Hot hatches are meant to be exciting devices that make you take the long road home, and the latest VW Polo GTI wants to be that car.
Packing more power than ever, courtesy of a 2.0-liter TSI engine that makes 197hp (200PS) and 236lb-ft (320Nm) of torque, the new Polo GTI appears to have closed the gap to its Golf GTI sibling by a significant margin.
Zero to 62mph (100km/h) takes 6.7 seconds when fitted with the dual-clutch gearbox, while top speed is a very autobahn-friendly 147mph (247km/h).
Combined with the new generation’s bigger dimensions, the latest Polo GTI also appears to be more competent than ever, taking advantage of the MQB-A0 platform and all the tricks that come with it. These include goodies such as wider tracks as well as adaptive dampers.
Those looking for a proper Fiesta ST alternative however are going to be left with a more mature take on hot-hatches, as the new VW Polo GTI performs better as a one-car-to-do-it-all according to Auto Express.
It’s not that VW doesn’t know how to make exciting hatchbacks, but apparently the new Polo GTI is not the firecracker some hoped it would be.