[abinashnanda]

This thread is about my initial ownership experience of a Volkswagen GTI.


What I like:-

• The timeless and subtle styling
• The exhilarating engine
• The build quality is simply outstanding
• The super impressive brakes
• The driving experience
• Topnotch safety: electronic stability control, ABS, traction control, electronic differential lock and 6 airbags

What I do not like:-

• No auto dimming rear view mirror, seriously Volkswagen on a 20-lakh car!
• The side view mirrors are one size smaller than my liking
• The low beam is just adequate, nothing exceptional
• 5 door version would have been a better fit for India
• Missing goodies like automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, sun/moon roof and ambient lighting (though I am not complaining, would have been nice to have)
• No additional accessories, even seat covers are not available. Have to either order online or have to get it custom built

This is my first post on Team-BHP, so I am already nervous about writing on a forum where they are so many car enthusiasts and so many experienced bloggers. I am already expecting quite a lot of feedback about how I could have done better, but hopefully will learn by experience.

Background
Before this I was driving a Polo GT TSI, which I must say is one of the better cars available in India (only downside is the rear legroom). I had the car for 23 months and had driven 40,000 km. It was a perfect car for my daily drive from Ghaziabad to Gurgaon (approximately 50 km one way), stress free and trouble free. I enjoyed those little pedal to the metal moments whenever I could find an empty stretch, which of course are very rare on Delhi/NCR roads. To enjoy my car, I usually leave from home early morning and try to come back either at 4:00 pm or mostly late evening past 9:30 pm, depending on the amount of work and family commitments.

So, when I had to exchange it for the GTI, for once it went across my mind, did I make a right decision of letting go of an almost perfect car? But as they say you buy a GTI not with your head but with your heart. Now after one month, I still have that soft corner for the baby TSI. Whenever I see a GT TSI on the road, I always try to give a thumbs-up to the driver of that car. The good part is that lately I have started seeing so many TSIs on Delhi roads. Not sure if the car sales have improved for GT TSI in last one month, specially post GST. That said I had few complaints about my stock GT TSI. The soft suspension (may be because it still needs to run as a daily car), the lack of rear disc brakes, below average head lights and mine being a mid-2015 model had 15" alloys. I was almost planning to get my wheels and headlights upgraded but I guess fate had other plans.

A pic of my outgoing adorable darling.


Before 2014, I used to be a consultant and had to travel frequently for work. During one such visit in 2012, I got a chance to drive one my colleagues Polo Mk5 GTI on the German Autobahn for a short trip. It was the first version of Mk5 GTI and I think year of manufacture was 2010. It had roughly 180 PS of power, but I was mighty impressed with the way the car accelerated and the build quality. That was my first and last experience of driving the GTI, before I drove the car here. But I still remember searching, reading and gathering information about the GTI for almost a month. It somehow left an unforgettable experience somewhere inside me. The only other fast hatch I have driven is a Mini Cooper S of one of my friends here in Delhi.

As mentioned earlier, since I have to drive though Delhi traffic, I always prefer a small hatchback which is easy and little bit of fun to drive. But that was not the case till I got the GT TSI. Earlier I was driving a Ritz and then I switched to GT TSI which started growing on me the more I started driving it. I must say I was a bit nervous about the niggles reported with DSG gearbox and the VW maintenance. But I must say that I am lucky enough to not have any issue with my VW ownership so far, and also the service experience is decent enough. Even though it is not like Toyota but it's not bad either, may be similar to Mahindra (we have a Toyota Corolla and an XUV 5OO in our family). This is purely based on my personal experience so far. Maybe because of that confidence, I am yet to take the extended warranty for my new car. I will be taking it shortly though, better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, GTI was launched in India in 2016, but the on-road price was 32 lakh, which was bit too much for my liking. So, I convinced myself to wait for another few years and buy the 330i instead, which is another one of my dream cars. With all the research I did when it was announced that the GTI will be launched in India, the numerous videos and reviews I watched, all those inner whistles and bells died down. With a heavy heart, I had to forget about ever owning a GTI. And then came GST and GTI being a CBU, saw a massive reduction in the ex-showroom price. From 25.99 lakhs to 19.99 lakhs! So finally, I did not have to wait for another few years for the BMW as I could afford the GTI right away. Spoke to my wife, she had no problem, with one condition - not to drive like a maniac.

