Next VW Polo GTI to get 2.0-litre turbo
German hot hatch to shun downsizing in its bid to beat Ford Fiesta STVolkswagen has confirmed that its next all-new replacement for the Polo GTI will ditch its old 141kW/320Nm 1.8-litre turbo for a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo that's lifted from its bigger brother, the Golf GTI.
According to Autoexpress, the hot hatch based on the sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo will come with the Golf GTI's EA888 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will produce around 150kW.
Set to be lighter and stiffer than the current car the new GTI, like the rest of the sixth-gen Polo, will be based on the VW’s new AO platform - the smallest version of the Volkswagen Group's MQB architecture.
Factor in the additional extra power and torque and its lighter underpinnings and the baby GTI should hit 100km/h in around 6.5 seconds - 0.2secs faster than the current car.
Going up against the new Ford Fiesta ST, that recently downsized its 134kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbo for a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol, that produces 147kW, the Polo will once again beat the Blue Oval away from the lights.
Helping ensure it out-handles the Fiesta, the small VW hatch will benefit from a longer wheelbase that will increase high-speed stability.
It's not yet known if the next Polo GTI will come with the Golf GTI's more sophisticated multi-link suspension or match the Fiesta's torsion beam set-up.
What is likely is, the fastest-ever Polo will come with the VW Group's XDS+ electronic front differential, plus adaptive dampers lifted from its bigger GTI sibling.
Like before, the Polo will come with both a six-speed manual and a six-speed dual-clutch DSG auto.
On sale in Europe towards the end of this year, our cars should arrive early 2018.
Pricing for the new Polo GTI is expected to closely match the $27,490 (plus ORCs) Volkswagen charges for the current car.
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