Volkswagen Polo GTI review

In the past, the Polo GTI struggled to compete against more raucous rivals like the Fiesta ST and the i20N because it aimed to be more grown-up, sensible and refined. Of course, that’s not really what a dinky hot hatch is for, but now that its rivals are pushing up daisies it’s time to reevaluate the hot Polo.

So, what’s it like in 2025?

Well, there have been no updates to the Polo GTI since 2022, and our biggest gripe is still that it’s not available with a manual gearbox. You can buy a base spec Polo with a DIY gearbox, so why not the one that’s supposed to be the most fun to drive? Argh!

Of course, you do get tiny little paddles behind the steering wheel for a bit of extra control of the seven-speed DSG, but three pedals would be far more welcome.

How’s the engine?

Slightly strange one this, because the Polo GTI feels plenty quick enough with 204bhp on tap. It’ll do 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds too, but peak torque arrives between 1,500 and 4,500rpm so there’s no reason to let it rev right up to the redline and it doesn’t have the peppy sound of a hardworking 3cyl. Again, not really the character you’re looking for from a hot hatch. A little bit of torque steer does give it a bit of an edge, but it’s far less of a tyke than we’d like. Perhaps we should have deployed that handbrake.

The steering is also overly light and lacking in feel. Rather than a proper limited slip diff up front, VW uses what it calls an “XDS electronic transverse differential lock”. That essentially means it uses the traction control to brake the inside front wheel in a corner. It turns in reasonably sharply but there’s none of the drama or feedback you’d find in the hot Hyundai. There’s a real sense that the Polo would rather not engage in anything as uncouth as liftoff oversteer or a cocked inside wheel.

Anything else to get off your chest?

While we’re at it, we also found the brake pedal to be snatchy and tricky to modulate. That rather jars with the rest of the GTI’s sensible manners, as does the road noise and slightly crashy ride that seems to largely be the fault of the optional 18in alloy wheels. It’s more relaxed when you’re not in the sportier of the two suspension settings, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record…