PoloDriver

The 178bhp supercharged and turbocharged Polo GTI has recently seen price revisions for the Malaysian market. Launched in October 2011 in the RM135,000 price bracket, the flagship small VW’s ticket rose to RM1666,888-RM169,888 (three and five-door models respectively) in two years. Volkswagen Malaysia put the expensive price down to factors influenced by the ‘authorities’. But the good news is that, while the smallest current model to wear the GTI badge isn’t still as affordable as its initial 2011 price, it is now cheaper than before. Now priced at RM151,888 for the three-door and RM154,888 for the five-door, Volkswagen Malaysia has recently launched an aggressive advertising campaign highlighting the price reduction.

[Source: Autogridz]

Rich Gooding is now 18 months into Polo GTI ownership. The car’s proving largely reliable, but maybe the driver needs some attention…

March 2013 marks the full 18-month anniversary of the Polo GTI’s and my time together. We’ve covered almost 20,000 miles in that time, and I’m please to say, we’re still the best of friends. Y464 GHJ has had quite a busy life since my last report in December, with a few unplanned for jobs being completed. First up, was the fitment of aero-style wiper blades. First fitted to Polos from the 9N in 2002, the single-blade rubber wipers have no exposed metalwork, so that in theory, they should create a much quieter passage through the air. Fitting is easy: just insert the end of the wiper arm into the wiper and snap the cover shut. They’re cheap, too – for less than £5.00, I bought a set of two 19-inch items for the front, and one 12” blade for the rear. To be honest, with the repeated cold snaps, I’ve not noticed that much difference to the noise due to the blades being cold, but they look much neater.

Throughout the colder months, the car had been quite reluctant to start, too. It did start, but not without losing the temperature gauge and also the trip meter mileage display. It didn’t really matter how cold it was either, as there was no pattern as to when it would complain. Then, one morning in February, I was down at the local sorting office, when it absolutely point blank refused to start. A jump got me on my way, and I called in straight away to Sani’s Motors (01245 460040), who diagnosed a flat battery. By a stroke of luck, the ever-friendly chaps had a genuine one in stock, so managed to squeeze the GTI and I in there and then (I was on my way to work), and £69.60 later, we were on our way again. It hasn’t happened since.

Finally, just last week saw the car go back to Sani’s once more for its MoT. While it flew through with no immediate problems, there were a few advisories. Well, five to be precise. The handbrake only just met the required park brake efficiency, while all four discs and sets of pads will need replacing. They’re all worn and are close to the limit for efficiency, but as I’ve not replaced them in the whole time I’ve owned the car, it wasn’t a total surprise. The next service is impending, so I’ll get them sorted then.

Talking of flying, the Polo very nearly went for a hedge excursion the first week back to work after Christmas. Driving down the A113 which has a left-hand camber on a right-hand bend which then opens up to a left-hand corner, the car almost overshot the road, and trying to correct it, the back end stepped out. A final correction put the car back on an even course and in the right direction, but I will admit it scared me for the whole journey and I now take that corner much more carefully. I still don’t know whether it was the road surface or my entry speed, or a combination of both, but I suspect part of the problem that day was down to the sometimes overly-light power steering. The car feels like it’s on tip-toe sometimes, too, and it took me a while to start to trust it again.

Rich Gooding’s 2001 Polo GTI has had an eventful couple of months. First, new boots and a health check, then a change in regular usage. Are the now noticeable rattles a sign of protest?

Life for Y464 GHJ has just got calmer, or tougher, depending on how you look at it. I’ve just taken a new magazine designer full-time job, and, if you’re a glass half-empty person, you’d say that the more regular use the car will get is a bad thing. But, if you’re a glass half-full kind of being, then the fewer miles it will do on more regular trips will be a good thing. I’d like to think that I’m the latter, but the more regular use does worry ever so slightly. Still, the miles will be much fewer each day: 50 daily miles in total to my new office, compared to 170 miles per day when I was heading to Bauer Media in Peterborough.

So, as you can see from the pictures, the new daily, five-times-a-week commute will probably mean me spending more intimate time with Messrs Bucket, Sponge and Shampoo. And I have noticed, the Polo takes a lot more scrubbing when it’s dirty, even if it doesn’t look that dirty. One thing I will have to look for in the near future is rattles. Y464 seems to have become infested with the things, coming from the nearside front air vent, the dashboard, and, most annoyingly, the passenger seat area. It’s this last one which is the most frustrating, because, a) I can’t see where it’s coming from, and b) it’s quite a loud plastic-on-another-material-type noise. And honestly, it’s really quite literally driving me nuts.

I thought it may have been down the two new tyres I’ve had fitted in the intervening two months since the last report (the old fronts were shifted to the rear). But, no, I don’t think it’s that simple. They’ve had time to bed in a little now in any case. While the wheels were off and the tyres removed, I had the one wheel which was kerbed refurbished, so once again, I have a ‘clean’ set with no damage. Let’s hope it stays that way. Otherwise, nothing else to report. The gearbox is the least enjoyable part of the car, as sometimes it’s just downright reluctant to do what you want it to, which suggests a bush kit, or something maybe a little more major. Like I said, glass half-empty, or glass half-full…

The one millionth fifth-generation Polo 6R has been produced in Volkswagen’s factory in Pamplona, Spain and has landed in Sydney, Australia to be united with its owner Allan Anonat (seen receiving the car from Dealer Principal Darryl Pribut). The five-door Candy White Polo GTI (with panoramic roof, xenon headlamps, daytime running lights and 17” ‘Detroit’ polished alloy wheels) left Spain in July and arrived in Port Kembla, New South Wales this month. The fifth-generation Polo was introduced in 2009 and has been a success in Australia, winning a host of major awards from motoring magazines and websites.

[Source: vwwatercooled.org.au]

Here’s 68 seconds of fun for a Friday. Founded in 2009 by Adnan Ebrahim, motoring website carthrottle.com aims to ‘make car discovery fun again,’ and bills itself as a site with ‘funky fresh news, reviews and videos with a sprinkling of celebrity.’ Its content is certainly fun, as this Polo GTI video which was posted earlier this week shows. A spoof take on the famous 1987 Volkswagen ‘Casino’ ad, it ends with the tag line ‘Guys. Try It’, alluding to the German car makers famed hot hatch brand. Very nicely shot and very tongue in cheek, it stars one of Volkswagen UK’s press cars, and is one of the funniest pieces of film we’ve seen this week (Ice Dude notwithstanding). Find all of carthrottle.com’s videos here.