Volkswagen is celebrating the quarter-century anniversary of the Polo GTI subcompact hot hatch with the Limited Edition 25, which will go on sale June 1st. 2,500 copies will be produced at a price of 35,205 euros (in Germany).
VW Polo first tried on the GTI nameplate in 1998 — the third-generation hatchback was then equipped with a rather modest 1.6- liter gasoline «aspirated» with a capacity of 120 hp. paired with a 5-speed «mechanics». Up to 100 km/h, the «first» Polo GTI accelerates in 9.1 seconds — even the modern junior VW up! The GTI, with its 1.0-litre, 115-horsepower turbo engine, is more dynamic, hitting 0-100 in 8.8 seconds.
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Nevertheless, in 1998, the Polo GTI seemed to be a good budget alternative to the larger and more status Golf GTI, the sports version of the Polo hatchback has successfully survived to this day, although most competitors have long abandoned the «charged» versions of the B-class hatchbacks for environmental reasons.
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The current sixth-generation VW Polo GTI has been produced since 2017 and has undergone a planned restyling in 2021, and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. The Limited Edition 25 features extended standard equipment, commemorative decals, 18″ alloy wheels in high-gloss black, edition decals on the door sills, the number 25 on the lower steering wheel hub, and premium sports front seats with perforated leather upholstery.
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The technical filling is standard for the Polo GTI: a 2.0-liter gasoline turbo engine (207 hp, 320 Nm) is docked with a 7-speed DSG automatic (with two clutches). All power is sent to the front wheels, traction is controlled by simulated brake differential lock (XDS), the suspension is lowered by 15 mm compared to the standard hatchback. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 6.5 seconds, top speed is 240 km/h. The manual transmission for the Polo GTI became unavailable after restyling, the body is only 5-door.
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The probability of a GTI version appearing in the next generation of Polo is very small, and indeed the next generation is in doubt: due to the promising Euro 7 environmental regulations, which have not yet been finally approved, but should come into force in 2025, the production of mass and relatively affordable cars for Europe may lose all economic sense. The Polo is likely to be replaced by a production version of the Volkswagen ID concept electric hatchback introduced in March. 2all — it is expected in 2025. The concept is very close to the current Polo GTI in terms of dynamic performance, so a separate sports version may not be needed at all.
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