VW Polo GT vs Polo GTI?

The Volkswagen Polo GTI was a performance-oriented version of the regular Polo. It came in limited numbers and was meant for people who were only looking for one thing – performance. The Polo GTI gave a new meaning to the word hot hatchbacks when it was launched. The only other car that was at par to it was the Mini Cooper (S). But this came at a price point of Rs 40 lakh. The Polo GT, on the other hand, has been the best selling hot hatchback is meant to be a volume seller for the company. We take a look at the exact differences between both the cars and what made the Polo GTI special.

Design

The Polo GTI is a sleeper which means that the car is meant to look like the regular Polo. It only had subtle changes on it from the POLO GT which could not be spotted from far. The biggest difference between the two is that the GTI only came in the two-door version instead of the regular four-door version. Other changes included red strips on the bonnet, new LED lights, different bumpers and GTI badging throughout the car.

Polo GTI engine

This is where the GTI has the biggest difference. It gets the 1.8-litre TSI engine from the Volkswagen group that is also seen on the Skoda Octavia and the Superb. Although this engine was tweaked to deliver more performance and also made a slightly more 189 bhp. Compare this to the 110 bhp engine from the 1.

2 litre Polo GT and you realize the massive difference between the two cars.

Mechanical changes

The GTI got a different exhaust system with larger wheels. Even the suspension was tuned to be on the stiffer side since this was indeed a performance variant. The car also got better driving dynamics and feels sharper than the Polo GT. IT also got an electronic differential lock along with stiffened anti-roll bars to take on cornering at higher speeds.

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Interiors

Although the interiors of the GTI looked similar to the Polo GT, the GTI got some additional features such as a flat-bottom steering wheel with red stitching which makes you realize the sporty nature of the car. The car also got a touchscreen infotainment system along with better graphics. It got sporty seats as well as a premium paint finish.

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Polo GTI pricing

The pricing of the GTI is its biggest draw-back. While the engine does justify it, the GTI does not get enough additional features over the Polo GT to justify such a premium.

While the GT might seem expensive for a hatchback as it is priced at almost Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom), the GTI gave a new meaning to expensive.

The car was introduced at a whopping Rs 26 lakh (ex-showroom) since it was a complete CBU. For a car that looks very similar to a regular Polo and also has similar features this price seems insane. But the GTI did find its popularity amongst performance enthusiasts.