Volkswagen India has introduced the ‘GTI’ moniker in the domestic market with the Polo GTI. This is the most powerful hatchback to have hit the Indian market yet, and retails at Rs 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). This makes it costlier than the 105hp Polo GT (Rs 9.07 lakh) by nearly Rs 17 lakh, and its closest competitor, the 147hp Abarth Punto (Rs 9.99 lakh) by Rs 16 lakh.

However, what you do get for that asking price is a whopping 192hp of power and 320Nm of torque from the GTI’s 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engine, which lets this 1273kg hatchback catapult from 0-100kph in a claimed 7.2sec. It has a top speed of 233kph.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that can be controlled via steering-mounted paddle-shifters. To help the hatchback channel the power on to the road effectively, it even gets a limited slip differential up front and a stiffer suspension setup than more affordable variants of the Polo.

Volkswagen has brought in the Polo GTI to India in a three-door avatar to set it apart from the regular Polo hatchback. Furthermore, there’s a 'GTI' badge on the new honeycomb mesh grille, red accents in the full LED headlamps, sportier bumpers and a wider track with bigger 16-inch wheels (17-inchers optional) that tell you that this is the full-blown version of the Polo. It also comes with safety features like six airbags, ABS, ESP and hill-hold control. 

As of now, only 99 Polo GTIs have been allotted for India. Bookings for the car are open on the Volkswagen India website.