Volkswagen Brazil has been very busy as of late. Not only did they unveil the Brazil-only Tarok pickup concept at the Sao Paulo International Motor Show, but they showcased two very interesting concepts that are scheduled to hit Brazil in 2019.
The concept previews a GTS version of the Polo hatch and Virtus (Polo) sedan. The GTS is essentially a ‘watered-down’ version of the Polo GTI. As you can see, the exterior is heavily influenced by the sporty Polo GTI.
In fact, it would be fair to say that the exterior of the GTS is almost identical to that of the GTI, sporting the same 18-inch alloy wheels, the same grill with a red horizontal bar, LED headlights, equally sporty front and rear bumpers, and dual exhaust tips out back.
The interior too is loaded, and includes everything from a digital instrument cluster and an eight-inch touchscreen to a rearview camera and rain, light sensors. There is also a sports steering wheel with GTS badging and red stitching, matching red accents on the air vents, floor mats and gear shifter, while the seat upholstery of the sport seats, inner door panels and headliner all get a dark colour scheme, all adding to the racy look of the sporty GTS.
The biggest different is under the bonnet though. While the Polo GTI uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged motor to produce 147kw and 320nm, the GTS doesn't quite have the same firepower. It makes do with a 1.4-litre TSI engine that makes 110kw and 250nm. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. Volkswagen brazil has yet to release any performance figures.
Sadly the GTS is not destined for South Africa at this stage.
Also worth a look: the Volkswagen Golf and the Volkswagen Touareg.
FAQ
Q: What does the Volkswagen Polo GTS cost in South Africa?
The Volkswagen Polo GTS isn't available in South Africa, mate, it's a Brazil-only special that we can only dream about from afar.
Q: Is the Volkswagen Polo GTS worth buying?
You literally can't buy it in SA, but if you could, it would be a cracking middle ground between the regular Polo and the full-fat GTI with its 110kW 1.4 TSI engine and sporty looks.
Q: What's the difference between the Polo GTS and GTI?
The GTS is basically a watered-down GTI with a smaller 1.4-litre TSI making 110kW instead of the GTI's 2.0-litre producing 147kW, but it keeps almost all the visual drama including the 18-inch wheels and sporty bodykit.
Q: Will the Volkswagen Polo GTS come to South Africa?
Sadly no, Volkswagen has no plans to bring the Polo GTS to South African shores, so we're stuck admiring it from a distance like that braai boerewors you can't quite reach.
Should You Buy It?
You can't buy the Volkswagen Polo GTS in South Africa, so this is more of a "what could have been" situation than actual buying advice. If you're after a sporty Polo, your best bet is hunting down a proper Polo GTI for around R650,000, or settling for a regular Polo with some visual mods. The GTS would have been the perfect sweet spot between sensible and silly, but Volkswagen Brazil decided to keep this 110kW gem all to themselves. Your wallet might thank you though, because knowing VW's pricing strategy, it probably would have cost north of R500,000 anyway.
