PROPER MINT

A Mk5 Polo can be a refreshing alternative to a fast Ford

- JOHN EVANS

Any discussion about the GTI version of the fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo invariably ends with murmurs of respect before everyone agrees they would rather have the rival Ford Fiesta ST. Judged purely on its dynamic merits, the ST is the better car. But the GTI is arguably more rounded and, over time, possibly more satisfying. Still, when it was new, apart from making sure you chose no lower than ST-2 spec, at least the ST got it right from the get-go. If only the same could be said of the GTI.

VW got the engine and gearbox wrong the first time around, and then when it fixed the engine (by replacing it with a larger and more powerful but less complicated one) and at last offered it with a manual gearbox, it wrong-footed buyers by continuing to offer an auto but with the engine's torque much reduced.

It's complicated, but all you need to know is that if you want a Mk5 Polo GTI, buy the facelifted 1.8 TSI with 189bhp, 236lb ft of torque and a manual gearbox, launched in April 2015. Do that and you will be able to leave the Fiesta or Polo debate with your head held high.

Still, we must begin at the beginning, with the first version: the 1.4 Twincharger DSG. No, it didn't have two turbochargers: instead, a turbocharger and a supercharger, the idea being to wring as much power over as broad a rev range as possible from the tiddly engine. The result was 177bhp at 6200rpm but 184lb ft from 2000-4500rpm. These were numbers that Volkswagen's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG), complete with change paddles, could deal with, so a manual wasn't considered.

Big mistake: both engine and gearbox proved troublesome and Volkswagen's reputation for solid, risk-averse engineering looked threatened. Still, there was good news in the Polo's Golf-inspired hot hatch styling, lowered stance and electronic limited-slip differential to tighten the car's cornering.