Photo: KDesign AG via Instagram
Let's face it, the release of the Volkswagen Polo mid-life facelift needed a bit of excitement. Since it couldn't have come from the car itself, the company should thank whoever decided to leak the images one day early, thus creating a little buzz around the launch.
Now that the dust has settled, and everyone saw VW fell for the faux exhaust tips trend once again (after doing it so blatantly on the Golf 7 facelift and Golf 8), the Polo has once again become that reliable little hatchback that's about as exciting as a trip to the supermarket when you're out of milk.
While not exactly an asphalt shredder itself either, the hatchback's hotter GTI version is sure to bring an injection of adrenaline to the model's lineup. However, we wouldn't be surprised to see a few changes compared to the current version.
To recap, the Volkswagen Polo GTI you can still buy from the German company's dealerships comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an output of precisely 200 PS (197 hp) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) directed toward the front wheels only through a six-speed automatic transmission. Performance-wise, the GTI will reach 62 mph (100 kph) in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 147 mph (237 kph), though we've seen it hit 149 mph (240 kph) during a recent Autobahn stint.
Keeping a two-liter engine in a car the size of the Polo doesn't make sense anymore, particularly when Volkswagen has smaller engines that put out just as much power, if not even more. Just look at the 1.4-liter in the new Golf putting out either 201 or 242 hp. The first of these two would make a perfect replacement, but, as always, there's a catch.
It's a plug-in hybrid powertrain, so installing it in a small-sized performance-oriented hatchback, assuming it's even possible, would severely affect its handling. Even if Volkswagen were to reduce the size of the 13 kWh battery, it would still make the Polo much too heavy, despite the smaller and lighter engine. At the same time, Volkswagen will have to start the electrification of its sportier vehicles at some point, so why not now?
There's always the possibility the facelifted Polo GTI will carry on with the same 2.0-liter engine, with Volkswagen waiting for the next generation to implement any significant changes. Either way, expect its exterior styling to look something like this rendering. We particularly like the Golf GTI-like dual exhausts, though the Polo traditionally uses a twin-pipe setup, so this might be wishful thinking.
While not exactly an asphalt shredder itself either, the hatchback's hotter GTI version is sure to bring an injection of adrenaline to the model's lineup. However, we wouldn't be surprised to see a few changes compared to the current version.
To recap, the Volkswagen Polo GTI you can still buy from the German company's dealerships comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an output of precisely 200 PS (197 hp) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) directed toward the front wheels only through a six-speed automatic transmission. Performance-wise, the GTI will reach 62 mph (100 kph) in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 147 mph (237 kph), though we've seen it hit 149 mph (240 kph) during a recent Autobahn stint.
Keeping a two-liter engine in a car the size of the Polo doesn't make sense anymore, particularly when Volkswagen has smaller engines that put out just as much power, if not even more. Just look at the 1.4-liter in the new Golf putting out either 201 or 242 hp. The first of these two would make a perfect replacement, but, as always, there's a catch.
It's a plug-in hybrid powertrain, so installing it in a small-sized performance-oriented hatchback, assuming it's even possible, would severely affect its handling. Even if Volkswagen were to reduce the size of the 13 kWh battery, it would still make the Polo much too heavy, despite the smaller and lighter engine. At the same time, Volkswagen will have to start the electrification of its sportier vehicles at some point, so why not now?
There's always the possibility the facelifted Polo GTI will carry on with the same 2.0-liter engine, with Volkswagen waiting for the next generation to implement any significant changes. Either way, expect its exterior styling to look something like this rendering. We particularly like the Golf GTI-like dual exhausts, though the Polo traditionally uses a twin-pipe setup, so this might be wishful thinking.
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