Volkswagen GTI Test Drive Review, Specifications, 0-100, Top Speed, Images
Meet the new Volkswagen GTI. Basically, it鈥檚 a close relative of the Polo GTI that鈥檚 on sale abroad, but for us, VW India has thought it best to dissociate the Polo moniker from this car. In essence, however, the GTI is nothing but a 3-door Polo with a high-strung 1.8 L turbocharged petrol engine under its hood. So, what you get is a 1273 KGs car with about 190 HP on tap. Sounds like a delicious recipe, does not it? Last month, I spent a rather chilly morning behind the wheel of the hottest new hatch in the town. As we said, the GTI is based on the 3-door Polo hatchback, which means it鈥檚 almost instantly recognizable as the hot version of the standard Polo. Apart from that one obvious difference, there are a few other giveaways of this Polo鈥檚 performance credentials. There are LED headlamps along with a new front bumper.
And of course, you also get the GTI grille with the signature red stripe. At the back, there鈥檚 a sportier bumper with a dual tip exhaust. Unfortunately, the standard set of alloys are similar to the 16-inchers you get on the Polo GT. However, buyers can also opt for sportier 17-inch rims. Much like the exterior, even the interior is nearly identical to that of the vanilla Polo. Changes here include a new flat bottom steering with contrast red stitching and a GTI badge and sportier seats. Also, quite obviously, the rear seat space isn鈥檛 as generous, but space is just about enough for an average Indian adult. My time behind the wheel of the Volkswagen GTI was restricted to a just over half an hour. So, I won鈥檛 be able to tell you too much about the way this car drives and handles. However, what I can tell you with absolute certainty is that the Volkswagen GTI is fast and fun.
It will do the 0-100 KMPH sprint in 7.2 seconds and can hit a top whack of 233 KMPH. The beautifully weighted steering and the quick 7-speed DSG ensure you enjoy every single second you spend driving this thing. There are paddle shifters available and while you certainly won鈥檛 be as quick controlling gearshifts manually, they do offer more driver engagement, which ups the fun quotient. One department in which the Polo GTI exceeds expectations is ride quality. Being a European hot hatch, I did not expect it to be as kind to my spine as it turned out to be. VW has tweaked the suspension to suit Indian conditions and it is evident from the way the Volkswagen GTI rides over rough patches. In fact, Volkswagen seems to have hit the sweet spot with the GTI鈥檚 suspension setup. It is stiff enough to ensure there is barely any body roll whilst ensuring the occupants are ferried around in a reasonable amount of comfort.
Disc brakes all around keep hard braking from turning into a hair-raising experience. 215/45 16s offer sufficient grips at all times and contribute to the GTI鈥檚 impressive ride quality. The biggest trouble with the Volkswagen GTI is the asking price. Around 30 lakhs on road is a lot of money for what most people consider a souped up Polo. It isn鈥檛, by the way. It鈥檚 much more than that. Besides, let鈥檚 take a look at the alternatives. There鈥檚 the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which is less powerful and slower. Then there鈥檚 the Mini Cooper S. It鈥檚 faster, but more expensive. Fiat Abarth 595 is almost as fast, but you鈥檒l have to contend with bone jarring ride quality and a wretched AMT. Plus, the look of bewilderment on people鈥檚 faces seeing a seemingly stock Polo scamper away like that once the light turns green as they sit there muttering expletives has to account for something, right? Oh, and lest we forget, there are only 99 GTIs up for sale in India so, you better hurry.
Tom Smith: Yeah. The screaming Hatchback. Tom Smith: You could call it the screaming Hatchback. So that鈥檚 the outside, now, let鈥檚 take it inside, which we鈥檝e already done as well, but talk specifics. Clinton Quan: It鈥檚 got really nice supportive seats. Tom Smith: And then the drive itself, the specifics, where did you go? Clinton Quan: I took the GTI SE up to Lake Arrowhead. Clinton Quan: -it鈥檚 a really fun car to drive on the winding roads. Tom Smith: It should be a theme in this podcast, it鈥檚 a really fun car drive. Clinton Quan: Yes. I mapped out the route, I wanted to take a route where I could really test out the suspension and the handling of the vehicle. And it did not disappoint. Tom Smith: It did not disappoint and mission accomplished the way that you mapped it out, it worked out just fine for you. Clinton Quan: It worked out just fine. Tom Smith: So, at the end of this test drive, the professor brings the vehicle back with a big grin ear to ear. Tom Smith: Okay. So anything else before we get to the top three?