Booking & delivery experience with the dealership
I contacted Volkswagen Mathura road through one of my colleagues who has some contacts there and they agreed to bring the test drive vehicle to my home on 22 July 2017. Me and my son took a 100-meter test drive. It was not a test drive, I just wanted to see the car in the flesh. It brought back all my memories of that Mk5 GTI. After a small negotiation I booked the car, then and there, by giving a token amount and trading my GT TSI. I was promised to get the car in 10 days' time, but to my surprise it was ready to be delivered on the 6th day. Maybe they were more interested in taking my baby TSI back. Anyway, we decided to take the car on 29 July- being a Saturday all my family members were available.

The delivery experience was fine, the sales team at Mathura road was very cautious and polite including the support staff. Though to my surprise, I was not given a demo of the features of the car.

On-road price & discounts
The price breakdown is as follows:

Ex Showroom - 19,99,000
Insurance - 1,05,385
Registration - 2,66,000
1% Luxury Tax - 20,000
Got some loyalty discount - 18,385 (Please don't ask me how it was calculated. Since I never asked, I have no idea. I was happy to get some discount.)

Total - 2,372,000.
So, a post GST a saving of nearly 8 lakh, not bad at all.

Exterior
She looks beautiful from every angle.


LED headlights with DRL, the GTI badge on the front honeycomb grill and the front bumper sensors.


GTI badging on both driver and passenger side front fenders and dual tone ORVMs with integrated turn indicators. ORVM with convex area (beyond the dotted line) for extended coverage area. Note the indicator light. They are electronically adjustable but not foldable.


Air Intake, Front fog lamps with integrated cornering lights


Bridgestone Turanza T001 215/45 R16, speed rating is V (needed for the claimed top speed of 233 Kmph). The front wheels have 288 mm ventilated brake discs while the rear ones are 232 mm solid discs. Note the signature red calipers and the small opening in front of the front discs, to allow fresh air for faster cooling of brakes. Notice the wheel locks for anti-theft protection. VW calls them SALVADOR wheels. 95 octane is recommended but 91 octane is minimum. I want to try Proctane with 91 octane, to see if there is any visible difference in engine performance, but waiting for some feedback on the forum about using the additive.


The twin chrome exhaust pipes look cool, the signature VW tail gate latch is embedded into the logo, and the GTI badging. There are total of 4 places on the exterior for the GTI badging, thankfully no GTI badging on either C pillars (something I personally did not like on the GT TSI). The number plate on the rear bumper has LED lighting. The tail lamps are not LED, but thankfully are very bright. Also present are the rear fog lamps and the high mounted stop lamp, just like the GT TSI.


Doors are on the larger side, so one needs to be careful when opening them. Problematic for tight parking spots. The boot is one size bigger than GT TSI, but I could not find the specifications. The luggage compartment has a light, which I missed in the GT TSI. All the doors and boot are heavy and one can feel it while opening them. The side and rear have green heat insulating glasses.


Engine
The unit is a 1.8-litre (1,798 cc) inline 4-cylinder with a single turbo charger. It produces 189 BHP and because of the DSG gearbox, it is limited to 250 Nm of torque. The best part - the torque is available from 1,250 rpm onward. The insulation under the hood is quite thick and much needed as one can hear the engine growl with the windows down even in normal driving conditions.


Boot and spare tyre
Spare tyre is a steel wheel with a maximum speed limit of 80 km. Notice the small hook to hold the floor cover.


Interiors
The cockpit looks gracious, like the GT TSI, but the fit and finish is couple of notches higher. Being a CBU, the quality is just top notch - no compromise anywhere. All the controls, levers feel quite good to touch and are built to last. The GTI inscribed steering wheel is meaty and feels good to hold. The red stitching enhances the look for sure. The chrome inserts in the cabin are very tasteful, not too much to be catchy - just the right amount to enhance the visual appeal of the cabin.

The rear-view mirror is bigger than the GT TSI and offers better visibility in comparison. But the side view mirrors are a tad smaller for my liking. Overall the feeling inside the cabin is very pleasant and enjoyable. Nice compact place to be in for my daily drive.


