered as I’m typing this ....!

[Mr Tidy]

Is it just me, or have we gone into a time-warp here?

It looks just like the MK5 Golf GTi - 2 litre turbo engine, about 200 bhp, similar weight and same sort of price but just over a decade later! (And no IRS on this Polo iteration).

But compared to other options it still looks like a reasonable option!

[s m]

culpz said:

nickfrog said:

culpz said:

When are they being released to order? I dismissed them at first but they appear to now be more of a proper hot-hatch, this time around, as apposed to a warm variant.

They're starting to really intrigue me now...

Not sure, sometime in spring. I have a contact at Suzuki who said they have been delayed here as the engine was too powerful vs it's spec sheet 140 ponnies and presumably not compliant.

Was that the whole discussion i saw here, about it having around a 7-second 0-60 time? Or was that just something completely different?

I think that's entirely possible if the Swift is genuinely under 1000kg and the engine is a strong 138bhp like the old Polo Bluemotion ( which weighed 200kg more than the planned Swift )

[Lowtimer]

The Swift is a much smaller car than the Polo though, really more of an Up GTI competitor, or will be when they are both finally on sale shortly. The Up is pretty much Mark 1 Golf sized.

[Lowtimer]

tonyb1968 said:

I'm not sure what VW are thinking of with this car, they have given it a 2ltr engine in a class where 1.6ltr engines dominate, it's weight is comparable to the class above, so where is it meant to fit in?

Its too heavy to compete with the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST, Renault Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTI etc and yet too under powered to be a competitor for the likes of the Peugeot 308 GTI 270 (and shove a person in comes in at 1280kg), its big brother the Golf GTi, the Ford Focus ST... I really just don't see the point of this new Polo GTI (and please don't say you can tune it to stupid bhp).

VW, what are you doing??!!

They're making a car for someone for whom the current Golf is unnecessarily large, but who still wants a comfortable, refined quick family hatch.

[dan98]

Lowtimer said:

They're making a car for someone for whom the current Golf is unnecessarily large, but who still wants a comfortable, refined quick family hatch.

Exactly.

It's the perfect replacement for those who find the old golfs to be the correct size for a family hatchback, not the bloated monstrosity that a golf has now become (as wide as the original bmw 7 series for example).

[havoc]

dan98 said:

not the bloated monstrosity that a golf has now become

Y'know, everyone keeps saying that, but my wife went from a MkV GTi to a Mk7 -R, and it didn't feel a lot different. Yeah it's a little wider and longer, but not that you'd notice after a couple of weeks ownership.

I think the bigger issue with car size growth was from the 1980's to the 2000's.

[s m]

Lowtimer said:

The Swift is a much smaller car than the Polo though, really more of an Up GTI competitor, or will be when they are both finally on sale shortly. The Up is pretty much Mark 1 Golf sized.

True, will be good to see if it is like a modern day 5GTT with the PWR and carryover handling from the old model

[Lowtimer]

havoc said:

Y'know, everyone keeps saying that, but my wife went from a MkV GTi to a Mk7 -R, and it didn't feel a lot different. Yeah it's a little wider and longer, but not that you'd notice after a couple of weeks ownership.

It's like putting on a few inches round your own waist. You get used to it, sure, but you're better off without it. You might acclimatise after a couple of weeks but additional width always reduces the freedom you have to take lines on narrow lanes, and if you switch back from a big car to a small car you feel that benefit in carefree manoeuvre.

And when the difference is -
that you can or can't get it in your garage, and still be able to open the door enough to get in and out of the car, or
that you can or can't fit it in your off-street parking space without it overlapping on to the pavement
- then that's not something you can acclimatise to: it's a permanent loss of benefit, much like having to buy a whole new wardrobe..

[andrewparker]

Lowtimer said:

havoc said:

Y'know, everyone keeps saying that, but my wife went from a MkV GTi to a Mk7 -R, and it didn't feel a lot different. Yeah it's a little wider and longer, but not that you'd notice after a couple of weeks ownership.

It's like putting on a few inches round your own waist. You get used to it, sure, but you're better off without it. You might acclimatise after a couple of weeks but additional width always reduces the freedom you have to take lines on narrow lanes, and if you switch back from a big car to a small car you feel that benefit in carefree manoeuvre.

And when the difference is -
that you can or can't get it in your garage, and still be able to open the door enough to get in and out of the car, or
that you can or can't fit it in your off-street parking space without it overlapping on to the pavement
- then that's not something you can acclimatise to: it's a permanent loss of benefit, much like having to buy a whole new wardrobe..

To be fair, the MK7 gained just 40mm in length and width over the MK5, so it’s not going to be massively noticeable.

[havoc]

According to Parkers Mk7 vs Mk5:-
+54mm length
+40mm width (exc. mirrors) / -21mm width (inc. mirrors)
+7mm height
+59mm wheelbase
+30 litres luggage

Conversely the Mk3 (which was seen as the bloater at the time, remember!) vs the Mk5:-
+184mm length
+49mm width (exc mirrors)
+80mm height
+103mm wheelbase
+20 litres luggage

[culpz]

Mr Tidy said:

Is it just me, or have we gone into a time-warp here?

It looks just like the MK5 Golf GTi - 2 litre turbo engine, about 200 bhp, similar weight and same sort of price but just over a decade later! (And no IRS on this Polo iteration).

But compared to other options it still looks like a reasonable option!

I don't see your point here. The Polo has never had that kind of power, so it's irrelevant. They're 2 different cars; it just makes the new Polo look better and the old Golf a bit silly. The current Golf only has around 30 bhp more.

[EngineFreak]

I like the Golf R better too

[The Vambo]

EngineFreak said:

I like the Golf R better too

Cool.

[thatjagbloke]

My wife has the 1.4 tsi twin charger version bought new in 2011 and It's been a great little car with no problems whatsoever. She doesn't drive " enthusiastically " so I take it out for a blast every now and then and it's pretty rapid.
She is looking to change soon and this latest version looks like a good replacement.

[ZX10R NIN]

Well it looks like the new Polo GTI is the same as the old Polo GTI as in not really a GTI, Evo gave it 3.5 & rated the old Fiesta ST/Clio RS220 (no one knows what the new Fiesta ST will be like yet) 208GTI as better hot hatches.

[acme]

Anyone taken delivery as yet?

I'm wondering if this could be a slightly alternative company car with a real world 40MPG for my 22-25k pa.

[culpz]

acme said:

Anyone taken delivery as yet?

I'm wondering if this could be a slightly alternative company car with a real world 40MPG for my 22-25k pa.

More like has anyone actually ordered one?

Upon initial release, the deals going for them were outrageous and, IIRC, were a fair bit more than a Golf GTI.

They've come down a bit since but still aren't exactly great value.

[daemon]

culpz said:

acme said:

Anyone taken delivery as yet?

I'm wondering if this could be a slightly alternative company car with a real world 40MPG for my 22-25k pa.

More like has anyone actually ordered one?

Upon initial release, the deals going for them were outrageous and, IIRC, were a fair bit more than a Golf GTI.

They've come down a bit since but still aren't exactly great value.

Brokers are offering them for around £18,700

https://www.drivethedeal.com/buy-a-new-car/VOLKSWA...