2017 Volkswagen GTI Review
Car Tested: 2017 Volkswagen GTI; Road Test No. 817
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 30.10 lakhs
The Volkswagen GTI is one super hot hatch & provides loads of fun but at a cost
Volkswagen made enthusiasts in the country happy when they launched the Polo GT TDI and GT TSI siblings which have been catering to the audience who are looking for not-so-expensive hot hatches that offer driving fun and obviously the German feel. To make enthusiasts even happier, Volkswagen went on to launch the GTI (Polo moniker removed) which is brought in as a CBU from Germany, gets lesser doors but a bigger engine with much more power and we were eagerly waiting to check it out.
Motor Quest: While we have the Polo GT TDI and GT TSI in India for a few years now, there was always this void where real hot hatches were needed and Volkswagen has some really cool cars in its global portfolio which would probably rock the Indian market if launched here.
No major revisions but enough to differentiate from the regular Polo
Exteriors – To a layman, the GTI will pass of as a regular Polo because the overall body line and stance has been retained. However, there are many differences on the GTI. First of all, you get just 2 doors and the doors themselves are a bit longer now. The front fascia gets an aggressive look with the sharply styled bumper and the extremely well-detailed full LED headlamps which look terrific. The grille also gets a red strip which passes on to the headlamps. There is a lovely GTI badge and the honeycomb design on the grille looks killer. The side profile is neat and clean but you do get sportier 16-inch Salvador wheels. The rear gets dual exhaust pipes along with a black applique on the bumper. The shape of the tail lamps is unchanged but you get a lot more detailing with LED bulbs on the GTI.
The GTI gets a full black interior with red stitching
Interiors – Open the long door and you are greeted by a familiar dashboard layout in an all-black colour theme. There is red stitching on the seats, gear lever, handbrake and steering wheel. The wheel itself is a new unit which looks sportier. You also get a new instrument cluster which looks classy and comes with all the dials neatly stacked. The centre console is similar to the regular Polo and comes with a touchscreen infotainment system. Above that, you get buttons for traction control and Park Distance Control. The audio system is easy and smooth to use and the sound quality from the 4 speakers + 2 tweeters is good too.
The GTI comes with a lot of features since it is a CBU
The sport seats on the GTI are supportive but come with manual adjustment
The sport seats offer very good comfort and support but they are manually adjustable. The driving position is bang on though. As expected from a VW, the quality of the materials is top notch. The front seats can be folded for passengers to go at the rear and there is average space for 2 passengers. The GTI misses out on features like a reverse camera and push button start though you do get a graphical parking assist. On the safety front you get features like 6 airbags, ABS, ESC, ASR, EDL, EDTC, electronic differential lock and wheel locks with anti-theft protection.
The 1.8-litre TSI unit is super peppy and powerful
Performance – Under the hood of the Volkswagen GTI is the familiar 1.8-litre TSI petrol engine that is offered on the Skoda Octavia and Superb currently and was offered on the Audi A3 and A4 earlier. The engine has 189 horses and 250 Nm of twist and is mated to the infamous 7-speed DSG transmission. We have sampled this engine earlier on numerous occasions. The engine is super punchy right from the word go and the light weight of the GTI (compared to its bigger siblings) makes it super responsive. The low end is good and when the turbo kicks in, all hell breaks lose and the car accelerates very swiftly with 0-100 km/hr coming up in 7.2 seconds.
The engine has way more than enough grunt for a hatchback
The TSI engine is splendid for sedate as well as aggressive driving
The mid-range is very punchy and the GTI revs freely right up to 6500 RPM without the action from the engine coming down. The engine is also very refined and the exhaust also sounds good at higher RPMs. The 7-speed gearbox is smooth and quick shifting. However, one thing I’ve always noticed with the DSG is that it gets a bit confused at low speeds. Also, when you’re going easy on the throttle, it has a tendency to upshift very quickly. S mode holds onto the revs while you also get a manual tiptronic mode along with paddle shifters. The TSI mill can be efficient up to the tune of 12-14 km/l if you drive the car sedately while hard driving makes the efficiency drop to 6-7 km/l.
Dynamics of the GTI are well-sorted
Driving Dynamics – The Volkswagen GTI has a precise steering but I would have liked the feedback to be slightly better. It is very precise though. The car stays planted at high speeds on straights but on roads with some uneven surfaces, there is a tad loss in composure. The suspension is also stiffly set which makes sure you get better body control while the ride quality gets affected slightly. However, the ride isn’t bad at all and the GTI still feels comfortable. Braking power is sharp thanks to the all 4 discs while the grip from the 215/45/16 tyres is also very good.
The GTI is a good buy for someone who wants to splurge on a hot hatch
Verdict – The Volkswagen GTI doesn’t have any major negative except the price which is really high since the car is brought down via the CBU route. For someone who wants a practical enough hatchback for daily usage and something that can offer exciting performance, the GTI is a good buy. It also doesn’t look vastly different than a regular Polo and that’s why it won’t draw the kind of attention that probably a MINI Cooper S would. However, people considering the value for money factor should totally stay away from this car since they would possibly compare the GTI to its larger sedan siblings which come with the same engine and gearbox combo for a lesser cost even.
Only 99 units will be offered for the Indian market
What’s Cool
* Proper sleeper car since it doesn’t look too different than a Polo
* Excellent build on the inside, lots of safety tech too
* Front seats are really comfortable
* Engine + gearbox combo is one of the best
What’s Not So Cool
* CBU pricing
Alternatives: MINI Cooper S, Fiat 595 Competizione
The GTI is a performance-oriented car without the bling of a conventional sports car