Volkswagen evaluating Polo GTI for Indian market

According to Autocar India, Volkswagen is considering bringing the GTI to the Indian market. If this happens then the GTI will be brought to India in limited numbers because it will be a CBU or Completely Built Unit. Volkswagen can bring up to 2,500 units of the GTI to India homologation-free, just like they did with the T-Roc and Tiguan AllSpace.

This is not the first time that Volkswagen is considering launching a proper performance hatchback in India. Five years ago, they launched the GTI which came in a three-door body style and was priced at Rs. 25.99 lakhs ex-showroom. The sales only gain momentum when Volkswagen slashed the prices by Rs. 6 lakhs.

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Back then GTI was powered by a 1.8 TSI turbocharged petrol engine. It produced 190 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. The engine was mated to a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.

New-Gen GTI

Now, the GTI is offered only with a five-door body. In fact, Volkswagen no longer offers a three-door version of Polo. It is also based on a new MQB A0 platform whereas the current India-spec Polo was based on the PQ25 platform.

The manufacturer updated the GTI in 2021. It is based on the 6th gen Polo. It gets a larger 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine that produces 204 PS of max power and 320 Nm of peak torque. The power is still transferred to only the front wheels using a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. There are four driving modes namely, Sport, Normal, Eco and Individual. Polo GTI can hit a ton in 6.5 seconds and there is also an electronic differential that can transfer the power to the tyre with the most grip.

6th Gen Polo not coming to India

Earlier, it was rumoured that Volkswagen will finally be bringing the 6th gen Polo to India. It was being said that they will be making some changes to launch the Polo in India. However, that won’t be happening now.

The 6th gen Polo is longer than 4-metres. Because of this, Volkswagen would not be able to take tax advantages. In fact, the 6th gen Polo measures 4.053 mm so it is not viable for Volkswagen to modify the whole vehicle for just 0.053 mm. Reportedly, it would involve redesigning the bumpers, crash testing the vehicles and even developing new production tools.

Moreover, the hatchback segment is not doing well in the Indian market. the sub-compact SUVs are currently selling like hotcakes and everyone is preferring them over hatchbacks and sedans. So, it does not make sense for Volkswagen to make so many changes to a Polo that won’t be selling in huge numbers.

Ashish Gupta said, “The sub-4m rule is basically killing the segment. It’s virtually impossible to make a business case for global products, and bring them under the sub-4m class. So, it’s definitely a challenge for all manufacturers who don’t have India-specific products. It’s virtually a new development. Then it wouldn’t make a business case for us, and more importantly, for the customers”

Via Autocar India

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