Volkswagen has revealed local pricing and specs for the next-gen Polo GTI.

First of all, only one gearbox will be available in Australia for the foreseeable future… and it isn’t the one you get to shift yourself.

The DSG-only Polo GTI is coming to Australia priced at $30,990, which sets it at $1000 more than its predecessor.

This essentially leaves the Swift Sport and Peugeot 208 GTi as the only ways to get into a manual mini hot hatch for less than $30K.

But it’s not all bad, the Polo GTI scores a few extra kiloWatts to bring things up to 147kW/320Nm, which VW Australia points out is as powerful and torquier than a Mk5 Golf GTI.

A driver assistance pack is available for $1400, which includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert, park assist and ‘proactive occupant protection’ which tenses the seatbelts in situations where an impact is imminent.

Lastly, the luxury pack costs $3900, and adds ‘Art Velour’ microfleece upholstery, heated front seats, LED headlights, 18-inch alloys rather than the 17s, and a panoramic sunroof.

“The verities that distinguish the Golf GTI and Golf R segue into this, the most potent Polo to date,” says Bartsch.

“The Polo 6 GTI is yet another of our hot hatches to embody the Volkswagen formula of doing everything well.”

The Polo GTI is available from August.