Volkswagen Polo GTI Gearing up for a September Launch

Volkswagen has finally decided to bring Polo GTI to India. Though, this hot-hatch will rip Indian tarmac in September this year but, will be first showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo. Sadly, this news is not all that great as the car will adopt a CBU route and is expected to be priced over Rs. 20 lac!. This news has been in the auto space as rumors for quite some time now,but finally autocar has confirmed the news but with  one big change, Volkswagen Polo GTI will be a three-door unit. Yes, this makes the product even more mouth watering for the performance oriented buyer. But still, the Rs. 20 lac price tag will do to the buyer’s hearts what the car does to its rubber. 

Just a reminder, this is not the first time Indian roads will witness a 3 door hatch. In 2003, Maruti introduced Steel and Carbon versions of the popular Zen hatchback. These were appreciated by some but criticised by many. As a result, the few which hit the roads soon became extinct. Coming back to the GTI, it derives its power from the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine which is employed in Octavia and Audi A3 in India. This 190bhp mill when coupled with a six-speed manual transmission is good for 320Nm of torque and when mated to the seven-speed DSG, churns out 250Nm of torque. The hatch manages a 0 to 100 kph time of under 7 seconds and propels all the way to 230 kph.

Certainly, with a Rs. 20 lac plus price tag, Volkswagen cannot be targeting numbers. This was further clarified by Michael Mayer, director, VW passenger cars while talking to autocar, he said, “We want to keep it very pure; a hot hatch that offers performance, technology and comfort. I know that there is a compromise here, but people who buy this car, which is a fairly costly car, will have other cars in their garage to load five people on a regular basis.” The conventional 4-door variant might also make its way to India in the future. Volkswagen is optimistic about the sales of GTI as Polo GT TSI was welcomed by the Polo buyers.  Mayer said, “In 2015, our Polo GT TSI and GT TDI customers sat roughly between 15-20 percent of the total Polo buyers. That is proof that despite being expensive, people are willing to pay for performance,” He further added  “We will use the existing Polo brand and stretch it with this model at the top, and this is the ground for further development of the Polo in India.”

The automotive culture in India is on a rise. People are shifting their focus for vehicles offering quality, safety, luxury and performance from the ‘just a commuter’ mentality. The latest additions in this trend were hot hatches. With Abarth being introduced at an affordable price tag, this culture was further expected to grow. Although hotheads have not yet turned up at dealerships as they are probably completing their graduation and saving money, Polo GTI will certainly be a massive boost to the the Indian Hot Hatch Segment.

Also Read: Volkswagen Ameo is the Official Name of Company's Compact Sedan

Source: Autocar India

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