Volkswagen’s new Polo GTI hot hatch has been revealed. And it’s every inch the scaled-down VW Golf GTI: the key styling elements are present – telephone dial alloys, red-framed honeycomb grille, tartan sports seats – while so, unfortunately, is a rather plump price tag.
 
Expect Polo GTI prices to kick off at around £18K, a handy six grand cheaper than its bigger brother, but over £1500 more than its fiercest foes, the Renaultsport Clio Cup and SEAT Ibiza Cupra. It shares its engine with the latter, too: the 178bhp, 184lb ft turbo- and supercharged 1.4-litre petrol unit slides into the Polo, linked to a seven-speed DSG twin-clutch ‘box.
 
It sees the Polo hit 62mph in 6.9sec and a 142mph top speed, both figures being a smidge quicker than the SEAT. The VW gets its own spring and damper settings, the suspension is dropped 15mm over the regular (2010 Car of the Year) Polo, while VW’s XDS faux-diff takes car of channeling torque through the front wheels.
 
Production begins in the summer with UK deliveries due in August 2010, by which time the small hot hatch market should be burgeoning with rivals (including a new Ford Fiesta ST). If the Polo can’t compete on price, then it should hit them hard with a cunning mix of performance and efficiency. We look forward to the big fight…
 
The Polo GTI will be at the Geneva 2010 motor show. Roundup here
 
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