The cruise and volume controls are on the left side. The phone controls and MID settings are on the right side. Engine start stop is manual. The temperature and fuel gauges are analog. Note the door open indicator in the MID. The steering can be adjusted for both reach and height.


The wipers with intermittent control, the paddle shifters for manual mode, the temperature controlled glove box and the CD/DVD player in the glove box - thus, the size of the glove box is a bit small. The 7-speed dry clutch DSG gearbox.


The light controls, door lock and unlock switch and the ORVM adjustment controls. The ORVMs can be heated. There is no headlamp leveler as they have automatic range adjustments.


Sporty front seats with enlarged bolsters. They are very comfortable and supportive, and can be adjusted for height, reach and back support. So, it is easy for anyone to find a good driving position as the steering column offers both tilt and telescopic adjustment. The under-thigh support is good and the seats hold you properly for hard cornering. I find them very convenient for my daily drives. GT TSI front seats were good but on GTI things are on a different level. The seats are covered in high quality fabric, VW calls the fabric material as Clark. The combined curtain and side airbags are integrated into the front seats.


The rear seats are accessed by pulling a lever mounted conveniently on the front seats to flip them down. The rear feels claustrophobic mainly due to the smaller windows and the limited front visibility because of the large front seats, but the rear knee room is more than the Polo GT TSI because the back of the front seats has been cleverly scooped out to create a hollow. I am 5' 11" and I have taken a photo of me sitting in the back for reference with the driver seat adjusted as per my convenience. The headroom is also OK. I feel it is good for 2 people, not for 3 on a long drive. I asked my wife to sit once in the back and when she later returned to front seats she was visibly happier. She told me you enjoy the car when you are at front. Though she was not uncomfortable at the back, I doubt people 6' and taller will find it comfortable. Additionally, there are ISOFIX anchorage points for 2 child seats in the rear bench and the three head restraints in the rear are height adjustable.


Infotainment
The car comes with a 6.5" touchscreen enabled infotainment system. It is a MIB2 generation player without navigation, App Connect and the rear-view camera input. But, it has a mobile phone interface which means the contacts are synced with the phone and one can browse through the phone media library using the car music system. It has 6 speakers with AUX, Bluetooth, USB, DVD and SD Card reader. I am not going into detail of the system, but if you are interested you can find more information about the same using the below YouTube video.

this

The sound quality is decent, nothing exceptional, should satisfy most owners. There is no mute button on the steering wheel, the button is only available on the car media player. If I recollect, in the GT TSI there was a mute button present on the steering wheel.


The park distance control with acoustic warning signals for obstacles in front and rear is displayed on the infotainment system. The park pilot is active as soon as you move from a standstill. The volume of the car music system is reduced so that one can hear the warning signals. You have an option of either muting the park pilot volume or completely turning it off as well.


Ride, Handling and Suspension
I am a diehard follower of the rules - not to rev cars until 2,500 km and the idling rule for turbo charged cars, so had to wait for some time before I could write this section of the post. Now I am well past 3,000 km and I could drive the car a little harder to understand how the car behaves, so I am writing below my initial impressions. I will update this section of the thread as I drive the car more and more.

Once you start the car, the engine revs to 1,100 rpm and you can hear the twin exhaust's growl. Within 15 seconds the engine idles at 800 rpm. The ideal engine temperature of 90 degree Celsius is also reached faster in the GTI, in about 90 seconds with sedate driving at the start. I remember the GT TSI used to take quite a lot of time to reach the ideal operating engine temperature. So, in a GTI one can quickly start giving harder accelerator inputs if desired.

In city traffic, the drive is very smooth. With the windows up, there is almost no noise filtering into the cabin. In bumper to bumper traffic, you just lift your foot off the brake pedal and it crawls without any accelerator input. Since torque is available from 1,250 rpm, there is no turbo lag and you can keep up with traffic with gentle accelerator inputs. Closing gaps is quick and easy. The steering is light at low speeds, so maneuvering in city traffic is very easy. As of now, the FE is between 7 to 8 litres per 100 km in city traffic.

