New Polo GTI+

[Norbreck21a]

Hi guys, considering a new Polo GTI when it’s time to change my Golf GTD later this year.

One thing I really like about the GTD is the interior ambient lighting.

I noticed in the VW price list for the SEL onwards for the new Polo it says:

“Ambient lighting in front footwell, light strips below trim in front and rear doors and dashboard”

I haven’t seen any photos showing anything across as the dash or on the rear doors ? Do you think this is yet again just poor proof reading by VW for their literature (wouldn’t be the first time).

[mike sel]

Hi guys, considering a new Polo GTI when it’s time to change my Golf GTD later this year.

One thing I really like about the GTD is the interior ambient lighting.

I noticed in the VW price list for the SEL onwards for the new Polo it says:

“Ambient lighting in front footwell, light strips below trim in front and rear doors and dashboard”

I haven’t seen any photos showing anything across as the dash or on the rear doors ? Do you think this is yet again just poor proof reading by VW for their literature (wouldn’t be the first time).

Hi I have seen a few photos on you tube which do show the ambient lighting strips below the door handles and across the dash. Looks nice I'm looking forward to seeing that in my SEL when it finally arrives.

[SRGTD]

Hi guys, considering a new Polo GTI when it’s time to change my Golf GTD later this year.

One thing I really like about the GTD is the interior ambient lighting.

I noticed in the VW price list for the SEL onwards for the new Polo it says:

“Ambient lighting in front footwell, light strips below trim in front and rear doors and dashboard”

I haven’t seen any photos showing anything across as the dash or on the rear doors ? Do you think this is yet again just poor proof reading by VW for their literature (wouldn’t be the first time).

This YouTube video from 2m 48s to around 3 min shows the ambient lighting strip below the dash pad and extended into the front door cards below the door handles. The handle recesses also look as if they’re illuminated;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oH9adfNFBnI

Don't know about the rear doors though (maybe like the mk7 Golf where ambient lighting strips are only in the front doors?).

[john-k]

This YouTube video from 2m 48s to around 3 min shows the ambient lighting strip below the dash pad and extended into the front door cards below the door handles. The handle recesses also look as if they’re illuminated;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oH9adfNFBnI

Don't know about the rear doors though (maybe like the mk7 Golf where ambient lighting strips are only in the front doors?).

Hmmm, wonder if the dashpad lighting strip's colour could be customised in the infotainment system as well? The new 2019 Jetta videos on youtube show customisable colours....

[Norbreck21a]

I’ve just placed an order for an GTI+ with a couple of options and been quoted a delivery time of 20-25 weeks!!

I was an early adopter of the MK7 GTD's back in 2013. I ordered on the 12th Feb and took delivery on the 29th September (so nearly 33 weeks) !!

[Norbreck21a]

Out of interest, does anyone know when and if VW UK will make the beats sound system available to order in the GTI+ ? I've see quite a few YouTube video's of the GTI where they have the beats system installed and it seems to be available in other territories ?

Then part two of the same question, assuming this does come, and the fact that the GTI's battery is in the boot, are you able to get a space saver spare wheel as well, or does the battery and subwoofer preclude the fitment of one ?

[SRGTD]

Out of interest, does anyone know when and if VW UK will make the beats sound system available to order in the GTI+ ? I've see quite a few YouTube video's of the GTI where they have the beats system installed and it seems to be available in other territories ?

Then part two of the same question, assuming this does come, and the fact that the GTI's battery is in the boot, are you able to get a space saver spare wheel as well, or does the battery and subwoofer preclude the fitment of one ?

Don’t know the answer to your first question, but the specific Polo Beats model with the Beats audio system has a tyre mobility kit and compressor instead of a space saver spare. This suggests you’d have to forego the space saver spare in the GTI/GTI+ if the Beats audio system is offered as an option on these models and you choose to spec it.

[chris.o'mahoney]

Ordered my GTI + last week. Just received order number. Status is With Factory. Dealer seems to think it’ll be delivered in June. Not in a rush but very excited to see it in the flesh. Ordered in Grey with 18 inch wheels. A few options such as rear view camera,blind spot warning and the dual ac.

[Rangersmith]

Out of curiosity got a couple of questions about the DSG in general
Is the DSG easier to drive particularly in traffic.
Is it reliable? i.e. able to last several years.

Not having driven a DSG before thought i'd ask the questions on peoples experiences with it.Like for example on the previous GTI.

[Norbreck21a]

Well I've had 3 DSG's (1 Scirocco and 2 MK7 Golf) and the Wife has had 3 as well (all Polos including her current Blue GT 6C) and all have been brilliant and bullet proof.

[Norbreck21a]

Well, I think I may have answered my own question with regards Beat Audio with a spare wheel on the GTI. Found a few Video's on youtube and managed to extract a few stills. It shows a GTI (with the battery in the boot) and the beats Audio Subwoofer, which unlike the Dynaudio one in the Golf, Tiguan etc, isn't a round one that sits inside the spare wheel, but is moulded to the shape of the left side of the boot floor.

From these images, it doesn't seem it' possible to combine these with a space saver spare wheel ?

[SRGTD]

Well, I think I may have answered my own question with regards Beat Audio with a spare wheel on the GTI. Found a few Video's on youtube and managed to extract a few stills. It shows a GTI (with the battery in the boot) and the beats Audio Subwoofer, which unlike the Dynaudio one in the Golf, Tiguan etc, isn't a round one that sits inside the spare wheel, but is moulded to the shape of the left side of the boot floor.

From these images, it doesn't seem it' possible to combine these with a space saver spare wheel ?

