We’re getting quite a few new, affordable hot hatchbacks in 2018. An extended bumper
crop, ha, if you like? No, alright. And Volkswagen is looking to beat all of them to market with
this, the most powerful Polo GTI it’s ever made and we’ve come to a rather slippery
circuit near the airport in Majorca to see what it’s all about. This car plays a more important
role strategically for Volkswagen as well than any Polo GTI did before, it’s kind
of more important for building the Polo brand than it ever used to be and you can tell that
when you’re getting familiar with it, I mean not only is there that 197 horsepower
engine, which frankly is no less power than the car really needs to be taken seriously. There’s
a choice of manual or six speed DSG gearboxes, you get the latest active info display instruments
here which apparently are better than the ones you get on a Passat. You get a big touch
screen infotainment system. It’s basically lots of sort of up market, technical material
features in this car that you don’t normally see on sort of pocket rocket fast superminis
and that’s because Volkswagen wants you to think of it as a proper GTI, it’s desirable
and classy, as well as being fun to drive. By bringing it in now, right at the start
of the regular Polo’s lifestyle, I guess tho whole Polo range benefits from that bit
of reflected glory. So, what’s it like? Well, it’s a Polo for one so it’s a big
supermini but it’s also a very practical, classy one. This car is now bigger, I think,
in all respects other than overall length, than a mark 4 Golf. So, yeah, it’s a pretty
big hatchback and you might think, well maybe that means it won’t have the sort of nimbleness,
the thread ability that great little hot hatchbacks have had over the years. Bare in mind that
the growth spurt this car has had has actually added more proportionally to the front track
width than it has to the wheelbase, so maybe, maybe, all is not lost. This feels like a
proper GTI form the inside now, it’s really desirable, nicely built, driving positions
great and there’s the obligatory tartan checked seats as well, I mean there’s plenty
of colour and life, sense of occasion to this car, which is what a GTI really needs. If
we’re honest, the engine in this car could be a little bit more exciting, a bit more
dramatic but it’s got plenty of torque, it responds really nicely and it makes for
plenty of pace. It’s very much the GTI philosophy to give you that linear, manageable sort of
feel to the powertrain, not to trade that for a sort of histrionic, more dramatic sort
of character that’s actually harder to use and on a greasy surface like this, manageability,
driveability, those are the things you need. The cars handling is very GTI, too, precise,
proportional, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it. What they’ve done
with that new front suspension knuckle is kept the front roll sensor higher than it
might be otherwise and that’s made for a really crisp turn in but also decent mid corner
balance and a bit less focus on managing the front axle than you get in some of these front-wheel-drive
performance machines. So, the net result is that this car is actually more playful than
you might expect a GTI to be. It’s true, some hot hatchbacks are a little bit livelier,
perhaps a bit more fun at low speeds but this isn’t completely straight laced, I mean
through faster corners you can move the rear end around pretty much as you want, like that.
ESP isn’t completely switchable but it’s got the sport mode that we’re in and that
gives you a bit of freedom and the front end feels nicely adhesive, there’s lots of steering
feel through the wheel, you get lots of confidence from it, grip levels pretty well balanced
and it’s fun, I mean what more do you want? So, this is progress, you know, this car does
what a GTI does, it’s pragmatic, it’s easy to drive, it looks after you a bit, but
it can be fun as well. Unless then, if you want something more dolled up and more lively,
you can have it, I mean think Mini Cooper S works, think Fiesta ST. This is the sort
of performance car that you don’t have to compromise or apologise for, it can be comfy,
grown up, you could use it everyday and you can have fun with it. If that makes it the
performance car that suits you and your life and your budget, well, it’s the best performance
car in the world isn’t it?