No delays for new Polo GTI, says VW

Volkswagen Group Australia says its revised Polo GTI — which arrives this week with a new engine and added equipment from $27,490 — will not face the same lengthy delays as its predecessor.

When the previous-gen Polo GTI went on sale, some buyers faced delays in excess of six months, depending on the options requested. But with option packages grouping the most commonly requested items and a healthy supply from the factory, VW Australia says it is confident the issue won’t be repeated.

“The fact the model is essentially a facelift, coupled to a pair of streamlined option packages, reduces the order complexity the previous Polo GTI faced at a dealer level,” explained Volkswagen Australia’s general manager of communications, Karl Gehling.

“The changes mean we’re able to hold dealer stock more easily and reduce delivery times to the customer. Also, this time, we didn’t have to wait for production to ‘ramp up’ — in fact production has been underway since late last year.”

Gehling said that the addition of a Luxury Package (adding LED headlights and DRLs, Alcantara upholstery and an electric glass roof for $3300) and a Driver Assistance Package (bringing an upgraded Discover Media system with sat-nav (a first for Polo) and reversing camera, front and rear acoustic parking sensors and Driver Fatigue Detection system for $1700) will also benefit customers’ hip pockets.

“As we’re able to bundle the most commonly requested options into ‘packages’ we can reduce the cost usually faced in ordering those items individually. It reduces the complexity on the (production) line, too, so really everybody wins,” he concluded.

The new Polo GTI is now offered with a choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, the latter adding $2500 to the list price. The pricing sees the revised model undercut its predecessor by $500, in spite of a long list of additional equipment.

Volkswagen Australia says the option of two transmissions will give it an advantage over competitors like the manual-only Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTi, and the auto-only Renault Clio RS, but admits take-up of manual models will be similar to those of the Golf GTI, currently at around 18 per cent.

The new Polo GTI will (again like its larger sibling) account for around one-in-five model sales, topping the 66 TSI Trendline (from $16,490) and 81 TSI Comfortline (from $18,590).

The last full year the Polo GTI was on sale (2013) it tallied around 100 units per month. The better value of the newer model, coupled to its lower price and choice of transmissions, mean it should have no problem topping that number.

An all-new Polo is not expected until at least 2017 — the same time other new Volkswagen Group products — including the Skoda Snowman SUV — are slated for debut.

Volkswagen Australia will launch the new Passat, Caddy, Transporter and Golf Alltrack before the end of this year, with the new Skoda Fabia hatch and wagon arriving in July. Skoda arrivals including the new Superb are slated for 2016, as is the new Passat Alltrack locally.

Motoring.com.au expects Volkswagen to give its next-generation Tiguan its first public appearance at the Frankfurt motor show in September, just prior to the local arrival of the Golf R Estate and Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo.