There is a VW Polo GTI to tickle everyone’s fancy

This week I joined hordes of other media and descended on Kariega, formerly Uitenhage, to drive South Africa’s favourite hatchback, the new VW Polo.

And while there I got up close and personal with not only the road going GTI model, but also snuck a peek at their 2022 VW Polo Cup GTI race car.

Updated VW Polo for sale

Here is a quick recap of what is available before I tackle the Polo GTI. Entry into the new Polo range starts at R311 800 for the 70 kW 1.0 TSI fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox.

An upgrade to Life spec comes in at R350 000, add to this a DSG gearbox and an extra 15 kW, and you are now in for R370 700.

ALSO READ: Self-shifting, refreshed Volkswagen Polo priced

Moving to the sportier R Line spec 85 kW 1.0 TSI DSG you will need to part with R421 900, and the top-of-the-range hot hatch on show today comes in at R489 400. So, what do you get for your Polo GTI money?

As part of the comprehensive model specification upgrade for 2022, you now have a Polo GTI with a front that features a new bumper and new headlights with a LED light strip along the grille in conjunction with what VW call IQ Light Matrix LEDs. At the rear you have new LED taillight clusters, a new bumper and tailgate.

On the inside, its digital technology all over the place. There is the Beats sound system and the Discover Media System which includes with navigation, wireless App-Connect, voice control, inductive mobile charging and the multi-colour Digital Cockpit Pro.

More options include the leather seat package, rear view camera, comfort park package (keyless entry, park assist and rear view camera) and safety package (Travel Assist consisting of adaptive cruise control, ‘stop-and-go’ speed limiter and lane assist, pedestrian monitoring and front assist).

The optional NCAP Package includes power adjustable, folding and heated exterior mirrors, lane assist, and front assist).

Polo GTI produces 147 kW

But it’s the drive of the Polo GTI that’s always going to get your heart racing. The tried and tested 147kW/320Nm, 2.0-litre TSI engine continues its legacy and offers you plenty go when you need it. And the 15 mm lower sports suspension offers a firm ride that is always fun and lets you know you are not driving a garden variety Polo.

Talking of getting your heart racing, you can get a brand new, fully prepared, pukka VW Polo Cup race car that is based on the Polo GTI you for a fair bit of cash less than that of the price of a stock standard showroom car. For around R420 000 you can go racing in the longest standing one make race series in the country.

This year will be the 26th season of VW Polo Cup, and anybody who knows anything about motorsport knows that this is the breeding ground for most of our up-and-coming race talent in South Africa.

The success of this series is that it strictly monitored and controlled and sees identical Polo GTIs battle it out within fractions of a second to see who has the ultimate in tin top race craft.

As mean as a Polo can get

Should your adrenalin needs extend further than this, and you have another R460 000 or so lying around, then you can opt for the even faster, more bespoke, SupaPolo. These cars are also all identical once again, but now somewhat more modified than the Polo Cup race car.

These VW beasts come with wide-body aero packages, sequential X-Track gearboxes, SAX shocks, a Motec engine management system to control the substantially more powerful Golf R engine fitted up front.

While big Powerbrake discs and sticky Dunlop rubber fitted ensure the cars stay on the black stuff and offer the same exciting and close racing of their Polo Cup siblings.

The SupaCup series is now in its third year, and some 20 drivers are said to be lining up for will battle in 2022. They will run as part of the premier GTC series with the first race will be held at Killarney International Raceway on 5 March in Cape Town.

For more information on the VW Polo GTI, click here.