PoloDriver

Volkswagen is celebrating 25 years of the Polo GTI in 2023 with the limited edition Polo GTI Edition 25, and following the German on-sale date of 1 June, the UK has been confirmed as one of the markets which will get the car. The special model will only head to Europe and Japan.

UK order books for the Polo GTI Edition 25 opened on 31 July, with 350 of the 2,500 production run cars available from 3 August. Prices start at £31,295, and those lucky Polo GTI fans who secure a Polo GTI Edition 25 will get a host of features unique to this anniversary model. The Edition 25 marks the first time Volkswagen has celebrated the Polo GTI with a commemorative version, unlike the numerous anniversary models associated with the Golf GTI.

Visual tweaks
For the extra £2,390 the Polo GTI Edition 25 costs over the ‘standard’ Polo GTI, buyers gain visual tweaks and extra equipment. Outside, there are gloss-black 18-inch ‘Adelaide’ alloy wheels (the standard Polo GTI wears 17-inch ‘Parker’ rims), and unique ‘25’ and honeycomb graphics on the doors, in a style similar to those on the commemorative 2021 VW Golf GTI Clubsport 45. The roof and door mirror caps are also painted gloss black. An additional unique feature of the Polo GTI Edition 25 is the addition of Ascot Grey to the usual GTI colour palette.

Inside, the sports seats are trimmed in perforated black and red leather, and the dashpad is finished in gloss black with red air vent surrounds. A ‘GTI’ logo sits ahead of the passenger, while a ‘25’ logo appears in the steering wheel’s lower spoke. Sill plates also state that individual examples of the Polo GTI Edition 25 examples are ‘One of 2500’ – there is no personalised number.

0-62mph in 6.5 seconds
Sadly there is also no boost in power, which has, in the past, been a feature of anniversary Golf GTI models. So power is the same at 204bhp (207PS/152kW) as the standard Polo GTI, with which the Edition 25 also shares its running gear, including ‘XDS’ electronic differential lock and 15mm lower suspension than a ‘standard’ Polo. The standard Polo GTI’s seven-speed DSG gearbox is also fitted, helping the Polo GTI Edition 25 get from 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds.

Mobile phone preparation with inductive charging, keyless locking and starting with Safelock, heated front seats and a rear-view camera are also standard, the £31,295 RRP ‘on the road’ price including VAT. The 2023 Volkswagen Polo GTI Edition 25 is available from Volkswagen Retailers with a £1,500 deposit contribution, as well as a 6.9 per cent personal contract plan from Volkswagen Financial Services.

Polo GTI history
The hot Polo story began in 1979, with the 1,272cc, 60bhp Polo GT and went on to include the supercharged 113bhp Polo G40. The first Polo GTI went on sale in 1998 as a special edition of the third-generation Polo. Only available in Germany, it enjoyed a limited production run of 3,000 units. Read our previous Polo GTI Edition 25 post for more on the quarter-century history of the Polo GTI.

The 48-year-old Golf GTI may be Volkswagen’s most revered sporting hatchback, but the Polo GTI has been offering a similar recipe in a smaller package for just under three decades now. Volkswagen is recognising this fact with the new Polo GTI Edition 25 model announced today. On sale on 1 June, the 2023 Volkswagen Polo GTI Edition 25 will be priced from €35,205.

The first Polo GTI went on sale in 1998 as a special edition of the then third-generation Polo, enjoying a limited production run of 3,000 units and German market-only availability. The hot Polo story began in 1979, though, with the 1,272cc, 60bhp Polo GT and went on to include the now fondly remembered supercharged 113bhp Polo G40.

Host of unique features
In a similar style to the numerous Golf GTI special editions that have punctuated the hot hatch’s career, the Polo GTI Edition 25 features a host of unique features. And like that original Polo GTI, the Polo GTI Edition 25 is a limited-run model, with only 2,500 units being produced. Power is the same at 204bhp (207PS/152kW), with the same running gear as the standard Polo GTI including ‘XDS’ electronic differential lock and 15mm lower suspension than a ‘standard’ Polo.

Where the Polo GTI Edition 25 differs most to the standard Polo GTI is in both visual and kit enhancements. Externally, 18-inch ‘Adelaide’ alloy wheels finished in gloss black join the usual red-trimmed grille and red brake calipers, with the roof and door mirror caps also gaining the dark finish.

