2016 Volkswagen Polo GTI review, test drive

The hot hatch market isn’t just warming up. It’s getting red hot, and now, VW is all set to take it past boiling point. With the Fiat Punto Abarth stealing the hot hatch crown from the Polo GT TSI, the German brand wants to be top dog again and is bringing in the ultimate version of the Polo, the one that wears the legendary three-lettered moniker – GTI. We first broke the news that the Polo GTI was due for an India launch at the beginning of 2015. Volkswagen will launch this hot hatch in India by the end of the year.

This nascent segment seems to have caught everyone’s fancy of late. After Fiat set the ball rolling with the 147hp Abarth Punto, other manufacturers too want a piece of this tiny but piping hot pie. Maruti is also readying the Baleno RS which is set to hit showrooms early next year. What’s more, even the Tata Tiago is likely to get a “Sport” version in the near future.

But is there a market for pumped-up versions of an everyday hatch? The launch of the Abarth Punto reverberated through cyberspace with fanboys rejoicing like it was the best thing since internal combustion; but how many Abarths has Fiat managed to sell? The figure is in minuscule double digits. 

The truth is that hot hatches in India never sell because when it comes to signing on the dotted line, buyers eventually vote with their wallets and not their hearts.

However, VW is not interested in numbers, something that’s quite obvious when you consider two things the company has done that could limit sales to a very exclusive few. Firstly, the Polo GTI won’t be a regular five-door but a three-door. It’s a risky strategy because India has no history of three-doors (except for the 2003 limited-edition Zen Carbon and Zen Steel) because there’s never been any demand for them. But the biggest deterrent could be the eyewatering price – the Polo GTI is expected to cost upwards of Rs 20 lakh. How many people will plonk that kind of money for a hot hatch?

Hardcore (and rich) enthusiasts will know that the Polo GTI isn’t just another hot hatch. It signals the entry of VW’s performance badge into India, which has a long history of turning regular hatchbacks into ones that will make you want to wake up at 5am to drive. I certainly would and I’m already plotting a 4:30am departure to Mahabaleshwar when I get my hands on the India car. But today, it’s a cold winter day at the Chobham track outside London where I get my first taste of the Polo GTI.