[GTO]

Frightfully expensive. The Mumbai price will go close to 35 lakhs (with Octroi + higher RTO taxes for CBUs). You could get a BMW 320d for about the same money.

Such cars are best bought used. If I really wanted one, I'd wait for 2 - 3 years and buy a pre-worshipped example at less than half the price.

[deetjohn]

Oops! A lot higher than what I had in mind. But good that they are launching the 3 door, that adds a lot of character. Should have stuck to the MT though. Would have shaved off some big ones from the sticker price and eased off the DSG woes too.

A BMW 118d at 31 lakhs is not too far off, too bad there is no petrol option on that one though. But then, you do get rear wheel drive fun and the badge.

[sandeepmohan]

After spending 30 lacs, I still need to flip a switch for the IRVM!

The bits that impress are the engine and gearbox. Close to 190 horses and just under 1300 kilos to lug around. Guaranteed to wet your pants. A few additional toys are available. More active and passive safety kit to keep you safe. You cannot ignore the electronic differential.

The problem area. I pass a red 1.2l petrol Polo atleast once a week. He has the GTI badge and that honey comb grill too. Would he notice me when I pass? No. After paying so much, I get a car that looks identical to a standard Polo and that is no good.

While I have no complaints with the quality of materials used in a Polo, the GTI needs to be several notches above. I guess it will, being an import. Looking at the dash board layout, there is little that suggests a material upgrade.

What I want to know is, have VW done anything at all with the suspension? Sure, the bigger, fatter rubber will help but that is not enough.

For those who can afford the GTI, you are lucky. For those who cannot, don't think twice and go get yourself a GT Tsi. It is absolute bang for the buck.

[AYP]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

From my experience, Polo TSi does not have the highway manners required for a long high speed intercity journey. I alter between my Polo and Laura for my outstation trips and Polo is nowhere near the Laura. Even slightest undulations (like wavy tar patch, makeshift pothole patches, etc) throw the Polo off balance. Even on reasonably well surfaced road it's not as planted as it should, too much of vertical movement and jolts every now and then. On the same roads, Laura is rock steady! Any surface irregularities on a turn completely shake the Polo and I have to be extra cautious with steering to keep it pointed in the intended direction along the curves. On the same curves, laura is much much more composed and relaxed. I think track width, wheelbase, weight - all matter. And of course Laura brakes are awesome, Polo brakes are pathetic.

Is the GTI better built than regular Polo? Does it really have the high speed dynamics required? Else, it will be a strict no no. Superb TSi will be heavenly, no doubt.

I have driven the Jetta and it definitely feels much more planted and solid than the Fiesta I used to drive till recently. However, the size does come into play in some situations and I guess it being a GTI, should offer better driving dynamics than a regular Polo. Though yes, even I am not too sure about it.

[suhaas307]

As with most pricing strategies off late, this one seems like a bit much.

35 lakhs OTR will get you:

- Skoda Superb / Octavia with some left over dough. Both cars will offer more practicality and behave better whilst being driven on long distance, by virtue of their longer wheel-bases.

- Ford Endeavour. Seats 7. Looks the bomb! Capable of towing a small village.

- A mildly used 2015 F56 Mini Cooper S. Has waaayyyy more character. Feels alive in your hands whilst being driven hard. Brand recognition.

- A used f30 320d. Diesel. RWD. 4 seats. A boot. And a propellor on its nose.

- A Polo GT TSI modified to the hilt, AND an Abarth Punto for the manual experience

Personally, I would have been interested if it was around 20. But at 35 OTR it's just too much money. Sure, the GTI shares little with its watered-down Indian cousin. Everything from the suspension, brakes, entire interior, is different. The switchgear is not interchangeable, the instrument binnicle is exclusive to the GTI, as are the seats and the famed steering wheel that some of us are familiar with. The GTI sold in India is a completely different car from the GT TSI that doesn't get split rear seats or even a boot-lamp (yes!)

But let's remind ourselves that the 3-door Polo is no longer in production and has been discontinued worldwide. So what we see here is surplus stock of the 3-door GTI that they've been struggling to sell elsewhere because the demand for 3-door Polos has dropped significantly since 2013.

In my opinion, VW would have made a serious impact if they had chosen the path they took in China. Use the existing Polo platform. Shoehorn the Octavia's 1.4 TSI engine instead of the 1.8, thereby negating the need to fiddle with the battery and ensure that it's retained in the engine compartment. Upgrade the brakes and suspension. Get an interior and exterior GTI kit and call it a day. But all this would expectedly cost them a fair amount and VW is not interested in investing in India, unless the returns are exponential.

[dZired]

Volkswagen has launched the Polo GTI in India at a price of Rs. 25.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. This will be the first car to have the Volkswagen's high-performance GTI badge in India. The automaker has also announced that only 99 units of the car will be available for the Indian market. Bookings of the GTI have started from today on Volkswagen's official website.

The Polo GTI launched in India gets a three-door structure, which easily differentiates it from the regular Polo hatchbacks. Other cosmetic differences include sportier front and rear bumpers, new headlamps, a front grille with the GTI badge, dual chrome-tipped exhausts, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The Polo GTI is powered by a 1.8-litre TSI engine that churns out 189 BHP and 250 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The company claims that the GTI can clock a 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.2 seconds, while its top speed is 233 km/h.

In order to handle the added power and torque, the automaker has tweaked the chassis a bit. The Polo GTI gets a limited slip differential (LSD) at the front, while the suspension dampers too have been stiffened. The car will be equipped with 6 airbags.