Ascot Grey paint debut
In the initial press images, a repeating honeycomb graphic similar in style to that of the 2021 Golf GTI Clubsport 45 adorns the lower part of the front doors, the rear doors featuring a ‘25’ logo. Ascot Grey is added to the Polo GTI colour palette for the first time, the Polo GTI Edition 25 also available in the standard shades of Deep Black Pearl Effect, Kings Red Metallic, Pure White, Reef Blue Metallic and Smoke Grey Metallic.

Step inside, and a ‘One of 2500’ sill plate signifies that the Polo GTI Edition 25 is something a little more special – there is no true personalised number, though. The standard ‘Jacara’/’Clark’ tartan seat trim has been junked, the sports seats trimmed in perforated black and red leather with stitched-in ‘GTI’ logos.

Black and red inserts
Upfront, the usual ‘Deep Iron Grey’ coloured dashpad has been replaced with a gloss black insert with red highlights around the air vents and door handles, as well as a red ‘GTI’ logo ahead of the passenger. The multifunction steering wheel – to which the paddleshifts for the seven-speed DSG gearbox are attached – is fitted with a ‘25’ logo in its lower spoke. A high resolution eight-inch ‘Ready2Discover’ infotainment system is standard.

Other standard innovations include Volkswagen’s IQ Light LED matrix headlights with dynamic light assist functionality and LED daytime running lights. The optional Travel Assist system forms part of the IQ Drive assist package which also includes adaptive cruise control and lane assist systems.

‘Home of the Polo GTI’
The Polo GTI Edition 25 and other sixth-generation Polo-based Polo GTIs are exclusively built at Volkswagen South Africa’s Kariega plant. The ‘home of the Polo GTI’, the factory, opened in 1951, is situated near Port Elizabeth and is the largest car manufacturing facility on the African continent. ‘Our team in South Africa is really proud of this car’, said Martina Biene, managing director and chairperson of Volkswagen Group South Africa. ‘The Polo has a long tradition here – especially the Polo GTI.’ Volkswagen South Africa produces the Polo Vivo, the Polo and the Polo GTI.

POLO GTI: A BRIEF HISTORY
The third-generation Polo was the first to wear Volkswagen’s iconic three letter badge. Limited to 3,000 units, the limited model sold out as fast as its 9.1-second 0-60mph time. Marked out by ‘GTI’ badges, 15-inch BBS alloy wheels, red seatbelts and unique ‘1’ interior trim, the subtle-looking model started the Polo GTI ball rolling.

1999-2001 Polo GTI
Updated in 1999 when the facelifted third-generation Polo arrived, the GTI became a permanent fixture in the Polo range. Featuring much the same recipe as before, its 1.6-litre 125bhp 16V engine with variable valve timing technology was 5bhp up on the 1998 version.

2006-2009 Polo GTI
The introduction of the refreshed fourth-generation ‘9N3’ Polo in 2006 saw the next Polo GTI arrive. With 148bhp from its 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, a special 178bhp Polo GTI Cup Edition was fitted with a unique body kit based on the Polo Cup racing cars that pounded the racetracks in Europe.

2010-2017 Polo GTI
Switching tack was the twincharged (super and turbocharged) Polo GTI of 2010. The 1.4-litre TSI engine was exclusively paired with a seven-speed DSG gearbox for a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. With 17-inch ‘Monza’ wheels that aped the Golf GTI, it looked every inch the hot hatch. Sharpened up in 2014 with the arrival of the updated fifth-generation model, the 1.4 engine was swapped for a 1.8-litre turbocharged unit with 189bhp and the choice of both manual and DSG gearboxes.

2017-2023 Polo GTI
Now very firmly a mainstay of the family, the Polo GTI of the sixth-generation Polo range had 197bhp and a six-speed DSG gearbox, sprinting to 62mph from rest in 6.7 seconds. A suite of new high resolution infotainment systems and a 10.3-inch digital driver’s display were among the technological highlights. In 2021 the refreshed model debuted – still based on Volkswagen’s successful MQB platform architecture – with 204bhp and subtle styling enhancements inside and out. It is this car on which the Polo GTI Edition 25 is based.

The Polo GTI of the sixth-generation Polo has been campaigned successfully in motorsport, both on and off the track. The car has provided a base for the Polo GTI R5 rally car, as well as the Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa Polo Cup one-make series circuit racer.

The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo enjoyed huge success in motorsport, not only winning the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) four consecutive times from 2013-2016, but also taking the spoils in the frenetic and punishing World Rallycross series, too.

Driven by Johan Kristoffersson and three-time FIA world champion and WRC legend Petter Solberg among others, it’s been five years since the Polo graced the top level of rallycross with Solberg behind the wheel. But on the weekend of 4-7 May, the Norwegian driver and hillclimb star will be reunited with the 570bhp Polo R WRX at the 2023 Simola Hillclimb in South Africa.

