The Volkswagen Polo GTI celebrates its 25th anniversary with an exclusive special series, available from autumn 2023 in France. The last before retirement?
It took several years for Volkswagen before it declined its GTI label to the little sister of the Golf, the Polo. It was in 1998 that the Polo GTI was released, based on the third generation of the “ant”. A quarter of a century later, the brand unveils a limited anniversary series for its current Polo GTI, which could well be one of the last.
The Polo GTI Edition 25 stands out with a few specific style elements, such as new badges and stickers, black 18-inch alloy wheels and even a black roof and mirror caps. In addition to the traditional colors of the Polo GTI (Pure White, Metallic Royal Red, Metallic Reef Blue, Metallic Ash Gray and Intense Black), the Polo GTI Edition 25 is available in Ascot Grey, a color available on other models such as the Barter. On board, red and black perforated leather upholstery covers the standard sports seats, complete with red inserts and “GTI” and “25” badges. The inscription “One of 2,500” on the door sills reminds us that this is a limited edition.
More than complete equipment
The equipment is bloated in France, since it includes matrix LED headlights, a sports chassis lowered by 15 mm with the ‘Sport Plus’ pack including an electronically adjustable shock absorber system, an XDS electronic differential lock or even the roof. electric opening. The equipment also includes, in France, Discover Media navigation on an 8-inch screen, the reversing camera and the “Driving Assistance” pack (including Park Assist, the “Side Assist” blind spot detector or the proactive passenger protection system “Pre Safe Assist”), the induction smartphone charger and the spare wheel.
The first Polo to receive the GTI badge was the third generation in 1998.
Unlike the Golf R, which gained a few horsepower with its 20-year special series, this Polo GTI Edition 25 does not, however, receive any mechanical modifications. It therefore retains its 207 hp 2.0 TSI four-cylinder. This offers 320 Nm of torque. Mandatory associated with an automated DSG7 dual-clutch gearbox, the block reaches 100 km/h in 6.5 s. The vehicle is still produced in South Africa, at the Kariega plant. It will be marketed from autumn 2023 in France, at an as yet unknown price. The price should logically be higher than the €33,540 required for the classic Polo GTI today, to which is added a penalty (153 to 161 g/km, or €1,629 to €3,331 in 2023).
One last for the end?
The arrival of this limited edition on the Polo GTI probably corresponds to the end of its career, the model being already 6 years old and having already undergone a first restyling in 2021. And this time it is not really a question of replace it… except with a small electric one, the future ID.2. The thermal Polo could nevertheless continue to survive in parallel thanks to a second restyling, as is or will be the case for certain models (Porsche Macan, Fiat 500, Renault Mégane, etc.). But not sure that the GTI variant persists in the catalog!
Photos : DR.
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