I read your news article where you mentioned that Volkswagen is bringing the Golf GTI to India. I'm planning to upgrade from my stage 2 2014 Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI DSG and would like to know if the Golf GTI will be launched in India in the latter half of 2024? Also, what is its expected price?
Amreesh, Bengaluru
Autocar India says: As mentioned in our article, Volkswagen is still 'evaluating' the re-launch of the GTI brand in India and it isn't clear whether the company will bring the Polo GTI or the Golf GTI. Volkswagen will import these cars in limited numbers (around 200 units) to India, hence these are likely to be expensive and attract the highest taxes and duties. For reference, the Polo GTI was launched in India in 2016 at Rs 26 lakh (ex-showroom), so expect the new generation – which is larger and gets a more powerful 207hp 2.0 TSI turbo-petrol engine – to be pricier. The Golf GTI will cost much more on account of its larger dimensions and more powerful 245hp 2.0 TSI engine.
To put it into perspective, in international markets, it is priced roughly thirty percent higher than its smaller sibling, which means prices in India could nudge the Rs 40 lakh mark. As far as launch timelines go, Volkswagen India's brand head, Ashish Gupta, confirmed that the company's only new launch in FY 2024-25 will be the ID 4 EV. Thus, even if the GTI is greenlit for India, be it the Polo or Golf, it will only hit showrooms after April 2025. So if you want a GTI, you will have to wait longer.
Also See:
New Volkswagen Golf GTI revealed
2021 Volkswagen Polo GTI revealed