The suspension is stiff but not so much to make the daily ride uncomfortable. I think VW engineers have done some work on them for our normal Indian roads. It absorbs bumps well enough and does not feel unsettled. But still you need to drive it carefully over bumps and uneven surfaces, else you will hear the suspension at work. The wheels are 16” and I think it was intentional to work better with the suspension setup. I have driven one of friend's Mini Cooper S and for sure the GTI is a lot nicer place to be in, for our road conditions. My friend agrees to it without any equivocation.

I drove the car from Delhi to Jaipur and back before the 2,500-km mark on odo, so had to drive throughout with a light foot on D mode. Even with a gentle throttle input, I could easily keep her in-between 100 and 120 km range on the highway, with the rpm needle hovering around 1,900.

In drive ('D') mode, there is no sudden surge when the turbo kicks in, but the car gains speed very first. The best part is the way it gathers speed. This was something I missed in my GT TSI. The baby TSI took couple of seconds before reacting to sudden accelerator inputs, especially while driving at a sedate pace. Overtaking on both city and highways is effortless. Put your foot down a little, the gear downshifts by a notch or two depending on your speed and you can overtake slow moving traffic without any effort. The car is always ready to pull at whatever speed or whichever gear it is in.

The engine and gearbox combo is a gem, the DSG gearbox feels more alive in GTI rather than the baby TSI. On Sports (‘S’) mode, the acceleration just goes berserk, but again there is no sudden jerk though the up-shifts and downshifts are quite aggressive. I have not timed my 0-100 speed yet, but the needle climbs very fast. There is a Lap Timer in the steering console. The car reaches silly speeds in no time and I am happy with the acceleration. In sports mode though, the FE takes a hit, I got 20L /100 km once.

The steering (EPS unit) feedback is decent and car corners well. It weighs up nicely as the speed increases and offers decent amount of feedback, but unlike the Mini Cooper S though. One can feel the road, what the front wheels are up to. The car always feels planted, the grip is good enough for you to carry a lot of speed into the corner and you feel confident for quick direction changes and cornering. You should be careful about the rear though. For me during a hard cornering, the passenger side came out once and the electronics had to intervene. The Mini feels more confident in cornering than GTI and under same driving conditions it offers better feedback from the steering as well.

Now for the brakes, one word - outstanding. All round discs are just phenomenal and personally for me, I like the way the car deaccelerates rather than accelerates, that’s how good they are. They have a good strong bite and offers you confidence while driving fast. But one needs to be careful if someone is closely following you to avoid rear ending. The brake pedal feel is also very firm and progressive and there is no rubbery feel at all, but initially will take some time to get used to.

Some Other Points

1. Air conditioner is effective, but not chilling as say a Toyota Corolla.
2. There is no arm rest like that of a GT TSI.
3. Automatic air conditioner but without a complete off button.
4. Rear seats are 60:40 foldable.
5. Illuminated vanity mirrors on both driver and passenger side.
6. It has a Start Stop system with regenerative braking, and can be switched off during a drive. But it will reset once the car is restarted.
7. There are 2 reading lights in front and 1 in rear.
8. Seat belts in front come with height adjustment and pretensioner.
9. Seat belt reminder. If you don't put seat belt the start stop system will not be active.
10. Rear window wiper also has intermittent control.
11. The pedals are made up of aluminum and look stylish.
12. The ground clearance is decent, with 4 adults (average weight 70+ kilos) on board I tested it and the car did not touch anywhere. I am not sure about the exact clearance height though; some websites mention it as 155 mm.
13. Because of all round cladding, no option for mud flaps.
14. Low beam is average but high beam is very bright and has good throw.
15. Fuel consumption on an average is 8L /100 km.
16. When on the road she gets so many eye balls rolling on her. Have got compliments from a lot of people on road
17. With a limited 99 cars available in India, every city has got only few stocks. So, the choice of colors is very restricted. The test drive car was Reflex Silver and the only color option I had was Flash Red.
18. I am not sure about the service cost as it is not mentioned even on VW India web site.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Hi sir,
let me be the first one to congratulate you on your GTI! It's a vice upgrade from your erstwhile GT TSI in-terms of performance. Very rare people like you plunge to take such decisions. Had this discount had kicked in earlier, today I would've got this little hatch parked in my porch or perhaps even the vRS if it had launched earlier, even that would've taken the place of the Hexa which I bought instead.

