For those who want a sport utility vehicle but do not need the design full of extravagant details, the Volkswagen Polo Blue GT 1.4 TSI is an option to consider. It has everything except glitter and glitter.
On page 10 of the How to Make a Sports Utility manual – for that purpose, let's pretend that this manual really exists… – we can read ipsis verbis that brands that want to build a B-segment model with sporting ambitions have to do it “showy and brave ”. We're not making it up, it's actually written there somewhere on page 10, otherwise look.However, Volkswagen wanted to be different. I wanted to be the exception to such a rule of “showy and brave”. And to that end, it launched the Volkswagen Polo BlueGT 1.4 TSI, a sports compact that is visually different from its counterparts. Equally sporty but more discreet and with a higher degree of economic rationality thanks to the adoption of technologies aimed at reducing consumption and polluting emissions. Have they been successful? That's what we were trying to find out for a week.
A discreet look but with «muscle»
The bold colors, the huge aerodynamic appendages and another endless details that make the SUVs in this segment scream at the top of their lungs "please look at me!" have no place in this Polo Blue GT 1.4 TSI. The look is quite discreet, only a closer look will be able to distinguish this Polo from the most common versions.
But the discretion is only apparent. A closer look will discover the differences, from the more muscular lines of the bumper, the showy 17-inch wheels or the more generous brakes that equip the two axles of the Polo Blue GT 1.4 TSI. Inside, Volkswagen let itself be carried a little more by the “racing” spirit. The seats come with body color notes, sporty q.b. therefore…
Says the German brand that this Volkswagen Polo Blue GT 1.4 TSI is the ideal car for those who want a good sport without having to do without a discreet look. We already know that in the visual field the «specifications of specifications» were fulfilled. It remains to be seen whether the “good sports” part is also fulfilled.
a good sport
A first trip around the bodywork of the Polo Blue GT is not enough to excite you. The design as we said is quite discreet when compared to its counterparts in the segment, but the truth is that the ingredients are all there and for some such discretion can even be a virtue. We leave this assessment to each one's consideration.
Then came the time to move into action and exchange visual sensations for physical sensations. We turned the key and in response to the movement of our hand, the 140hp 1.4 TSI engine woke up without audible dramas or vibrations. So far, everything serene. We put in first gear and pointed the Polo's competent steering towards the first road worthy of the name. It was then that the discreet Polo Blue GT began to prove to be a good playmate. Imagine an Olympic athlete in a tuxedo, this is more or less the posture of the Polo Blue GT 1.4 TSI. As the English say, classy but sporty. He looked so serious and so mature but after all what he really likes is curves. Great, so do we.
The engine reveals a very linear power delivery, full at all speeds, a condition that helps explain that the 100km/h is achieved in just 7.9 seconds. The pointer's climb is so decisive that it only ends beyond 200km/h.
But despite the 140hp of power, even in the field of motorization Volkswagen's rationality is once again present through the cylinder-on-demand system. A system that shuts off two of the four cylinders of the 1.4 TSI engine in order to save fuel. You can learn more about this system in this article from our Autopédia.
Even so, this engine turned out to be gluttonous. It is relatively easy to exceed the 7l mark for every 100km. However, we cannot forget the number of «steam horses» that live under the hood.
As for the chassis, it's quite competent. The grip rates and the ability to maintain cornering speed are surprising. I got to be careless when entering some corners and even so the Volkswagen Polo Blue GT always reacted without drama. Remarkable! It's not pure adrenaline concentrate but it's plenty to put a smile on our faces, get out of the car and say “thank you, see you tomorrow”. It's a good partner.
Sporty with a utilitarian streak, or utilitarian with a sporty streak?
The ability of the Polo Blue GT to be a good sports car and at the same time preserve almost intact the qualities recognized in the rest of the Polo range, confuses us. The compromise has been achieved so well that we don't even know if Polo Blue GT is a sport utility vehicle or a sport utility vehicle. Anyway, details…
Inside, the rigor of assembly and the quality of the materials used stand out. In some details, a few holes above the direct competition, although the interior design as well as the exterior does not get excited over there. But it doesn't compromise. The space on board is convincing and the suspension serves its purpose well. It almost always manages to guarantee very frank answers, even when confronted with the “craters” that proliferate in the cities and roads of our beautiful country.
Conclusion
Powerful, competent, relatively thrifty and quite discreet. In a nutshell, this is the best way I can describe the Polo Blue GT. A utility vehicle that repeats the qualities of the rest of the Polo range and adds superior dynamic behavior and a much more exciting mechanical muscle. It is worth it? We think so. This Blue GT is proof that sports cars don't all have to be the same and that sometimes less glitter can even be a good bet. This Polo ends our test with the title of "more rational sports" that passed through our editorial office.
| MOTOR | 4 cylinders |
| CYLINDRAGE | 1395 cc |
| STREAMING | Manual, 6 Speed |
| TRACTION | Forward |
| WEIGHT | 1212 kg. |
| POWER | 140 hp / 4500 rpm |
| BINARY | 250 NM / 1500 rpm |
| 0-100 KM/H | 7.9 sec. |
| SPEED MAXIMUM | 210 km/h |
| CONSUMPTION | 4.5 lt./100 km |
| PRICE | €22,214 |