Polo GTI to get manual gearbox

Volkswagen has listened to its enthusiasts and decided to again offer a manual transmission with its revised Polo GTI.

The updated fifth-generation Polo, which was unveiled this week in Wolfsburg, Germany (pictured), will see not only a suite of technology, aesthetic and safety additions, but also a more powerful 141kW GTI variant (up 7.5kW) which will be offered with both manual and dual-clutch (DSG) transmissions, as well as the Golf-sourced XDS+ electronic locking front differential, sources inside Volkswagen’s powertrain division say.

For the Australian market, the announcement effectively means the new Polo GTI has the potential to undercut the manual-only Ford Fiesta ST, which is priced from $26,990 (plus on-road costs).

The current Polo GTI, which is offered only with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, is priced from $27,990 (plus ORCs). Typically, the DSG option attracts a $2500 premium throughout the VW range, which means the new Polo GTI could retail for as little as $24,490 when it goes on sale in the second-half of 2014.

VW discontinued the option of a manual transmission with the introduction of the current Polo GTI, which has been on sale in Australia since 2008.

Like its bigger bother the Golf GTI, the Volkswagen Polo GTI continues to be a strong seller for the German importer and commands a long waiting list.

Last year (2013) Volkswagen sold 5582 Polo models in Australia, of which approximately 20 per cent were the hot hatch GTI variant.

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