Most successful modern rallycross car
Plucked from his retirement and driving for Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa, Solberg will be piloting the fire-spitting machine which Kristoffersson drove to victory in 2017. With a pair of drivers’ titles and two team FIA World Championship wins, the Polo R WRX Supercar could just be the most successful race car of the modern rallycross era.

Developed from the Polo R WRC rally car but more of a ‘silhouette’ racer, the Polo R WRX Supercar’s standout features include engine cooling with an emphasis on aerodynamics, making it far more efficient. The rear wing of the Polo R WRX creates more downforce and allows a wide range of set-up options. Powered by a four-cylinder engine with a massive 570bhp (419kW), peak torque of 650Nm (479lb ft) is developed at 5,000rpm. Power is put down using a six-speed sequential racing gearbox, and it takes just 1.9 seconds to complete the 0-62mph sprint.

‘Polo R WRX Supercar from the museum’
‘The guys at Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa are so professional,’ said an excited Solberg. ‘They agreed for me to come and drive at the Simola Hillclimb event, and then agreed to bring the Polo R WRX Supercar from the museum in Wolfsburg. This is the proper way of doing things – I like it!’ he continues.

‘Can I win? Let’s see. They told me the winner’s average speed last year was 200km/h (124mph) – my car will only do 200km/h! You know me, I will try. We will push and see what is possible. One thing is certain, it’s going to be fantastic to be back with this car again. I have such good memories of the Polo R WRX Supercar. We ran these cars for me and Johan, with our family team (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden) winning all the titles through 2017 and 2018. Good times,” reflects Solberg.

‘We are very excited to announce that Petter Solberg will be making his way to South Africa to race in the Polo R WRX Supercar,’ said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa. ‘Solberg’s partnership with VW goes back to 2017 when he set up PSRX Volkswagen Sweden with factory works support from Volkswagen Motorsport and we are thrilled to have brought Petter back to race for us in South Africa,’ Rowe continues.

Volkswagen Polo SupaCup
Alongside Solberg, seasoned racer Graeme Nathan will also be representing Volkswagen in a Polo SupaCup car, a 308bhp racer built specifically for South Africa’s GTC SupaCup support series. The 2.0-litre turbocharged ‘EA888’ four-cylinder engine has 420Nm of torque, and as Nathan and the SupaCup Polo came second in the Class B2 finals in one of the closest margins – 0.016 seconds – in the history of the Simola Hillclimb in 2022, he will certainly be up for the fight in 2023.

Joining Nathan’s and Solberg’s Polos will be an eighth-generation Golf R, driven by Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa drivers Jonathan Mogotsi and Daniel Rowe. Solberg’s rallycross-driving brother Henning will also compete on the 1.18-mile (1.9-kilometre) hill in Knysna, Western Cape.

The letters ‘GT’ have been associated with the Volkswagen Polo since 1979, appearing on sports models such as the original Polo GT, the Polo GT G40 of the 1980s, the Polo GT hatchback and coupé of the 1990s, various GT models in the early 2000s, and the Polo BlueGT in the 2010s. In South Africa, they adorn the model which sits atop the Polo Vivo family, and for 2023, the Polo Vivo GT gets a tidy up.

Sports-orientated styling
The second generation of Volkswagen South Africa’s entry level model, the Polo Vivo, launched in 2018, bringing with it the 109bhp/81kW Polo Vivo GT. A not-quite-GTI model, focused on more sports-orientated styling than performance, the 2023 VW Polo Vivo GT shares its 1.0 TSI engine with the car launched five years ago, but the exterior and interior have been given a few tweaks.

Externally, the freshened up car features silver mirror caps – replacing the colour-coded items of before – more subtle front door and tailgate graphics, a silver ‘GT’ front grille badge and the new ‘flatter’ Volkswagen roundel, first introduced in 2019. The black rear hatch spoiler and 17-inch ‘Mirabeau’ alloy wheels are the same as the previous car, but a new Wild Cherry Red Metallic paint shade ensures the 2023 Polo Vivo GT stands out.

Inside, silver inserts adorn the top areas of the dashboard, while the cloth seat insert stitching colour is now red rather than blue. The grey gear lever and handbrake cover stitching now match the silver exterior accents. ‘GT’-embroided floor mats complete the interior makeover. Other standard equipment of the flagship Polo Vivo model includes anthracite interior headlining, cruise control, ‘Lights and Vision’ package, as well as 15mm lowered suspension.

The Recommended Retail Price (VAT and emissions tax included) for the 2023 Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT is R332,800. A three-year/120,000km warranty and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty is standard, with a Volkswagen EasyDrive Maintenance Plan and EasyDrive Service Plan available as options. Service intervals are 15,000 km.

Most popular car in South Africa
Since the introduction of the second generation Polo Vivo, itself based on the fifth-generation Polo built from 2009-2017, almost 120,000 units have rolled off the Kariega production lines. The Polo Vivo GT first appeared in 2011 based on the first-generation Polo Vivo, which was originally a facelifted fourth-generation Polo, built from 2005-2009. First introduced in 2010, and very often South Africa’s most popular car, the Polo Vivo nameplate has since cumulatively recorded 313,620 registrations.

Volkswagen has announced details of its latest ID-badged electric car, and the ID 2all concept points to not only a potential reset of VW’s EV recipe, but also the brand itself. PoloDriver.com editor Rich Gooding gets a bit hot under the collar…

On the evening of 15 March 2023, Volkswagen live-streamed a world premiere of a new car. The reveal was trailed beforehand to be the latest member of its ID electric car family, and VW stayed true to its promise, pulling the covers off a brand-new concept version of its small EV, the ID 2.

However, I, like most, was expecting a mini-SUV, as hinted at by the previous ID Life concept car of 2021. What was revealed, though, was much more ‘traditional’. Much more ‘typical Volkswagen’. In short, the ID 2all’s arrival is a very pleasant surprise.

The live reveal focused on Volkswagen’s ‘reinvention’ to become more of a ‘love brand’ (ick) again, leaning heavily on its more traditional values of emotion and ‘top quality’. These have arguably been absent from the first batch of ID models and the ID 2all offers the chance of a reset. New focuses on brand, customers, and products were prominent messages.

‘We are transforming Volkswagen rapidly and fundamentally – with the clear objective of making Volkswagen a genuine Love Brand. The ID 2all shows where we want to take the brand: close to the customer, top technologies and a fantastic design. We are implementing transformation at a pace to bring electric mobility to the masses’
Thomas Schäfer, CEO, Volkswagen Passenger Cars

As if to highlight this, VW’s history was showcased with a parade of past models – including the stunning 1975 Bahama Blue Polo restored by Volkswagen Classic for the 2015 Techno Classica Essen show which celebrated 40 years of the Polo nameplate – the ‘back to its roots’ message was loud and clear. And in my opinion, that’s no bad thing.

Watching the livestream of the #VWforthepeople unveil. Boy, is the focus on emotion and ‘brand’, but I am wholeheartedly behind the ‘heritage’ models being wheeled out. 1975 Mk 1 Polo L in Bahama Blue is nice to see! pic.twitter.com/wWLk8N7mmZ

— Richard Gooding (@richgoodingcom) March 15, 2023

Nostalgic brouhaha
Once all the nostalgic brouhaha was out of the way, the lights dimmed, the music volume was raised and the ID 2all appeared from the wings of the Hamburg stage. And I was instantly transfixed. Here was no mini-SUV; here was a car which referenced VW styling cues from the past – parallel Golf 4 rear bumper and door shut lines in particular – and had the appearance, and dimensions of a Polo. Which got me excited.

While new VW Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schäfer hasn’t confirmed plans to ditch the Polo nameplate with the demise of internal combustion-engined cars in the coming years, there has been no confirmation it will stay either. When the lights went up on the ID 2all, there looked to be hope.

Apparently designed and built in around six weeks by new Volkswagen Passenger Cars head of design designer Andreas Mindt and his team, the car was ordered by management – including Schäfer – when the ID Life idea was halted. Some have commented that the ID 2all looks like it was an old concept dusted off and given a sprinkle of contemporary style, but I disagree.

Yes, there are nods to VWs past – and the front even looks similar to a ‘9N3’ Polo BlueMotion with its faired-in grille – but I think it’s a neat design, helped by the way the bright metallic blue paint finish – similar to Volkswagen’s Rising Blue shade – popped under the lights at the Hamburg reveal. Indeed, it was the paint finish that immediately reminded me of the 2001 Polo S1600 rally car prototype when I first saw the ID 2all from the rear. The car is also said to preview a new Volkswagen design language.

Other design highlights include the crease which runs from the front wheel arch, through the – standard production – door handle and rises sharply, meeting the door rear window corner. The lights in the full-width rear bar have echoes of Range Rover Evoque in their 3D effect, while the 20-inch wheels recall the 17-inch ‘Santa Monica’ rims which were an option on some models of the fourth-generation Golf. As it stands, the ID 2all is said to reflect around 80 per cent of the production car.

