German automotive giant Volkswagen first introduced its Polo GTI in India back in late 2016 that catered to blue-blooded enthusiasts. However, Volkswagen ended the production of the Polo in India while it continued to sell the 6th-gen Polo overseas. Meanwhile, sources suggest that Volkswagen could introduce the 6th-generation Polo GTI in India as an import via the CBU route. Insiders claim that Volkswagen may introduce the hot hatchback in limited numbers across the country with no plans for local assembly.
When Volkswagen first introduced the Polo GTI in India, it priced the hatchback at INR 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The Polo GTI sported a three-door body style with a 1.8-litre, TSI turbo-petrol motor that developed 192 PS. This allowed the hot hatchback to accelerate from 0-100 kph in 7.2 seconds and reach a 233 kph top speed. Back in 2016, Volkswagen brought the Polo GTI in limited numbers across India as a CBU (completely built-up) unit.
However, the tax rate revision in India forced Volkswagen to slash its ex-showroom prices by INR 6 lakh. This step, along with the implementation of GST by mid-2017, allowed the automaker to continue selling the Polo GTI. Meanwhile, Volkswagen has witnessed success with its other limited-volume, expensive imports such as the T-Roc and the Tiguan Allspace SUVs. Therefore, expensive pricing has not been an issue for the company, thanks to its extensive reputation and global recall value.
Despite Volkswagen’s continued efforts of selling the PQ25 platform-based, 5th-gen Polo in India, the brand sells the all-new, 6th-gen Polo overseas. The all-new Polo introduced back in 2018, now utilises the brand’s modern MQB A0 platform for global markets. For this generation of the Polo, Volkswagen also decided to drop the three-door format and switch to a 5-door format.
In 2021, Volkswagen introduced the refreshed version of the Polo for international markets that now resembles the elder sibling, the Golf. The 6th-gen Polo’s GT version uses a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol TSI motor, putting out 204 PS of power. This allows for an acceleration time of 6.5 seconds from 0-100 kph, thanks to a 7-speed DCT automatic transmission.
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