Volkswagen Polo GTI

Sometimes, having a famous family name can be a hindrance as much as a help. Take Volkswagen’s new Polo GTI, which has to live in the shadow of its older brother, the Golf GTI. 

The larger machine is our reigning hot hatch champion thanks to its blend of pace, poise and practicality. So can the Polo continue the VW success story?

Initial impressions are good, as it takes most of its sporty visual cues from the Golf. There’s the same eye-catching red trim on the GTI-badged grille, as well as the bigger model’s ‘Monza’ 17-inch alloys. Even in practical five-door guise tested here, the VW has a squat, muscular stance.

Climb aboard and it’s clear that designers have again looked to the Golf for inspiration. The chunky sports seats are covered in the same chequered cloth fabric, the thick-rimmed steering wheel gets red stitching and the pedals receive a racy aluminium finish. 

Elsewhere, the cabin is pure Polo. The dash is logically laid out and there’s a decent amount of space for occupants, but taller rear seat passengers will find headroom tight. Some of the plastics look and feel cheap, while the boot is cramped at 185 litres. 

Of course, practicality and the kit count take a back seat to driving dynamics on hot hatches.On paper, the VW has all the right ingredients to be a smile-a-mile pocket rocket. Under the bonnet is the novel 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, which combines a supercharger and turbo to deliver 178bhp and 250Nm of torque. This is mated to a hi-tech twin-clutch transmission and the Golf’s XDS electronic limited-slip differential, which promises to boost traction and grip. 

Elsewhere, the sports suspension has been uprated, and lowered by 15mm. Engineers have even put the battery under the boot floor in a bid to improve the car’s weight distribution and sharpen the handling.

At the test track, the Polo put in a strong performance, blasting from 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds – a full four-tenths quicker than the Citroen. Its mid-range pace was equally devastating, thanks in part to the short gearing and closely stacked ratios of its seven-speed transmission.

The VW isn’t very entertaining, though. A dull throttle response makes the GTI feel lethargic at low speeds, while in automatic mode the DSG gearbox can misbehave, often kicking down a ratio mid-corner. Shifting manually with the wheel-mounted paddles alleviates this.

Turn into a bend and you will discover direct but lifeless steering, decent body control and strong grip. But bumpy roads highlight the stiff ride and the car’s tendency to torque steer, plus the Polo can also struggle for traction out of slower corners.

So, while it looks the part and delivers strong straight-line pace, the new VW is missing the vital fun factor of the best hatches.