THE NEW, LIMITED-EDITION POLO GTI EDITION 25 HAS ARRIVED.
It’s mad to think that the Polo GTi was first released way back in 1998 on the 3rd generation Polo. At the time I was a puppy, just 20 years old, and I thought that version of the Polo was a constellation prize to the mighty Golf GTi. That first incarnation was never seen in SA though, the first one we got was in the shape of the 4th generation Polo, and it was something I thought was rather tasty. It had the right look, the right spec, the right power and the right price tag, and I wanted one. I was 28 then and I was working as a slave for slave wages and I couldn’t scrounge the cash together to get one. A good mate was the first to properly modify one in SA, and when he dies a few years later the car came up for sale and I wanted it with a sore heart, but it was the one that got away. Since then, the Polo range has been getting bigger and better and faster, and more expensive so I never managed to get my hands on one. I’m clearly not alone as the Polo is a very popular car, and it’s started reaching cool milestones like the Golf has. Now, 25 years after the introduction of the GTi badge on these small hot hatches, Volkswagen has released a special edition and the people in charge of naming these things pulled out all the stops when it came to the name. After a few board meetings, the powers that be decided on the official name of the Polo GTI Edition 25. Whoever came up with that name deserves a raise. As expected there will be a few things on this car that are different to the regular version so that you know what you’re looking at is in fact a special edition car.
The Polo GTI Edition 25 will be limited to just 2 500 units. “Volkswagen has a rich heritage and the Polo is one of our most iconic vehicles”, says Imelda Labbé, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and After Sales. “GTI fans are very important to us and our anniversary model is a way of marking this milestone together with them: celebrating 25 years of power, performance, sportiness, and fun driving in the Polo class.”. The limited number means we’re sure to see dealers listing them at silly money over the stocker price, and in a couple of years they will find their way to Marketplace with listings of a cool R1 500 000 from owners “who know what they have”. Changes to make the car special include a body lowered by 15 mm, an electronic diff lock XDS, red brake calipers and trim strips, a honeycomb grille, chrome-plated tailpipes, 18-inch Adelaide alloy wheels in black, a black roof with black wing mirrors, premium sport seats in perforated black-red leather with stitched GTI logos, a gloss black decorative trim with red GTI lettering, and a “One of 2500” logo on the sill panel trim. The car can be had in Pure White, Kings Red Metallic, Reef Blue Metallic, Smoke Grey Metallic and Deep Black Pearl Effect and Ascot Grey. The engine setup isn’t special, it’s the same as any other new one with a turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI lump with 152 kW and 320 Nm of torque that’s good for a 0-100 dash km/h in 6.5 seconds. The Polo GTI Edition 25 is manufactured in Kariega; “Our team in South Africa is really proud of this car”, says Martina Biene, Managing Director and Chairperson of Volkswagen Group South Africa. “The Polo has a long tradition here – especially the Polo GTI.” The Polo GTI Edition 25 will be available to order in Germany from 1 June, priced at €35,205, which is roughly translated to R733 000. The current price of the regular Polo GTi in SA is listed at R 527 700 on the VWSA website, minus options.
Take a look at the YouTube video showing off a new limited-edition Volkswagen Polo GTi built to celebrate the day a GTi badge was first put on a Polo hatchback - which happened way back in 1998. Is this new 25 Year commemorative model worth of being praised like the limited edition Golf GTi models are? That remains to be seen, but what we think is the best part of this new car is that it's being produced right here in Volkswagen's expansive manufacturing plant in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth): NEW TS X: VW Polo GTI 25 years | Volkswagen News
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