VW Polo GTI Edition 25 celebrates a quarter-century of hot hatch fun
The Volkswagen Polo GTI has been terrorising the world's streets for 25 years. First launched in 1998, the Golf GTI's younger brother quickly built a reputation for affordable thrills and has been much-loved here in South Africa ever since its introduction in 2006.
To mark a quarter-century of burnouts and robot-to-robot drag races, Volkswagen has unveiled the new Polo GTI Edition 25. Limited to just 2,500 units and built right here at the firm's world-class Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape, this fiery little hot hatch comes locked and loaded with a raft of standout exterior features including a set of gorgeous gloss black 18-inch Adelaide alloy wheels, red brake calipers and chrome-licked exhaust tailpipes. Six paint colours are on offer (Pure White, Kings Red Metallic, Reef Blue Metallic, Smoke Grey Metallic, Deep Black Pearl Effect and Ascot Grey) and all are offset by a roof skin and side mirrors finished in a contrasting shade of gloss black.
The party continues inside the cabin where you'll find premium sport seats upholstered in perforated black-red leather and finished with stitched GTI logos; gloss black decorative trim with red GTI lettering; a leather-wrapped multifunction sports steering wheel beset with a “25" logo, as well as a special “One of 2500” plaque fixed to the sill panel trim. Volkswagen's night-busting IQ.Light LED matrix headlights come fitted as standard as does an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system. So, plenty to celebrate then.
Powering the Polo GTI Edition 25 is a 2.0l four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (the good old EA888) good for 152kW and 320Nm worth of torque. Paired to a seven-speed DSG transmission, you're looking at 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.5 seconds. Volkswagen has also fitted a sports suspension system that lowers the body 15mm and bolted in a XDS electronic differential lock for improved traction when powering out of tight corners.
Volkswagen confirmed the Polo GTI Edition 25 will not be available in South Africa.
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