Hope you enjoy your little pocket rocket a.k.a GTI and make sure you redline that sweet engine for me as frequently as possible

Drive safe and Drive Hard,
Varun_HexaGuy

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

This thread is about my initial ownership experience of a Volkswagen GTI.

Congrats abinashnanda on your latest acquistion, and its a stonker

IF ONLY VW India had thrown in a few more goodies (Sun roof, flip camera) from the global GTI, I think this would have been a perfect alternative for the current riptide called Octavia RS.
It may sound crazy, but probably even I would have swapped my GT TDI for the GTI

Wish you a very happy and fun filled motoring, and many more mile-munching.

[blackwasp]

Congrats on the acquisition of a good car. 100% agree with you regarding the choice of a small but powerful hatch for the city. I would like to add one more like - the exclusivity. Not many GTIs on the road today and there wont be many. You are the lucky 1/99 to own this hot hatch in India.

Your proximity to the Himalayas will also be an advantage. This car will be a hoot to drive in the mountains.

[Mission_PGPX]

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

This thread is about my initial ownership experience of a Volkswagen GTI.[/list]

Congratulations on this priced possession, a feather of exclusivity. Lovely review and now i am glued to this thread for further updates. The only comment, you should change the name of your thread, remove POLO. Its GTI, as you mentioned in above post.
by the way, you didnt make any mentioned about how does it sound? specially, on speeds above 60. Will it make me an addict?

[rageshgr]

A review we all had been waiting for! First Nikhil's vRS and now this. It is raining hot cars in T-BHP! Congrats on the little monster! the true hot hatch from VW!

Very detailed review, and covered all minute points! Was pleasantly surprised to know that the GTI has as much/more legroom than the GT TSI.

Coming from a GT TSI, you are in a really good position to evaluate and appreciate upgrade! One can only imagine what the tuned-up 1.8 TSI will do in a tiny Polo! Almost 150 BHP/ton!

Being a GT TSI owner, I can relate and appreciate each of the points in your analysis. GTI is a dream upgrade for me too! But the GT TSI is my sole family car so any upgrade would warrant an upgrade in seat/boot space too! So I am living vicariously through your reviews/experience!

Enjoy

[Santoshbhat]

Wow congratulations from a fellow GT TSI and GTI owner . Nice to read a Polo GTI review on Team BHP. There has been a lot of VW bashing on the forum ever since prices for the GTI were announced. Launch prices were ambitious no doubt. But if you look at European markets, the Polo GTI retails in the same ball park as the Mini Cooper S. Unfortunately in our market badge value carries a lot of weight and this is where the Polo GTI lost out. I think the current pricing is quite fair considering the performance on offer.

The GTI packs in some serious performance. In this month's Autocar India, the GTI was one of many driver's cars to be driven by Narain Karthikeyan on the Kari track. It put up the best lap time by any front wheel drive production car so far! This is a regular feature in the magazine and they collate the current results with past results . The GTI is in the league of some serious performance cars. It even put up a better time than the new G30 530d, the old F30 328i, Volvo S60 T6 and way better time than the Cooper S.

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

The boot is one size bigger than GT TSI, but I could not find the specifications.[/list]

Are you sure? I think the boot is smaller since it now houses the battery as well. The boot floor is higher than the regular Polos.

[sawnilrules]

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

The sound quality is decent, nothing exceptional, should satisfy most owners. There is no mute button on the steering wheel, the button is only available on the car media player. If I recollect, in the GT TSI there was a mute button present on the steering wheel.

Check the center roller button, I have an Octavia, even I thought, how stupid of Skoda to not to give mute button, but then last week fellow teambhpian and Octavia owner pointed out that pressing the roller button mutes/pauses the audio. Possibly should work in your car also.

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

There is no armrest like that of a GT TSI.

I am sure VW dealer may have an arm-rest as an accessory, alternatively, finding one on aliexpress would be easier as this is a global car. Probably, you may need a pro fitter.

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

Automatic air conditioner but without a complete off button.

In the newer generation of Polo GT Tsi, the method of completely shutting off the AAC is by rotating the AC knob completely to the left and after the blower speed goes to Zero, rotate it once again to left, AC OFF will be displayed on your screen. If time permits will upload a video for over the weekend.

