The updated VW Polo Vivo GT clad in Wild Cherry paintwork. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
It’s very rare that you pay the same price for an improved product. When Volkswagen recently announced no price hikes for the updated Polo Vivo, it was as good as an early Christmas present for potential buyers.
While most of the improvements have been very subtle, the most in-your-face feature of the new version is the inclusion of a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Replacing old 6.5-inch black and white radiosaurus, the new Apple CarPlay and Android accessible system keeps the VW hatch on par with the rest of the segment in terms of connectivity technology.
The Citizen Motoring recently spent a week in the range’s flagship Polo Vivo GT. The range topper now features Vivo lettering underneath the VW badge on the tailgate and GT lettering on the grille and tailgate in the same typeface as its Golf and Polo GTI siblings, which looks rather cool. Not so cool is the removal of silver GT decals on the front doors. We thought these used to add a sporty touch and their disappearance could see a spike in aftermarket automotive accessories in the flea market industry.
As before, the range topper comes standard with 17-inch Mirabeau alloy wheels and LED daytime running headlights. Standard on the Polo Vivo GT now is the Black Package, which sees black side mirror caps replace the silver ones. A combination The Citizen Motoring though worked well together with the Wild Cherry paintwork on our tester.
Apart from the new infotainment system, the new Polo Vivo GT hatch also gets big red inserts on its cloth seats. This, together with the alloy pedals and grey stitching on the black leather steering wheels and gear lever makes the cabin a very sporty place.
The manual window winders in the rear and no reverse camera, which is offered as an option, do give the Vivo’s age away. Along with the lack of a sunroof, which inclusion is halted by structural challenges.
The inclusion of side airbags means that the GT now comes standard with four airbags alongside electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitor and lights and vision pack.
The undisputed crown jewel of the Polo Vivo GT remains its three-cylinder 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine that sends 81kW and 200Nm to the front wheels via six-speed manual gearbox. Burdened by the low-down turbo lag on all VW models powered by this unit, the mill makes up for it across a generous pull across a wide rev range in second and third gear.
Decent power, easy shifting and excellent handling is what the GT is all about. This feel-good factor this creates is enough to mute any mumbles about window wipers from the back seat.
At R356 000 the VW Polo Vivo GT holds a niche in the hatchback segment that is hard to beat. Any hatch can get you from A to B, but this one gets their with swagger.
ALSO READ: Polo Vivo GT timely reminder of how much fun driving can be
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