[prateekchanana]

Hi Megazoid,

Very well written and detailed review. It is a wonderful car, shame that it was not a success in India and was sold for a very short time. Hope it comes back to India sometime again in future, may be even with the new 1.5L engine. It would be great upgrade for all Polo owners looking for a daily run car.

Wish you many more happy miles.

[Santoshbhat]

Nice review there! Loved reading and relating . The GTI is such a wonderful package and is just so well suited for our conditions. The price at launch was a bitter pill to swallow for enthusiasts. A few of us who did swallow that pill did come out winners! There simply has been no other car in the market ever since that comes anywhere close to the GTI in terms of price to driving joy ratio.

I am quite surprised how VW engineers got the handling and dynamics right despite the increased ride height for India. I was worried that they would have spoilt the handling in trying to jack it up for our conditions. I too would have preferred the 17" rims with Euro spec ride height. But then again I keep thanking VW for the sensible 16" option every time I hit something sharp and hard.

How do you manage with such a low car in BLR with its gigantic speed breakers?!! I believe the GTI is about 10 to 12mm lower than the regular Polo. 30mm lower still must be literally scraping the ground!

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

Hey Megazoid,

I wish you many happy miles.

I just want to point out that this can be dangerous if the bottle manages to roll under the brake pedal. Please avoid keeping a water bottle in the door pocket if it doesn't stay in place.

I myself use the gap between the seat and the hand brake to store a slim water bottle (500/750 ml).

Thank you!
Yes. Will be carefull and find a better place or a tighter fitting bottle.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Appreciate your opinion on the following,

• Have you travelled with passengers at the rear? If so, how do they find/cope up the lack of doors?

Thanks.
Like I mentioned in the writeup, we are just two and my back seats are forever empty. But at various points in time, I have had to sit at the back especially on hill roads. The seat comfort is a non issue. In fact, it is quite good. Leg room for tall people (6ft etc) may be just about ok. The only two pain points that I see are the following

- getting in and out
- the large front seat size and the low rear seating make you altogether disappear from the scene as in you feel a bit like sitting in a comfortable cave without much
front visibility.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Nice review there! Loved reading and relating . A few of us who did swallow that pill did come out winners! There simply has been no other car in the market ever since that comes anywhere close to the GTI in terms of price to driving joy ratio.

Thank you Santosh !
Am right glad that I took the plunge witthout wasting time. And you won't believe how many times I have read your thread and how many times you have featured in discusions at home. Thanks for leading the way

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

How do you manage with such a low car in BLR with its gigantic speed breakers?!! I believe the GTI is about 10 to 12mm lower than the regular Polo. 30mm lower still must be literally scraping the ground!

I am quite careful in the city and kind of know the roads to the places well enough. But yes, one does need to have a general route map in mind to survive here. I guess living close to the ground all these years (B14s on the polo) has kind of made me bit of a survivor on this moonscape.

[avinash_clt]

Hello Megazoid,

Quite enjoyed reading the review of your GTI, especially how you find it as a vehicle that combines the strengths of the Polo GT TDI & Laura TSI. Still owning both these vehicle in our family, I could easily resonate with you on the shortcomings of the GT TDI (the horrible brake performance) as well as that of the Laura TSI.

Though we never had considered Polo GTI upgrade/addition, my vote was always for it than the Cooper S. Sure CBU pricing of GTI in India wasn't helpful, but then I personally saw Mini pricing as a worse rip-off, considering how both cars are priced in EU markets. Your take on the car based on the Polo/Laura comparisons just reaffirmed by beliefs.

Wish you lots of trouble-free miles.

Originally Posted by megazoid

Repairs and Issues

Service intervals are at 15K and regular consummables like filters, oil, pads, plugs don't cost the moon and are usually stocked at service without needing prior ordering. It alway helps to go over the required items for service in advance so that you can place your order just in case something is missing. My rotors need replacing and have to be ordered as they dont seem to be available in the parts bin.

Despite being a CBU model, the powertrain of the GTI shares lots in common with the larger VAG cars that utilise the 1.8TSI + DQ200 combo. That includes all of the regular fluids/filter as well as most of the consumables, meaning reasonable stock as well as pricing (no CBU premiums). The rotors would be unique to GTI as it uses a larger size (plus the rear pair), and has to be Polo's PCD (5x100). So no parts bin sharing with other VAG products in India. That should be the reason for additional lead time.

Suspension related components would also be unique in India, the various bushings, links etc, but again not regular maintenance items. Honestly this relative ease of maintenance of the GTI is another reason why I would have preferred it over the Cooper S.

