Polo TSI or GTI? The difference between the VW cars

Loyal fanbases in the automotive world are common, but unsurprisingly, some more so than others. Case in point, South Africa’s penchant for the Volkswagen Polo TSI and Polo GTI.

Polo success

Consistently within the top 10 of the country’s best-selling vehicles come the monthly National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures, the Kariega, formerly Uitenhage, assembled Polo is also Wolfsburg’s key export model as it is sent to 38 global markets, excluding South Africa.

In addition, the Nelson Mandela Bay plant is also the only facility in the world to assemble the Polo GTI for right-hand-drive markets.

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Built locally since 1998, initially as a rebadged Seat Ibiza under the Polo Classic and Polo Playa designations until 2002, the Polo officially followed the “global” route later that year with the move to produce the global market and, therefore “proper” model.

Since then, a total of two millions Polos have been built, with the two millionth example, bound for Germany, departing the Kariega Plant on 6 December last year.

TSI vs GTI

For all its success though, the one lingering factor that has upped the Polo’s desirability is the TSI badge that has become part of the model’s lexicon despite many not even knowing what it means. Put simply, if it doesn’t say Polo TSI, “we don’t want it”.

So, what does this denominator that has graced the Polo since 2015 stand for? Whereas GTI stands for Grand Touring Injection, TSI denotes Turbo Stratified Injection and besides confirming the presence of a turbocharger, references the engine’s improved power response and better fuel consumption over older TFSI designated mills.

Before this, TSI badged models, especially the fifth generation Golf and the original Tiguan, sported both turbo-and-supercharging on their 1.4-litre engines, while the FSI or Fuel Stratified Injection suffix that started everything off, refers to the engine’s ability to provide better power by emitting a so-called “stratified charge” when fuel enters the combustion chamber.

It is worth noting though that no Polo sold in South Africa ever featured the FSI badge as the TSI took prominence, first with a displacement of 1.2-litres and then 1.0-litres that continues until today.

As for the Polo GTI, the iconic suffix “borrowed” from the Golf GTI replaces the TSI on the bootlid, although its engine, the 147kW/320Nm, employs the same TSI method of distributing power despite not being named outright.

Additional information from www.alexsautohaus.com.