Congratulations on owning the beast, the same engine, gearbox combination in my Octavia is a stonker, I am sure with a better power to weight ratio, it must be an absolute hoot to drive in your baby. Meanwhile, are you sure on the power numbers, coz as far as I remember even the Gti comes with 180 HP and not 189 HP unless they have upgraded the power in the latest iteration.

Here's wishing you safe miles.

[behaln]

Congratulations on the new purchase and first review of GTI on the forum . Keep updating it regularly for the updates . Any mods planned for the car. Drive safe.

[abinashnanda]

Hello Sir,
First of all thank you very much for your suggestions and compliments.

Originally Posted by sawnilrules

Attachment 1678566
Check the center roller button, I have an Octavia, even I thought, how stupid of Skoda to not to give mute button, but then last week fellow teambhpian and Octavia owner pointed out that pressing the roller button mutes/pauses the audio. Possibly should work in your car also.

On my steering console there is no roller button like Octavia. It's a dummy button I guess , I will check the Owner Manual and Confirm.

Originally Posted by sawnilrules

In the newer generation of Polo GT Tsi, the method of completely shutting off the AAC is by rotating the AC knob completely to the left and after the blower speed goes to Zero, rotate it once again to left, AC OFF will be displayed on your screen. If time permits will upload a video for over the weekend.

For switching off the A/C, I use the same method as you have mentioned but for me it is like Older Generation GT TSI. No AC OFF message displayed on the screen.

Originally Posted by sawnilrules

Meanwhile, are you sure on the power numbers, coz as far as I remember even the Gti comes with 180 HP and not 189 HP unless they have upgraded the power in the latest iteration.

I have not done dyno test to confirm, but as per the brochure the power is 192 PS which translates to 189 BHP. As far as I know the earlier generation of GTI (MK5), which was a 1.4 liter supercharged and turbo charged unit had 180 PS power but it was updated to 192 PS in 2015. My car is 2017 build.

Best regards, Abinash

[Col Mehta]

Oh that little beautiful red monster!! Congratulations and wish you and your family many happy and safe miles with it.

[chase_nt]

Congratulations on acquiring the GENUINE pocket rocket. As a previous GT TSI owner I can only drool over the awesome GTI. Cars such as the GTI or the Cooper S make the most sense for our congested city streets rather than huge barges (unless you are chauffeur driven). Personally I would plunk my money on a hot hatch any day instead of purchasing a sedan. My bias toward hatchbacks wouldn’t change unless I was living abroad where I had the luxury of impeccably well managed traffic. If only the GTI was available for around 18 lakh on road I would literally scurry to the VW showroom in town and purchase it. Maybe a few years down the line I might be lucky enough to get my hands on a well maintained pre owned specimen however that might be akin to finding a needle in a haystack considering the fact that VW will sell just 99 GTI's in the entire country. I’ll bet it’s too early but can I call first dibs on your GTI whenever you decide to sell it in the future?


It’s been over a year since I sold my GT TSI and purchased the Abarth Punto however not a week goes by that I keep reminiscing about the amazing DSG TSI combo. Heck I even contemplate getting rid of my Abarth and getting a GT TSI again, that’s the sort of impression the car left on me. In fact whenever I decide to sell my Abarth Punto I know that I will purchase a hatch with the DSG TSI combo again. I can only imagine how addictive it might be to drive the GTI. It’s really good to see someone who follows their heart instead of their head. Kudos to you buddy and take good care of that mean machine

[Nair.V8]

Congratulations abhinashnanda thats a sexy GTi you've got there.

I had the pleasure of driving my friends GTi last week on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, and I fell in love instantly!! Its a perfect blend of performance, practicality and exclusivity; and it never attracts unwanted attention. The tiny size makes it very easy to dart through traffic and park in tight spots as well.

Once again congratulations and Wish you a joyful and safe ownership experience. Cheers!

[revintup]

Originally Posted by abinashnanda

[*] No additional accessories, even seat covers are not available. Have to either order online or have to get it custom built

I believe the OE seats should not be tamperered with due to the presence of airbags. Do make sure if you are actually planning to get a custom one