2019 Volkswagen Polo 6 GTI Review, Specs, Engine, & Performance – There are a couple of excellent quarrels that the all-new 2019 Polo 6 GTI – as it’s formally referred to as – may properly have sent greater brother Golf GTI as the key anchor point in Volkswagen’s enjoyable hatchback family. That’s simply because of the as soon as poorer and just ‘cheap’ compact section GTI appearance to come of an era. And if our first-drive perceptions from its community launch are any correct calculate, the latest leading Polo has lifted its activity in fantastic numerous places, increasingly attractive to a larger chapel of customers, which includes customers eyeballing go-fast Golfs.
2019 Volkswagen Polo 6 GTI
Engine
One key pitch is simply conceptual. At a touch over four meters long and 1.8 meters wide, at 1355kg curb excess weight and powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generating 147kW, the very hot Polo generally replicates the continue to significantly-cherished Mk V Golf GTI formula that essentially cemented the GTI legend in all the proper places. If you want to take advantage of what actually produced GTI so attractive, the new Polo symbolizes it.
Price
Of course, Golf GTI continues to grow and matured and be a little more stylish and processed because, but it is also, at a $45,490 idea-in point, higher priced. This new Polo 6 GTI is, at $30,990 listing price fitted with DSG as standard, two-thirds the price of a new Golf GTI. Price and worth, then, appears the big dangling green beans.
Redesign
Then there is warmth. Volkswagen invested three solid years guaranteeing the new Polo has much more authentic GTI incorporation than possibly of its forerunners. And it guarantees to provide much more of a ‘true GTI’ character simply because of it. And, of course, there is maturation, an expected and expected attribute from your small Volkswagen, whether it is warm or otherwise not. More persuading GTI incorporation is utilized to significantly increased new-gen Polo DNA: from the modern-day MQB-based platform, and connected lift in active electronic architecture, to particulars these kinds of as a reduce center of gravitational pressure, and greatly a lot more firm construction.
If the outdated Polo GTI appeared a lot more multidimensional, liveable, grownup-driven option in a sector loaded with tedious, one-strategy firecrackers – as exciting as they are – than the new version guarantees to lift the holistic goodness up a level or three. A lot more tempting from larger purchaser viewpoints? Definitely. However, there is some counterpoint to the all the gushing excitement when you look via information. Correct off the bat, for one factor, never get as well thrilled if you are hankering for a traditional manual gearbox. The Polo 6 GTI is six-speed dual-clutch only.
2019 Volkswagen Polo 6 GTI Review
Whilst there is a lot of great things on the equipment food selection, a great deal of it is an extra sting. Want LED headlights or correct GTI-appearance ‘Brescia’ 18-inch wheels as opposed to the or else standard halogens – unsatisfactory at this price point – or the undercooked ‘Milton Keynes’ 17s? You will require to check the Luxury pack box ($3900). Believe in us: for the appearance on your own, you will want the larger going stock. Extravagant the smooth Active Details Display digital driver’s screen packaged with amazing sat-nav which comes standard on the greatly less expensive ($22,490) Polo Is better than? They are only available with the ($1900) Sound And Vision alternative, although element in the 300-watt audio system and it is really a value pack. And you will not get adaptive cruise or safety items this kind of as blind-spot checking or rear cross-traffic alert unless of course, you waste money on the ($1400) Driver Assistance package.
Volkswagen Australia experienced each casually and fully optioned vehicles to test at its Aussie launch, the second option (as pictured in this tale) we invested the most time driving, lobbing in at a not-so-dollar-knocking $38,690 just before on-roads. Or, of course, shut to Golf GTI cash. Certainly, a properly specced version abruptly doesn’t appear all that dollar-bangingly inexpensive. If there is a key shortcoming in the menus, it is that Polo actually requirements individuals 18s to appear like a bonafide GTI, but you shed the time-honored Tartan trim for much less real and truthfully unpleasant microfibre-cut seats that deprive more than a small from the or else ‘heritage’ feel. There’s definitely a perception of celebration in the Luxury-spec cabin, it merely doesn’t feel all that GTI genuine.