That was what I had assumed would be the case when I posted my earlier reply;

Don’t know the answer to your first question, but the specific Polo Beats model with the Beats audio system has a tyre mobility kit and compressor instead of a space saver spare. This suggests you’d have to forego the space saver spare in the GTI/GTI+ if the Beats audio system is offered as an option on these models and you choose to spec it.

Page 7 of the price list brochure for the Polo Beats model under ‘wheels and suspension’ specifically states it has a tyre mobility kit and compressor.

I think that VW are one of the vehicle manufacturers that still fit a spare wheel to their models, unless there are specific reasons not to fit one - e.g.

• weight shedding reasons; it’s a model marketed as an out and out economy model, such as the outgoing 6c Polo Bluemotion model or there’s a significant focus on out and out performance such as the ‘stripped out’ limited edition mk7 Golf Clubsport S model.

• a spare can physically be accommodated due to space limitations - new Polo with the Beats Audio system.

Therefore, if the Beats Audio system does become available as an option on the new GTI / GTI+, buyers will have to make do with a can of gunk rather than a spare wheel.

[johnpolo2]

Anyone know if the GTI is being built in Spain or South Africa?

Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk

[monkeyhanger]

I'm almost certainly getting a GTI+ when the manual is available, to replace the wife's A1 3dr 1.6TDI, which will be 3 in September, but was bought outright, so looking to get a canny price in a private sale (£0 car tax will be enticing for some, and it is well equipped with a few "packs" and a couple of individual options.

We've recently had our lives turned upside down by adopting 2 kids, so the wife's 3 door A1 is completely impractical. I am using the A1 as a commuter right now (my work is 20 miles away, the wife's is 8 - when she goes back to work in September), so the wife has the Golf R in the week, and I drive us all around in it at the weekend. Chances are the wife will keep on driving the R (even though it is the first VW I have owned that I haven't hankered for a change with at 2/2.5 years - I could see me keeping this until the MK8 R is available, or possibly beyond) as her commute is much shorter and it will still be the weekend car.

The wife's choice to go 3 door on the A1, she thought the 3 door looked massively better than 5 door and really wanted an A1 over anything else (I tried to get her to go for a 1.8 Polo GTI at the time).

Anyone got an idea when the manual will be available to order? I'm guessing available to order in May for Sept delivery (DSG is not an option, I strongly dislike autos and DSG - that 5% of the time when it doesn't do what you want is very annoying).

The GTI+ is a bargain next to the standard GTI, considering the (mostly useful) equipment and the fact that those "options" will depreciate as the car will rather than being worth nowt at trade-in time. Keyless is something that doesn't appeal to me. Never felt it a hardship to put a key in a slot and turn it vs pushing a button - If I lived in an area renowned for car crime, the prospect of keyless might worry me (Birmingham/Coventry/Nottingham/London). The LED headlights are the biggest single draw for me in + spec.

The lack of colour choice is really surprising, 5 choices (+ black roof on white) - for me it will probably be Pearl Black (If the wife gets her way) or Flash Red (If I get my way) - the other colours don't really appeal to me or the wife. Will almost certainly add Brescias - £350 for an 18" alloy upgrade (Brescia design looks better IMO, size differences apart) seems a bargain as options go. Nothing else on the + options list entices me to spend.

I do wish there was a painted wheel option - not a fan of diamond cut. After owning 8 VWs from new, 4 have had diamond cut alloys, and every one of those 4 had wheels which suffered the white worm - the lacquer just doesn't seem capable of lasting 3 years, and that's before scrapes, stone chip or tyre changes.

The price of the Polo +GTI vs the Golf GTI and the equivalent equipment spec (Polo gets a cut down version of DCC and keyless (if you want it) in lieu of climate control, and also gets a bigger/better infotainment screen) makes the Golf look hugely expensive in comparison - on paper it does not look worth £5k more.

The front seats of the Polo look a little nicer too - around the shoulders of the front seats, the design looks more MK6 Golf GTI than MK7 Golf GTI.

[SRGTD]

Monkeyhanger, I don’t think that VW have officially stated when the manual version will become available, other than it’ll be later this year. May is a good shout though, as VW will introduce the 2019 model year (MY) changes from build week 22, so it would seem logical to introduce the manual option at that time. Maybe we’ll know more around April which is when VW usually make the next year’s MY changes known.

Agree with pretty much all the points you’ve made.

IMO the GTI+ does represent good value compared to the GTI; it has a list price that’s £1,500 more than the GTI but has £2,850 worth of extra equipment. I think without doubt the GTI+ will become the more popular choice of the two.

I also dislike diamond cut alloys and had white worm corrosion issues after two and a half years on the diamond cut alloys my mk6 Golf, even though they were meticulously well cared for. I changed the diamond cut wheels on my current Polo 1.8 GTI for a set of powder coated alloys; IMO, much more durable and better suited to the UK weather that diamond cut wheels, and cheaper to get refurbished if they should become damaged.

Colour palette is poor, and for anyone choosing Limestone Grey, they are forced to have the red dash pad insert; the deep grey version isn’t an option.

If keyless was an option on the GTI+ rather than part of the standard spec, I wouldn’t choose it. I also don’t find it a hardship to press the key fob buttons to unlock / lock the car or put the key in the ignition to start it.

I’ll not be changing my existing Polo GTI for a couple of years, and it’s highly likely it’ll be replaced with a manual GTI+. I’m hoping that VW will offer a powder coated alloy wheel option on the GTI/GTI+ by then like they have on the current GTI Golf with the anthracite coloured Sevilla alloys. I’m not holding my breath though, as VW seem to love putting diamond cut alloys on a significant proportion of their cars. Maybe keyless will have been moved to the options list by then too? - it was removed altogether from the mk7 Golf GTI / GTD and R 3 door models!