In India, the Volkswagen Polo managed to establish itself as the performance hero for the masses. A compact hatchback with an affordable hatchback that made fun performance accessible helped VW build its brand in India. It has been 3 years since the Polo has been discontinued in India but demand for this hatchback has remained steady, prompting Volkswagen to consider a return of the iconic model to the Indian market. We breakdown what Volkswagen plans to do for the iconic Polo in India.
Volkswagen Polo GTI launch
Volkswagen India brand head, Ashish Gupta, recently revealed that the brand is considering bringing the GTI brand back to India. He stated, “There’s a sizable enthusiast community who love our GTI brand, so yes, we are evaluating.” While he didn’t specify the name Polo GTI, Volkswagen India has recently confirmed that they will launch the Volkswagen Golf GTI soon in India. As the Volkswagen Polo GTI is the younger sibling of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, it might also be on the cards.
At the same time, it is important to note that the Volkswagen Golf GTI will be imported in India as CBU, and so will the Volkswagen Polo GTI if it comes back. The reason is that the latest Volkswagen Polo GTI is slightly over four meters long, which will make it attract higher tax.
New body style for Polo badge
Since the Indian car market is currently being dominated by SUVs, Volkswagen may plan to give the Polo GTI a compact SUV body. Although, currently it is on sale in international markets as a hatchback only. Based on the sixth-generation Polo, the Volkswagen Polo GTI is powered by a 2-litre turbo petrol engine, which produces 207 PS and can make the hatchback do a 0 to 100 km/hr dash in 6.5 seconds.
The future of Volkswagen Polo in India
While Volkswagen is aiming to expand its Indian portfolio with the upcoming launches of the Volkswagen Tiguan R Line and Volkswagen Golf GTI, the launch of Volkswagen Polo is uncertain. Nonetheless, the brand very well recognises the popularity and demand for the legendary hot hatchback. And if the Volkswagen Polo makes a comeback, it is expected to strike gold as soon as it hits the market.