Originally Posted by megazoid

Wheels and Tires
This GTI runs 205/55R!6 Michelin PS4's and is presently under tyred.

I suppose you mean 205/50 R16.
PS4s are excellent tyres with amazing grip, and often the highest load/speed ratings in smaller sizes. I have been considering moving away from 225/50 R16 (currently Yoko Advans) to 205/55 R16 for our Laura, but sadly the PS4 in this size is not available in India.

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by avinash_clt

Hello Megazoid,

Wish you lots of trouble-free miles.

I suppose you mean 205/50 R16.

Thank you!

And I stand corrected. You are absolutely right with the tire size. Wonder how I managed to get that wrong consistently. And you are spot on with your other observations too.

[suhaas307]

Hi Megazoid,

Great thread, and a great car you've got there!

I always find myself wondering if I should have saved what I'd spent on upgrades for my little TSI, but then I'd realise I'd have nothing to spare for the upgrades I would have wanted on my GTI.

I've come to realise that it's just not possible to recreate the magic of the GTI in a humble GT TSI, even if you were to spend 2x the amount you'd spend on it. It's the little things that make the GTI great, like the sports seats, the brilliant all-wheel disc brakes and the little CBU-exclusive details on the inside that separates it from the local fare. Not to mention the significant details like that stonking 1.8 TSI engine.

I must ask vicariously, what else do you have in store for your car? Since the chassis is pretty sorted with the B12 setup, I would strongly recommend a downpipe and a map to go with it, if you'd be ready to explore that option. A TCU map is a must, if you ask me personally.

Don't hold back on the updates! I'm subscribed and would like to see more!

Fantastic videos by the way!

P.S. Please tell us your experience with the B14 on the GT TDI vis à vis the B12 on your GTI? What's the damping like? Since it's not adjustable, just like in the B12, it would be an interesting comparison. A good friend runs a similar setup (B14) on his GT TSI and was very pleased with it when his commutes included the ECR. But when he moved to Bangalore he's been struggling with the ride quality and is contemplating switching to something more comfortable for the daily commute. Also, how would you compare the ride to something like a Bilstein B4 / Sachs / TRW / Meyle paired with lowering springs? Apologies, if this is OT.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by megazoid

Attachment 2005315

Hello folks,

This red VW Polo GTI came to me in April 2018 with 800km on the odo and now with two years and 30K kms behind us, I must admit it has punched well above its weight. ]

Congrats megazoid on this truly scintillating yet exclusive Hot Hatch in the country!!

Some bit of your car ownership is similar to mine, as I was also one of those lucky few who got to own the legendary 1.6 GT TDI. If things on the personal front did not sway as much as it did last year, I'd be still driving around in this car.

But GTI, although a skimpier version of the international model, would have been my pick had it been around. Your car looks smashing in that red shade buddy, and those B12s have hunkered down that land missile.
30K clicks in under 2 years only goes to show how addicted you are to this 2 door hard hitter.

Hope to see your stead and probably meet you sometime when things normalize and 'Namma Bengaluru' choc-o-block traffic returns.

Wishing you a very happy and fun-filled motoring.

[procrj]

Congrats Megazoid on the hot hatch. IMO, looks much better in red vis a vis the black wrap. I have never been a fan of small cars but there are some that tug at the heart and the GTI was definitely one of them. Drive safe and keep posting more videos and pic of your sweet ride!

P.S: You must have a really strong level of confidence/belief to drive your car over the moonscapes of Bangalore

[rageshgr]

Great thread Hari ji. Always a pleasure to behold the GTI. And always a pleasure to behold your writing. Enjoy the beauty.

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Great thread, and a great car you've got there!
Fantastic videos by the way!

Thank you!
Have read your car modifications thread and really liked the way you describe your experiences fine tuning the little Polo.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I must ask vicariously, what else do you have in store for your car? Since the chassis is pretty sorted with the B12 setup, I would strongly recommend a downpipe and a map to go with it, if you'd be ready to explore that option. A TCU map is a must, if you ask me personally.

Don't hold back on the updates! I'm subscribed and would like to see more!

Haha. Sure! I am not going to hold back on the updates. A few of the things you mention are planned.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

P.S. Please tell us your experience with the B14 on the GT TDI vis à vis the B12 on your GTI? What's the damping like? Since it's not adjustable, just like in the B12, it would be an interesting comparison. A good friend runs a similar setup (B14) on his GT TSI and was very pleased with it when his commutes included the ECR. But when he moved to Bangalore he's been struggling with the ride quality and is contemplating switching to something more comfortable for the daily commute. Also, how would you compare the ride to something like a Bilstein B4 / Sachs / TRW / Meyle paired with lowering springs? Apologies, if this is OT.