The general cabin impact is upmarket, although it is a combined event: standard frosted red dash and door inserts include a bit of display, the regular analog gauges are thoroughly clean if a small uninspired, and you get a superbly completed flat-base wheel that’s surrounded by mishmash of substance rendering, with great soft-touch dash top and fascia surface areas countered by cheapo sparkly tough plastic material door skin we whinged about even in simple Polo versions. Extremely nice, however, is the full LED treatment for equally strip ‘mood’ and studying lighting, which is a good premium touch.
The (optionally available) second-generation digital Active Information Display is clean in image resolution and very clear, the typefaces and graphics complementing the infotainment screen properly, and is worthy additional waste money… if you easily overlook for a minute the very same digital instrumentation arrives standard in a $22,490 Polo Surpasses. There is no exclusive navigation in this base Structure-level infotainment system, however, all GTIs have thorough smartphone mirroring. The front seats are excellent, not fantastic. They’re the manual-modification type with good bolstering for sensible lateral assistance if a small flat in the seat back, however, they are calm sufficient in form for good long-haul comfort. With distinct contouring in the second-row seating, like regular Polo, it is a compact with appropriate four-mature holiday accommodation and, offered there is no three-door presented, you get five-door functionality regardless of whether you like the body style or otherwise.
With the car’s battery transferred to under the momentary extra wheel, boot space drops from 351 liters to 305L, however, provided the volume dropped is all under the floor there’s ostensibly no much less sensible boot space. Vital to Polo GTI’s achievement is exactly where the motion is and shoehorning a big turbo 2.0-liter engine into a compact body, portly 1355kg or otherwise not is inspired in a period when some warm hatches a sector larger are plying industry with much less capacity. The lover catch in this article is that you get yesterday’s Golf GTI stock in what is fundamentally today’s Golf GTI engine – even though detuned – making a wholesome 147kW and a class-ruling 320Nm. Of course, 40Nm more than the outdated Mk V Golf in which it largely shares excess weight and size.
It is that torque that underpins a persuading premium driving encounter. A reaction is quick and lusty, velocity powerful and wheelspin off the mark is a twitch of the proper foot out. Dual-clutch transmissions, especially of Volkswagen/Audi stock, constantly reply much more cleanly and vigilantly when plied with an excess fat covering of torque, in this case from 1450rpm via to 4390rpm, in which peak power shows up, and remarkably earlier at that. Premium of course, but this is obviously understressed and mildly peppered tuned and if there is something missing in the combine it is an assertive top end and convincingly rorty character when pursuing what the devices market as a 6500rpm redline, irrespective of the nice if a bit synthesized pops and crackles when changed to Sport powertrain mode. It is a flat delivery, with solid lows and mids and tapered off levels, an engine motivating at the very least what looks like brief changing to give back the highest pace, and it will not be satisfying to some very hot hatch traditionalist’s likes.
It is, however, massively driveable and mainly gratifying. VAG’s turbo four-DSG powertrain calibrations are at any time boosting, with increased versatility in Typical mode and much less hyperactivity in Sport and, once again, the big-engine/small-package formula does Polo GTI numerous favors. But it is not ideal, the previous mode nevertheless pursuing 1000rpm a tiny as well keenly, the second option keeping greater rpm a lot more ardently you would like at pace under ‘flat out’. It’d be good to touch the engine’s Sports reaction with the transmission’s Typical calibrations but you can not, in spite of becoming in a position to drill down in Personal personalization and modify six various variables (Steering, Drive, ACC, Air-con, Engine sound, and Sports Pick suspension damping). We only sampled this powertrain at good road pace – it may properly convert wrung out on track – but it is also really worth remembering the DSG will upshift on its very own accord, relatively timid of the engine’s 6500rpm ‘target’, even in full Manual mode.