Inside, there’s a more geometric dashboard than the current family of ID models. Textured cloth material features on the dash top itself, and on the door cards, just like Volkswagens of old. In front of the driver is a 10.9-inch colour display, the infotainment screen in the centre two inches larger in size. Volkswagen says that the system has a ‘new menu structure’ – partly controlled by a rotary dial in the floating centre console – aiming to answer criticisms relating to the current family of ID cars.

Interestingly, the interior of the reveal concept car looked to use a production Polo 6 interior. YouTube content creator Nobby On Cars stated that it was disclosed that the show car’s interior isn’t the ‘finished product’. The car in the press images reveals the concept’s interior proper, which may suggest there may be more than one prototype in existence…

One neat interior feature of the press image car is a function which allows the instrument panel to display information in the style of a classic Beetle, or a late Mk 1 Golf-era water-cooled VW. In fact, the Beetle, Golf and Polo were all specifically mentioned at the reveal event relating to the ID 2all design, Mindt stating that, ‘We are transferring the DNA of our icons into the future. The ID 2all is therefore also an homage to the Beetle, Golf and Polo.’

MEB Entry platform
Of those three cars, only the Golf has been powered by an electric powertrain in the past, but being an ID, the 2all is of course, all-electric, too. Underpinned by a new ‘Entry’ version of VW’s all-conquering ‘MEB’ EV platform, the difference here is that the ID 2all is the first front-wheel drive electric VW. This is, in part, to save costs and bring the production ID 2 in under 25,000 euros – ‘Volkswagen’ does mean ‘people’s car’ after all, and the ‘#VWforthepeople’ hashtag had Twitter ablaze – but it also frees up interior space.

In yet another Polo correlation, the 4,050mm length of the ID 2all is just 3mm shorter than the current Polo (but only 61mm wide and 71mm taller). Volkswagen points to the iD 2all’s interior having Golf-rivalling space, thanks to the 2,600mm wheelbase which is 48mm longer than the current Polo’s. The ID 2all can carry 490 litres of luggage with the rear seats in place, 1,330 litres when they are folded.

Power from the single electric motor is a Polo GTI-rivalling 223bhp, while the electric range is projected to be 280 miles (450km) on a single charge. The car is expected to be available with two batteries of around 40 and 56kWh, the former using cheaper lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) technology. The larger unit is expected to stick with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) tech, as shared with other VW IDs. The fast 125kW DC charging speed capability means a 10-80 per cent top up in around 20 minutes for the larger battery. Performance is similar to the current ‘AW’ Polo GTI; 0-62mph takes under seven seconds. Top speed is 99mph.

While it’s not been confirmed that the ID 2all will adopt a name that might reference the Polo, with persistent rumours of the Polo’s imminent demise – let’s not forget that Ford has called time on the Fiesta, after all – this looks to be the perfect EV-era interpretation of my favourite small car. Some reports point to the even smaller and yet-to-be-unveiled ID 1 being christened ‘ID Polo’, others that although the ID 2all probably won’t be an electric Polo, the decision hasn’t totally been ruled out…

Whatever, the arrival of the ID 2all brings with it lots of unresolved questions. But it heralds lots of promise, too. Promise that as the Polo approaches its 50th birthday – coincidentally in 2025, the same year as the production ID 2’s slated launch – it may live on into its sixth decade after all. To me, there seems little point in ditching well-known nameplates, be they Volkswagens or from any other brand. We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what shape – and what name – the production ID 2 takes when it materialises, but I, for one, will have my fingers crossed.

Schäfer said at the ID 2all world premiere that when asked, his team said that they wanted to make the brand ‘shine again’. ID Polo or not, making a small EV which incorporates as many features from the ID 2all concept will, for me, do just that.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
2023 Volkswagen ID 2all / 2023 Volkswagen Polo
Length: 4,050mm / 4,053mm
Width: 1,812mm / 1,751mm (excluding door mirrors)
Height: 1,530mm 1,459mm
Wheelbase: 2,660mm / 2,552mm
Luggage volume: 490-1,330 litres / 351-1,125 litres
Power: 223bhp / 204bhp (Polo GTI)
Drive: front-wheel drive / front-wheel drive
Wheels and tyres: 225/40 R20 / 215/45 R17 (Polo GTI)

UPDATE, 8 September 2023: It would appear that the production version of the ID 2 will not take the Polo name, and the Golf, Tiguan and GTI names are the only ‘iconic’ badges that would likely star in a future all-electric Volkswagen model family, says this new article from Autocar.