Those questions and your thread tell me that you really have spent time thinking on improvements for your car.

I have my old B14 suspensions from the Polo sitting at home. Your reference made me go take a peek at them. The right side rear shock has lived its life and needs replacement. The B14s are much harsher than the B12s without a doubt. I never adjusted the height of the car ever after installation. The B14 as you already know is a height adjustable suspension with out any damper adjustment. So, pretty much nothing can be done once you install it other than getting used to the harshness. Over smooth surfaces, the road holding was great and over bumps, the car would get thrown out of line.The car also got a visible camber angle (no camber correction kits used) and can result in uneven tire wear. It actually is meant for good roads only. With longer wheelbase cars, it is strict no no. Most speed humps will make you play see saw with the car.

With the B12's, I find it comfortable to drive on all kinds of roads other than those with large craters and monstrous humps. Road holding is good and this is more streetable as it can take the bad parts way better than the B14s. Bumps dont upset the car so much even though the wheel travel has reduced considerably due to the shorter spring length.

Just to bring some context into this, I had a Tein coilover on my swift with 16 levels of damping adjustment with stock height retained. This was a very good setup for all street usecases. Something like that would be what is needed perhaps for most people. Improve the dynamics without compromising the ride height.

Just to bring the worst side out, I have had experience running a Laura Diesel with B6 dampers and H&R sports springs in Bangalore. It was very very low and was a nightmare with the long wheelbase Laura and I really struggled with the car. Here are some snaps to make you shiver.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Hope to see your stead and probably meet you sometime when things normalize and 'Namma Bengaluru' choc-o-block traffic returns.

Thanks buddy. Yes. we can meet for sure.

Originally Posted by procrj

Congrats Megazoid on the hot hatch.
P.S: You must have a really strong level of confidence/belief to drive your car over the moonscapes of Bangalore

Thank you! An old carb esteem helps with some of the driving difficulties in Bangalore.

[shibujp]

Congrats Hari! Every pandemic has a silver lining eh? Corona is what it took for us to get treated to your GTI life! It's never too late, though. Sorry to hear about your accident.

I half expected you to move into the Skoda Octavia vRS world 245 or the previous but after reading through I guess it's very clear why you opted for this little gem! Small packages with big hearts.

How is the automatic transmission faring? Do you feel a manual would have been better given your experience with the same engine in the Octavia TSI?

Have you tried the stock tyre size even without them being PS4s? I would think that the extra half an inch of tread would make a difference. Usually people upsize...surprised to see a down size.

While the GTI is a great package I hold a grudge against VW for never giving us the manual trannies on their more powerful engine packages and five door options on the Polo GTI.

Drive on,
Shibu

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by megazoid

So when the GTI came, it had the good bits of both these cars in one package. The size of the polo and the power of the Laura.

The GTI just seems perfect in this sense!

Congrats on the car! 800 kms is like brand new and quite a lucky acquisition indeed! Wish VW had the pricing right from the start, or we could have seen a few more of these cars over the years.

[megazoid]

Originally Posted by shibujp

How is the automatic transmission faring? Do you feel a manual would have been better given your experience with the same engine in the Octavia TSI?

While the GTI is a great package I hold a grudge against VW for never giving us the manual trannies on their more powerful engine packages and five door options on the Polo GTI.

A manual would be the best option and very very enjoyable from a driving point of view and perhaps from a tuning perspective too. But, one cant push aside the fact that the DSG allows you to carry so much speed into corners consistently.

[megazoid]

Lockdown woes and tied feet. Couple of snaps popped out of a folder. One from a drive to chikmagalur with a vRS and one at Dhanushkodi.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by megazoid

The car also got a visible camber angle (no camber correction kits used) and can result in uneven tire wear.

It is always recommended to align your wheels each time you add/modify your suspension bits. The wheel alignment process will correct the camber angle too and will prevent any possible pulling issue.

Originally Posted by megazoid

Just to bring the worst side out, I have had experience running a Laura Diesel with B6 dampers and H&R sports springs in Bangalore. It was very very low and was a nightmare with the long wheelbase Laura and I really struggled with the car. Here are some snaps to make you shiver.

I'm running the same setup on my Abarth right now. Didn't the front B6 suspension (in your Laura) crash really harshly over sharper bumps/potholes? From what I know is that it isn't possible to fit a bump stopper in the front dampers Bilstein B6 dampers which resulted in a rather crashy ride (at least the OE Fiat ones don't fit). Was your experience similar?