2018 Volkswagen Polo GTI pricing and specs revealed

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.

The manual Polo GTI will be available overseas eventually, but it’s not available yet.

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.

This comes from a 2.0-litre unit now, rather than the 1.8 it had before, and Volkswagen’s ‘extended electronic diff lock’ or XDL, which appears to primarily limit inside wheel spin rather than also sending more torque to the outer wheel.

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.

A “sound and vision” pack is also available for $1900, which upgrade the audio system, media control, and adds an active info display.

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.

Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Michael Bartsch says the new Polo GTI was designed with a real-world, all-rounded approach.

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

"Volkswagen balances the highest levels of engineering and technology with luxury, a feat that others cannot emulate in affordable compact cars.

"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.