German carmaker Volkswagen launched it performance hatchback, the Polo GTI in India in November 2016 for Rs 25.65 lakh. In mid-2017, VW India has reduced the price of the hot hatch to Rs 20.68 lakh (ex-showroom). Emerging reports indicate that some dealers are now selling the sports hatchback for as low as Rs 16 lakh (ex-showroom Pune) to clear stocks. This means the Polo GTI is now offered with nearly Rs 10 lakh discount to the original price.
During the launch, VW India announced that only 99 units of the car would be sold here. However, reports say now the company is not sticking to the specified units and plans to sell more units in India.
You may be curious why such an enormous discount for the Polo GTI in India? Reports say Volkswagen is currently in pursuit to sell the remaining stock of last-gen Polo GTI in selected markets like India as all-new MQB platform-based Polo has been introduced in international markets recently.
The polo GTI pitted against Fiat Abarth 595 Competizione and Mini Cooper S in the niche luxury hot hatch segment of India. The Polo GTI in India is offered only in the three-door avatar. The hatch comes powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder TSI petrol mill that can churn out 189bhp of power mated to seven-speed DSG gearbox. The car can hit 0-100kmph in 7.2 seconds and has a top speed of 233kmph.
To set itself apart from the other Polo variants, the GTI version gets full LED headlamps with DRL and red inserts, front bumper with signature GTI honeycomb grille, dual chrome exhaust pipes, reflectors on rear bumper and body cladding on seal panel, tail light clusters in dark red and a black grained diffuser. It rides on 16-inch grey metallic alloys.
On the safety front, the hot hatch houses ABS, six airbags and electronic stability control with driver steering recommendation. Other features in the Polo GTI include Hill Start Assist, cruise control, 60:40 foldable rear seats, tilt and adjustable steering wheel, cooled glove box, infotainment system with Aux, USB and Bluetooth connectivity and six speakers.
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