Used Volkswagen Polo GTI cars

The Volkswagen Polo GTI is the high-performance version of the hugely popular Polo hatchback. The GTI is faster and more fun to drive than other Polo models, but it’s just as practical and comes with lots of features included as standard.

The Polo is Volkswagen’s compact hatchback, a type of car also known as a supermini. The current, sixth-generation Polo has been sold in the UK since 2018, and was updated in 2021 with fresh styling details and new tech. It’s the biggest, most sophisticated Polo yet, but it remains cost-effective and small enough to slot into most parking spaces with ease.

GTI stands for grand touring injection. Grand touring is a term that has been applied to lots of fast road cars for many decades. Injection refers to an electronically controlled system that delivers fuel to a car’s engine. The first car to be called GTI dates back to the 1960s, but it was Volkswagen that popularised the term when it introduced the high-performance Golf GTI in 1976. 

As the high-performance model, the GTI sits at the top of the Polo range. Other trim levels available for the Polo include the sporty-looking R-Line, the generously equipped SEL and the value-focused Match. 

The main difference is the Polo GTI engine – it has almost twice the power of any other engine available in the Polo range. That makes the GTI considerably faster and contributes to quite a fun driving experience (as does the lower, stiffer suspension and the more powerful brakes). You can easily spot a GTI. It has deeper bumpers, bigger wheels and a red pinstripe around the front grille where you’ll also see a GTI badge. Inside, there are sports seats with red stitching, a chunkier steering wheel and metal pedals.