2015 Volkswagen Polo GTI or Golf 6 GTI: Old Classic vs. New and Improved

But this next review from the South Africans at Cars doesn't take things for granted. It's quite interesting that the 2015 Polo GTI costs today about the same as the previous generation Golf model did when it was new. This goes to show that small doesn't necessarily mean cheap when German cars are involved.

The 2015 version of the hot Polo has done a better job than ever of copying its bigger brother. There're a honeycomb grille, available LED headlights and some other sporty touches. But the important bit is under the bonnet.

German engineers threw away the 1.4-liter TSI that was available until now and started from scratch with the 1.8 TSI. The result is more power available sooner in the rev band and a noticeable increase in torque. The DSG option is still available, but the manual is far better because it's more engaging and can handle the full 320 Nm of torque, while the DSG can only cope with 250 Nm.

Getting back to the Golf 6 GTI, this old timer has 18 more horsepower but 40 Nm less torque. It's heavier and takes longer to reach 100 km/h.

Most (if not all) GTI owners drive their cars to work every day. That's what makes a hot hatch so great since that 200 horsepower engine is matched by a practical body. It's in this regard that the Polo loses to the older Golf, which is more practical and much more comfortable on longer journeys.

The conclusion of the review is that the Polo GTI is "the better car without being the better buy". However, we'd do something completely different if it were our money. We'd wait another year and buy a used 3-door Golf 7 GTI with a manual, as it's better than both of today's contenders.