AIMS 2010: Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen Australia drove the new Polo GTI from underneath its red cover at AIMS yesterday to mark its Australian debut. A neat trick that easily got the gong for the most innovative way to remove a cover from a car.

After sitting inside the car and pushing all of its buttons it’s clear the new Polo GTI has taken a big leap forwards in interior refinement and layout compared to the old model. From the outside it definitely looks the part. Although, those 17″ Denver alloy wheels, first seen on the Mk5 Golf GTI back in 2004, do nothing to enhance the sharp lines of the current Volkswagen design language.

Apart from seeing the car in the flesh little other detail was given in regards to specification or pricing for the company’s latest hot hatch. We do know the Polo GTI will be offered in Australia in both 3 and 5 door configurations. We also know the Polo GTI will be powered by a 132kW twincharged 1.4 litre engine. And we also know that as far as transmissions go you’re going to have to settle for a 7-speed DSG as there are no current plans to incorporate a manual gearbox in the Pogo. Put all those numbers things together and Volkswagen reckon the Pogo can reach 100km/h in 6.9 seconds, the same time as its bigger Golf GTI sibling, no less.

The Australian launch of the Polo GTI is due in a couple of weeks and full details will be confirmed then. When AUSmotive asked one Volkswagen employee for a scoop on the pricing all we were told was “you will not be disappointed.”

After running that comment through the AUSmotive price predictor we guesstimate the 3 door will hit the market at around $28,950 while the 5 door will be $30,450. That pricing might be a little ambitious, perhaps, but we should know for certain by early November.

New Polo GTI –Volkswagen’s Powerful And Efficient New Polo GTI To Premiere At 2010 Australian International Motorshow

• 132kW Polo GTI with a 6.1 litre consumption – 24 percent more fuel efficient Polo GTI debuts with standard 7-speed DSG
• The Volkswagen Polo GTI is back. A powerful 132kW comeback!

On display for the first time in Australia, the new Polo GTI is sure to live up to its legendary name with superior handling properties combined with uncompromising engine responsiveness and impressive safety and economy figures.

The highlight: Never before has such a powerful Polo come even close to its fuel efficiency. Thanks to clever downsizing of the twincharged 1.4-litre TSI engine (turbo plus supercharging) and the extremely efficient 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) as standard equipment, the development team was able to reduce combined fuel consumption to 6.11/100km. That is equivalent to CO2 emissions of just 142g/km. By comparison: Its direct predecessor in terms of power – equipped with a 1.8-litre turbo engine − consumed 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres (equivalent to 190g/km CO2). This means that the new car is 24 percent more fuel efficient.

This economy contrasts with highly dynamic driving performance: The light 1,189 kilogram Volkswagen sports car accelerates to 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds. These figures, 6.9 seconds, 6.1 litres are sports car performance parameters of a sustainable kind.

Power is transferred to the front wheels via DSG as standard equipment. An electronic transverse differential lock (XDL) reduces the tendency to understeer and improves handling especially in quick driving through curves.

Like all versions of the model series, the Polo GTI also comes equipped with the standard ESP electronic stabilization programme including Hill Start Assist. In addition, the car’s extensive safety features consist of a highly effective airbag network, including front, front side and curtain airbags, belt tensioners, belt tension limiters plus belt warning, head restraints designed to avoid whiplash trauma (each in front) and three rear head restraints.

In addition, convenience features include electro-hydraulic power steering, electric windows, remote central locking, boot space lighting and tie-down eyes, driver seat height adjustment, makeup mirror in the sun visors and green tinted insulated glass. The GTI will be the first Polo to be available with bi-xenon headlights with cornering lights, LED daytime running lights and corner marker lights. Naturally, GTI-specific features are always standard too, such as the sport seat system and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Full specifications and pricing of the Polo will be released at launch in late 2010.