Link to Team-BHP News

[karan561]

Originally Posted by dZired

The Polo GTI is powered by a 1.8-litre TSI engine that churns out 189 BHP and 320 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The company claims that the GTI can clock a 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.2 seconds, while its top speed is 233 km/h.

320 NM will be for the Manual variant, this being a 7 speed A/T i think the torque will be 250 NM

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

After spending 30 lacs, I still need to flip a switch for the IRVM!

In addition, you pay 30L and still get a steel wheel as spare. .Although well loaded, some small and significant things seem missing.

Edit: Just noticed the ARAI rating of 16.xx. Pretty impressive. Although I suppose, FE would be the last thing on a buyers mind.

[Epic]

Oh man a brilliant car but a pity that the price will almost touch the 30 lakh mark on road!!

I think VW will face a challenge to sell even these 99 cars and only because of the price.

[TheARUN]

What can I say, stratospheric pricing! Volkswagen might have a case to justify this price but its going to be very difficult for the middle-class enthusiast to convince his/her folks at home

I can foresee many regular Polos running around in this same livery in a few months, hope Volkswagen has the bumpers and lights in stock because I think they can make more money selling these parts than selling the actual car

Having said this, its good that Volkswagen is showing us what products they are capable of putting on our roads. Its a small step in the right direction for the entire industry

[aditya9567]

Originally Posted by dZired

Volkswagen has launched the Polo GTI in India at a price of Rs. 25.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. [/b]

Damn that's a lot of money for a Polo! This will easily cross 35L OTR in a place like Bangalore which is premium German territory! Regardless, there are still positive points to be taken out from this,

1. I'm happy that the hot hatch space has finally opened up in India - this will hopefully lead to other manufacturers offering their own versions in the segment - Ford, Maruti for starters
2. I think this is definitely faster to the ton and otherwise than any other car at the same price point and will offer the most performance/money even at these prices
3. Good Demand --> CKD/Local assembly --> Lower Prices --> Demand. Plus, more competition in this segment will potentially lead to lower prices leading to enthusiasts

Wishful thinking from my end - take out the DSG, put in the lovely 6 speed manual and give the full 320 Nm at a reduced cost

Originally Posted by dZired

The automaker has also announced that only 99 units of the car will be available for the Indian market. [/b]

Any idea on the time-frame of this 99 units?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by GTO

Frightfully expensive. The Mumbai price will go close to 35 lakhs (with Octroi + higher RTO taxes for CBUs). You could get a BMW 320d for about the same money.

Such cars are best bought used. If I really wanted one, I'd wait for 2 - 3 years and buy a pre-worshipped example at less than half the price.

With only 99 cars for sale in India, and with the DSG gearbox at it's limits, plus the boy racer tag - finding the perfect pre-worshipped example will definitely not be easy!

Honestly - this is ridiculous pricing! At the same price, I can get a pre-worshipped 320D Luxury line/sport line and still have enough left over for BSI + the M-Performance kit (that should take care of the performance and reliability) + get RWD and a car that can is that much more practical and modern!

This was a very tempting option as a city run-about too, thanks to the DSG gearbox (Manual would have been so much purer, and would also open up the aftermarket tuning possibilities - 300+bhp?) but at this price, for purely city driving, a pre-owned Mini Cooper S is just that much more special! A little slower yes, but that much more nicer to live with!

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

In addition, you pay 30L and still get a steel wheel as spare. .Although well loaded, some small and significant things seem missing.

No way! I completely missed that. I'd ignore the auto irvm but a spare steel wheel is not done.

I guess a smart key fob will be too much to ask.
Yes; some essential are indeed missing.

[graaja]

I was looking forward to the launch of the GTi and was even thinking about upgrading the Polo GT TSi to the GTi. 20 lakh was my limit. At 20L, it would still take a lot of convincing at home and getting a little beaten up as well, but possible nevertheless. This pricing puts the GTi totally out of reach. I am guessing there may be many more GT TSi owners in the same situation.

The biggest strengths of the GTi, I believe would be:

Power - The 189BHP 1.8TSi engine
Ride and handling - Better suspension setup. We don't know for sure how much they have tuned this for Indian conditions, but it should still be leagues ahead the Polo GT
Brakes - All round disc brakes
Safety - 6 airbags

Comparing the same parameters on the Polo GT TSi:
Power - 105BHP 1.2TSi engine
Ride and handling - Body roll due to poor suspension setup
Brakes - Rear drum brakes
Safety - 2 airbags

The GTi would have slightly better equipment levels than the Polo GT - like the instrument cluster, HU etc. But purely from driving point of view, these do not matter.

Now if I spend about 2 lakhs - 30K on a remap, 1.2 lakhs on a coilover setup and 40K on brake upgrades, that would fix (or atleast improve) three of these parameters. Though this will never make the Polo GT have the same driving dynamics as the GTi, it would definitely make the Polo GT TSi a hot hatch.

And this is exactly what I am planning now - subject to approvals at home of course!

[raghu.bramha]

I wasn't surprised a bit considering how iconic the GTi badge is!

Way back in time VW Golf GTi was THE hot hatch to have and its predecessors were even better with time.

It's a good car; not suited for Indian market though. 99 cars of the initial batch will sell oh yeah! Enthusiasts will love it no doubt but looking at the additional costs to the ex-showroom price will be a deterrent.

+ Adding to the list of alternatives is the newly announced Audi compact sedan expected pricing is around 30lakhs plus the brand name

I was furious when FIAT announced Abart performance car but had to love their pricing they didn't disappoint as much as they disappointed with their gearbox in the car. Well no buyers for the Abarth either. Sad to have witnessed hot hatches being trashed like this.