2018 Polo

[DuaneDibbley]

I've been told there are no more Golf GTI Original's in manual...I missed out and there won't be any more this year.
Now I put off buying a Polo GTI late last year because the new one was going to launch in 6 months time... but, now no manual.
The Comfortline Golf is a no manual option.
So poverty pack base model in either Polo/Golf is your only choice for a manual if you haven't got $44k+.
I suppose that's one way of claiming you're a luxury brand.

Can get the launch and comfort line polos in 6pd manual. But there's a BIG difference in motors!

[Sharkie]

No manual GTI means I won’t be buying one.

Currently have 2 VW's (both manual) and was going to buy a manual GTI at the end of this year. Sadly it seems that won't happen now and I'll look elsewhere. I already had to settle for a lower spec Golf than what I wanted, purely because I could not get a manual in the higher specs. Probably bought my last VW ever now .....

BMW and MB still allows you to special order a manual in a number of models (though they think you are crazy ) if you wanted. Perhaps VW needs to take that approach, especially if they really wanted to be seen as playing upmarket.

[Sydneykid]

I'll take the much faster, don't have to take my hand off the steering wheel, no clutch pedal, no boost drop off, paddle shifter any day.

Cheers
Gary

[Sharkie]

I dislike that VW removes my ability to choose what I can have in a car. Regardless of the issues some have with manuals or DSG's, I want to be able to make my own choice.

When I'm old and lazy I might change to a car that has a "D" for dummy, but at the moment still young and independent enough to make my own decisions as to what I want the car to do at any particular point in time. Picking my own gears for a given situation provides great enjoyment ..... and satisfaction if I pick correctly! I do like to do more than just bury my foot in the carpet and hold on ... am I going any faster? Probably not, but I certainly am having more fun in the process.

Its also the reason you will find every single mainstream press review of a VW DSG equipped car where a manual is an available option, mention the fact that they (the reviewer) would have preferred the manual.

Also, it is an established fact that the VW DSG's generally are quite easily beaten off the line when not using launch control by manual equipped cars. The inherent lag off the line of the DSG catches them every time unless the manual driver is a muppet. Not arguing that a DSG shifts brilliantly once its on the move though.

[Sydneykid]

If they've got "lag off the line" then they need to learn how to drive with a DSG. Too many think it's like an auto with a torque converter, when it's plainly not.

We ran a couple of BMW 335i's in the 6 Hour Production Car Race at Bathurst last Easter, one manual and one DCT. With the same power the DCT was 0.75 seconds faster up the hill because there was no boost drop / acceleration pause on the gear changes that the manual suffers from. Just hold the accelerator flat from Hell Corner to Griffins, no lift required.


Cheers
Gary

[DuaneDibbley]

My manual 85 tsi Launch Edition with driver assist order has been confirmed for delivery mid next month apparently.

Had to swap off Lime Grey to Elecrtic orange to actually get a car though. Apparently manuals may as well not exist in the quantities they're shipping in.

100% agree on the DSG argument. Now they're sorted there's really no technical disadvantage to them even allowing for slightly higher weight and more complexity if you value the performance.

Manual is still fun and there's tons of value in that. But they're no longer superior methods of changing gears.

[Ozsko]

If they've got "lag off the line" then they need to learn how to drive with a DSG. Too many think it's like an auto with a torque converter, when it's plainly not.

We ran a couple of BMW 335i's in the 6 Hour Production Car Race at Bathurst last Easter, one manual and one DCT. With the same power the DCT was 0.75 seconds faster up the hill because there was no boost drop / acceleration pause on the gear changes that the manual suffers from. Just hold the accelerator flat from Hell Corner to Griffins, no lift required.


Cheers
Gary

This should be a sticky, the myth still persists

[Sharkie]

If they've got "lag off the line" then they need to learn how to drive with a DSG. Too many think it's like an auto with a torque converter, when it's plainly not.

We ran a couple of BMW 335i's in the 6 Hour Production Car Race at Bathurst last Easter, one manual and one DCT. With the same power the DCT was 0.75 seconds faster up the hill because there was no boost drop / acceleration pause on the gear changes that the manual suffers from. Just hold the accelerator flat from Hell Corner to Griffins, no lift required.


Cheers
Gary

Completely misses the point .....

Its not about how fast the car is or technically advanced, it's about how a driver interacts with it.

No question a DSG is much faster around a race track and in a straight line when using launch control.

However .... for the 0.05% of its life that my car spends on a race track, I'd happy trade that extra speed to be able to enjoy the 99.95% of its life it spend on public roads where a DSG does nothing special for me and I want to use a manual. Doing it in a manual creates involvement, interaction and enjoyment (for me, but each to their own).

As a bonus I don't have to deal with DSG reliability issues (and the family owned a DSG where this was a real issue), DSG 's inherent lag (and saying you have to learn how to drive it is rubbish, it should not be like that), DSG's jerkiness and snatching at low speed and an irritating (and dangerous) stop-start function (which works brilliantly in a manual)

VWA should make at the very least a manual a no-cost option on every car where it can be sourced in a manual from the factory. BMW and Mercedes does this, why the poor product choices from VW? Even if only 5% of customers do this, it's still extra sales compared to losing business to a rival.

[Ozsko]

Our DSG car gets driven mostly outside the metro area on quick twisty, fast roads and the DSG is just awesome in those conditions, way faster an manual car can be and the main driver used to drive manual race cars and karts for many years. Go into a corner, bury the nose under brakes and just start pulling gears back on the paddle, as I said just an awesome way to drive for him and me.

[Chuck]

2018 Volkswagen Polo GTI pricing and specs

this thing fully optioned and on the road will be 40/41k

Considering a 2016 A4 or this...tough call

[devoutdubber]

If 0-100 in 6.0 with semi-slicks below is legit, oh baby! A bit of sticky rubber and some wider wheels here I come. Will cop the fully optioned price, it's still 10-11k better than a tricked out Golf GTI (and I'm hoping my miracle manual will shave a bit extra off the price too).

YouTube

[DrWHO]

drive.com.au
GTI pricing and options list

2018 Volkswagen Polo GTI pricing and details

[MelbMan]

The only thing I'm not sure on is which option do you have to take to get the digital dash? The price itself doesn't seem too bad. With the link above the article talks of a 7 speed DSG. While I love 7 gears (and was hoping we'd see the VW 10 speed before dieselgate) am pretty sure the Polo GTI will have the 6 speed DSG.

[devoutdubber]

The limited dealer specs I've got have it as a 6 speed DSG

[DrWHO]

The article is wrong. The polo GTI has a 6 speed DSG with a wet clutch.

The digital/electronic dash comes with the sound and vision option at $1900.

Of the three options available at launch the sound and vision pack buys the most bangs for your buck. The DAP at $1400 is poor value.

I'm hoping for drive away pricing...or at the least just $1000 extra. Also hoping the factory warranty extension will be available for $1000.