2018 Polo GTi is shorter, lighter and better to drive

[Splashalot]

What's that strange handle in the centre of the car? 

I think it's some new high-tech device they got from the VW rally team.  Allows more agile dirt-road cornering and faultless reliability, apparently.   

[BobbyT]

What's that strange handle in the centre of the car? 

I think it's some new high-tech device they got from the VW rally team.  Allows more agile dirt-road cornering and faultless reliability, apparently.   

I see, sounds like the future. I like when new tech comes in 

[Jim_mk7.5]

Fabulous smallish car, I would love it, having had several Clio Williams, Sports,. So chuckable and I imagine quicker than my R on the narrow road from Cirencester to Withington.
Wonder if I could persuade my other half to px her Mk7 GTI.

But you wouldn't swap your Mk7.5 R for one, only your missus' car??

I doubt there would be any driving situation that the new Polo would be quicker than the Golf R, except perhaps through a tight multi-storey car park.

[scanesare]

But you wouldn't swap your Mk7.5 R for one, only your missus' car??

I doubt there would be any driving situation that the new Polo would be quicker than the Golf R, except perhaps through a tight multi-storey car park.

BUT if it has the MK7 GTI engine indeed it surely would be quicker everywhere with just a software treatment except maybe the traffic lights. Very curious to confirm that...

[Jim_mk7.5]

But you wouldn't swap your Mk7.5 R for one, only your missus' car??

I doubt there would be any driving situation that the new Polo would be quicker than the Golf R, except perhaps through a tight multi-storey car park.

BUT if it has the MK7 GTI engine indeed it surely would be quicker everywhere with just a software treatment except maybe the traffic lights. Very curious to confirm that...

So a tuned Polo would be a quick than a standard R. That's a completely different statement and certainly different goal posts!

[TurboTrev]

I like it, just a shame they're not doing it in 3 doors.

[SRGTD]

I like it, just a shame they're not doing it in 3 doors.

I remember reading somewhere that the 3 door version of the outgoing model (Polo in general, not specifically the GTI model) accounted for a small proportion of total Polo sales, so this was no doubt a factor in VW’s decision not to build a 3 door version.

[Guzzle]

Correct, no 3 door version planned this time around. Sales of 3 door cars are in decline. There will be no 3 door SEAT Ibiza this time, Skoda Fabia has only ever been a 5 door, 3 door Audi A3 and the VW Scirocco have both been canned. Ford also no longer build a 3 door version of the Focus.

[fredgroves]

Didn't I read that the Mk8 Golf is only going to be 5 door too...

[SRGTD]

Correct, no 3 door version planned this time around. Sales of 3 door cars are in decline. There will be no 3 door SEAT Ibiza this time, Skoda Fabia has only ever been a 5 door, 3 door Audi A3 and the VW Scirocco have both been canned. Ford also no longer build a 3 door version of the Focus.

I suppose with the costs of dieselgate facing VW and the need to fund development of ‘cleaner’ cars, VW need to make cost savings where they can, and streamlining the number of body variants of each model produced is one way to do this.