2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI facelift revealed: price, specs and release date
June 30, 2021 by
An updated version of the Volkswagen Polo GTI hot hatch has been revealed with a power increase, a fresh look and more technology. Read on for full details.
- New Volkswagen Polo GTI revealed
- Tweaked exterior design
- Updated, interior with new tech
- Power boosted to 207hp
- Seven-speed automatic gearbox
- Additional assistance tech
- Pricing around £25,000 likely
A facelifted version of the Volkswagen Polo GTI hot hatch has been revealed with more power, a fresh look and upgraded technology.
This alternative to the Ford Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20 N should arrive in the UK in late 2021 and could cost from around £25,000.
2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI design
The Volkswagen Polo GTI gets a pretty big overhaul of its looks. New Matrix LED headlights now extend a little lower into the bumper and have an illuminated red strip, which is underlined by another LED light bar that stretches the width of the grille.
The bumper itself gets a more aggressive design than before as well, bringing it a bit more in line with the design of the latest Golf GTI.
Not a great deal has changed on the Polo GTI’s sides, though you do have the choice of new 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels.
Things at the back are more drastic though. Just like the rest of the Polo lineup, bigger boomerang-like taillights have been introduced along with a revised bumper with a new body-coloured rear diffuser.
2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI interior and infotainment
Changes inside the new Volkswagen Polo GTI are pretty minimal. The layout, look and feel of the outgoing car is retained but some new touch-sensitive buttons have been added to the steering wheel and you’ll now control the climate control using the infotainment screen rather than with physical buttons.
You also get a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display as standard, though, rather than it being a pricey optional extra.
If you want a little more, you’ll able to option a panoramic roof, a Beats sounds system and wireless phone charging.
2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI engine and performance
The Volkswagen Polo GTI is still powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but does get a bump in power to 207hp — up from 200 — as well 320Nm of torque. That’s still delivered to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and it’ll crack 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds as a result, which is about par for the course with this kind of hot hatch.
It’s rumoured a six-speed manual gearbox would finally come to this generation of the Polo, but that isn’t the case so far.
2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI safety tech
As standard, the new Volkswagen Polo GTI comes with ‘Travel Assist tech’, which brings adaptive cruise control and lane self-centring to the hatchback.
It’s not a driverless system though — you’ll need to keep your hands on the wheel — but it’s a pretty cool piece of tech to have if you’re planning a lot of motorway miles
2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI price and release date
The updated Volkswagen Polo GTI will likely go on sale towards the end of 2021.
First deliveries in the UK are likely to come early in 2022. Pricing should start around £25,000 — a slight premium over the outgoing car to account for its upgraded tech and more powerful engine.
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