Hot VW Polo NZ-bound

Volkswagen will unveil its high-performance Polo hatchback at next week’s Tokyo Motor Show, and the car is coming here.

The hottest Polo is powered by the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine already seen in other Volkswagen cars.

In Polo GTi specification, the engine will produce 150bhp, and 220Nm of peak torque.
VW says the car will accelerate to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds and have a top speed of 235km/h.

Externally, it takes styling cues from the Golf GTi. It has 16-inch alloy wheels, bright red brake callipers, polished exhaust tailpipes, a rear spoiler, a 15mm lower stance on sports suspension and a GTi logo on a honeycomb style grille.

On the inside, sports seats and aluminium detailing sit alongside black and red stitched seatbelts and a three-spoke leather covered steering wheel.

New Zealand VW importer European Mototr Distributers says the Polo GTi will be here in the first quarter of 2006. It will be pre-selling the car before Christmas.

“The Golf GTi is going so strongly for us, that we’ll be bringing in the Polo GTi,” says VW division boss Dean Shead.

“I’ve seen the car and it’s like the Golf GTi’s little brother. I’m looking forward to seeing them side-by-side. It’ll be like big boy and little brother.”

Shead says the 1.8-litre turbomotor is the same as that used in the previous generation Golf GTi.

“People who liked the Golf GTi Mark 4 will love the Polo with the same powerplant and better power-to-weight ratio.”

Shead says the car will be well-priced, with a tag of $40,000 or less.

He says VW sold a 1.6-litre Polo GTi here three years ago, and the 92kW car made up 25 percent of NZ Polo sales.