Volkswagen Reveals 2018 Polo and Polo GTI

Like with the previous generations, Americans won't be getting hands on these.
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The United States has been shafted for a while when it comes to hot hatches.  We get a few of the cars—for example, Ford’s offerings—but it’s still an almost untapped industry in America. But Volkswagen just fueled the European fire by unveiling the latest version of its popular compact, the Polo and Polo GTI. 

Volkswagen unveiled the Golf Mk7.5 lineup a couple months ago, and we’re happy to see that the design changes have extended to the GTI’s little brother. The new Polo’s styling has been given a full makeover; it sports new headlights, new wheels, a new interior, and the most up-to-date technology that can be crammed into a tiny hatch. That interior is particularly impressive, as it looks minimalist but still holds the gizmos. 

Buyers can choose from five Polo variants (excluding the GTI) and 13 interior colors to choose from, so there’s a solid amount of customization to be done. The new Polo will benefit from VW’s safety technology, including adaptive cruise control, blind spot detectors, and automatic emergency braking. 

2018 Volkswagen Polo

2018 Volkswagen Polo

, 2018 Polo interior, VW.

The new Polo will have four engine options including two without turbochargers. That means the car can make anywhere from 64-113 horsepower, depending on the powertrain. The Polo GTI gets a beefier 2.0-liter engine that pumps out 197 horsepower. 

Currently in America, the Ford Fiesta ST is the king of the compact hot hatch group, and the success of the latest generation of Focus RS in the States could be attractive to European brands looking to expand their hot hatch lineup to us folks in the Western Hemisphere. For now, we’ll just have to admire the handsome new Polo from a distance and pray that Volkswagen hears our wishes.

The 2018 Polo will be on sale in Europe in October of this year and deliveries start next January.