Some hard work went into the GTI suspension tune over the regular Polo, which includes various geometry front and rear, and the standard fitment of two-mode Sports Choose damping is an excellent addition at this price point. However it does use a torsion beam rear design: par for the compact hatch course, possibly if a much less-advanced program than a correctly impartial file format. The fantastic news is that torsion beam rear is not a concrete anchor to GTI’s managing capabilities. In holistic dynamic character, the mega Polo factors obediently are situated flats and stay impressively constructed when thrust by means of backcountry contour. At speeds that will not change your license, it is safe as homes and properly strapped down, especially at the rear, and favors a much more harmless than frisky transit. Therefore pedaled, it truly does exist a Junior Golf GTI practical experience consistently, but what is deficient from the combine is that energetic feistiness and razor-like pointiness identified in, say, a Fiesta ST or Clio RS. Even without competition in providing the company that to evaluate, the Volkswagen looks to plainly favor a lot more circular and much more even on-road practical experience that some explain, correctly or else, as a kind of maturation.
2019 Volkswagen Polo 6 GTI Interior
In both of the suspension’s two Sport Pick settings – two switchable states of tune, although not genuine-time ‘adaptive’ per se – the lump and come back qualities are impressively fixed. It is just a bloody company. In a sleek atmosphere the ride of the chassis is difficult to mistake, but on the 3rd-world byways of country New South Wales, exactly where road upkeep appears totally dependent on black gum chewing, the much softer Regular mode could get really fidgety, the Sports mode totally exhausting. The warning in this article is that I canvassed a number of other – generally more youthful – journos on launch and I was certainly the outlier when judging ride comfort. “It’s fine,” mentioned the bulk. However, if you are anticipating deluxe company and plan to devote the vast majority of possession tooling close to town at 60km/h, never say I did not advise you…
The larger sidewalls of the 17-inch Michelin Primacy silicone requires a small brittleness out of the ride compared with the Bridgestone Turanzas fitted when deciding for 18s and, indeed, neither of them are shut to heroic performance rubberized in ingredient or design, equally plying a moderate 215mm of width to Nature. But the level of road-retaining available is extremely amazing. The only time we identified the silicone commence to falter in the hold was plunging way as well warm into hairpins or pinning the throttle flat by means of a 4th-equipment sweeper.
As an all-rounded preliminary impact, the Polo 6 GTI actually is shock free if objectives are that of a modestly downsized very hot Golf encounter. In opposition to its forerunners, this compact five-door is undoubtedly a bit more Golf and a bit more convincingly correct GTI. But, reasonably, was it heading to be other things? Properly, indeed, maybe it may. These days there are expanding objectives that small warm hatches ought to be correctly fast and all-rounded achieved, while the compact warm hatch fulfills a more cost-effective slot that prioritizes exciting and offers large in an on-road community forum at legal pace. Original thoughts recommend the compact Polo 6 GTI wishes to push more difficult into small territory than several of its sector competitors, that can make sure you some customers greatly, however probably prevent other individuals. That’s no judgments, brain, but simply viewing. At the very least, that’s the viewing of what is presently a single launch version presented with three predetermined deals (instead of person options). I cannot support pondering this is not the pinnacle a Polo GTI might be for some purchasers, even by fairly shallow actions.
It begins with the silliness of not capable to choose a version with big wheels and Tartan trim, but expands to places that ride may be relatively tamed and the engine could harden up a bit. There may be a selection of manual transmission. And that $30,990 purchase-in point appears significantly less like an awesome deal when the equipment listing is fully dissected. With Volkswagen Australia possessing previously presented myriad versions of a fast Golf concept in its generation’s quick lifecycle, you can wager a home the range of selection in Polo 6 GTI will broaden in future regardless of the limited pickings for variance in the last generation. Although this new generation is undoubtedly massively remarkable in numerous locations, maybe its finest is nevertheless to appear.
