Volkswagen Polo GTI review

It’s a survivor. The fact that Volkswagen still sells the Polo GTI is a good enough reason to go out and buy one right away. It likely won’t last much longer (although VW has confirmed an electric ID. Polo GTI), but it has outlived rivals like the Ford Fiesta ST, Hyundai i20N, Skoda Fabia vRS, Suzuki Swift Sport, Vauxhall Corsa VXR and all of the Renaultsport Clios. RIP our mini kings.

This sixth gen Polo was actually launched way back in 2017 and the GTI arrived in the same year. It was then facelifted in 2022 with a new front bumper, a light bar across the front grille and LEDs at both ends.

Why should I care?

Well, as previously mentioned it’s one of a few small hot hatches left in production. And a small hot hatch is the very definition of ‘all the car you’ll ever need’. Of course, Toyota has just announced that the GR Yaris is coming back to the UK, but that’s in limited numbers and it costs just under £50,000. Yep, seriously.

The Polo’s closest rival is probably the Mini JCW. That gets a similar powertrain but costs over £33k and has barely usable rear seats. The Polo is genuinely practical and gets a fairly capacious 305 litres of boot space.

Not sold on the Mini or the Volkswagen? Your only other options are all-electric. Still, if you’re not afraid of a plug you could have an Alpine A290, an Abarth 500e or the upcoming Peugeot 208 GTI.

Is the hot Polo a quick car, then?

Well, it uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which is actually quite chunky for a little supermini. That sends a total of 204bhp and 236lb ft of torque to the front wheels, and thanks to a DSG gearbox it’ll dispatch the run to 62mph in a respectable 6.5 seconds. But yes, we would prefer a manual gearbox and a slower sprint. More about that over on the driving tab of this review.

What is the interior like?

As you can see from the images above, the obligatory GTI tartan seats are present and correct in the hot Polo. There’s an option to ‘upgrade’ to black leather trim, but don’t bother with that.

There’s a standard eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, although that can also be upgraded to a larger 9.2in Discover Pro system if you want the cabin to feel more 2025. We’d argue that 2017 was a much better year for car interiors, and the Polo benefits from that by having a separate climate control panel, plus a proper gear selector and a manual handbrake. Skids ahoy!

Is it a bit of a bargain?

Erm, no. The standard Polo starts at a whopping £22,040 in 2025, but even so it’s still a surprise to see the GTI costing over £30k before you’ve ticked a single box on the options list.

The Polo GTI is one of the last small hot hatches left standing, and for that Volkswagen should be applauded. And yet, if it wants to go out in a blaze of glory before it’s reborn as the all-electric ID. Polo GTI, it really should be rewarded with a manual gearbox and a tune to stretch that 2.0-litre engine a little further.

The GTI still feels a little bit too much like a top Polo trim level as opposed to a proper Fiesta ST alternative. Sure, it’s got a decent turn of pace, but it needs a bit more character to be remembered when it does eventually kick the bucket.