Volkswagen Polo GT TDI hot-hatch launched at Rs. 8.08 lakh

Those with a need for speed, here’s a car you’ve probably been waiting for. The Volkswagen Polo GT TDI has been launched in India with a slightly steep price tag of Rs. 8.08 lakh ex-showroom, Delhi. This Polo comes with a 1.6 litre four-cylinder diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission, and can put all other cars in its segment behind it in terms of its power specs.

The Polo GT TDI is powered by a 1.6 litre diesel engine lifted from the larger Volkswagen Vento (the same engine is also used in the Skoda Rapid diesel). The engine puts out 104 bhp of power at 4,400 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at 1500-2500 rpm, with its five-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels. Also read:Volkswagen launches Cross Polo at Rs. 7.75 lakh 

Fast and frugal

Good enough? Well, there’s more. The VW Polo GT TDI also has a rated fuel economy of 19.7 kmpl (ARAI), which should then tick all the right boxes for buyers looking for a fun-to-drive hatchback that’s fast and frugal. The car comes in three colours – Candy White, Flash Red and Deep Black Pearl.

In terms of features the car is not much different from the 1.2 TDI Highline variant. In fact, the only external differentiation is the branding and the smoked headlamps. The Polo GT only has “GT” and “TDI” badges on the boot hatch and drops the Polo and Volkswagen badges.

It gets all the goodies one would need in a fully-loaded hatchback, such as 15-inch alloys with 185/60 R15 tyres, automatic climate control, steering mounted audio controls, Bluetooth enabled music system, parking sensors, rear wash-wipe, two airbags, ABS  etc. This car is not really meant to be spacious family car, as rear seat space is a bit limited, but one that individuals would love to drive to work and back and take out for a long drive on the highway on the weekend. Given that the car is about 100 kg lighter than the Volkswagen Vento, it has a better power-to-weight ratio of 101 bhp per ton, the best among hatchbacks in its segment such as the Fiat Punto 90HP Sport, Hyundai i20 diesel and the Tata Vista D90. Also read:Should you buy the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI hot hatch priced at Rs. 7.99 lakh? 

VW Polo GT TDI compared with Punto 90HP, Tata Vista D90 & Hyundai i20

Here’s a quick comparison of the specifications of the VW Polo GT TDI with its key rivals:

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