VW’s Polo is trying to wrest the ‘ultimate GTI’ tag from its bigger brother… but is this little nipper feisty enough to be a Golf-clubber?

■ Open app

Volkswagen Media Control allows anyone to use the infotainment system through their phone or tablet. Handy when those in the rear seats want to take over the music or sat-nav, so you can keep your eyes on the road.

■ Them’s the brakes

Safety tech as standard includes a distance-monitoring system called Front Assist and Predictive Pedestrian Protection, which warns you when someone is in your path and automatically hits the brakes if you don’t.

from £21,520/stuff.tv/PoloGTI

■ Ask any dedicated petrolhead and they’ll tell you the Golf GTI has been legendary in hot hatch circles since first arriving on these shores in 1979… but as it approaches its 40th anniversary, its tech-packed smaller sibling, the Polo, is coming of age as the car of choice for the sophisticated boy racer.

Making this car physically bigger than many previous models is a bold move – because while most manufacturers are downsizing hot hatches with smaller, eco-focused engines, the German company has upped the stakes by swapping the 1.8-litre petrol powertrain for a new 2.0l lump producing 197bhp and good for a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds.

The new Polo has a superbly user-friendly second-generation 10.5in Active Info Display. This is a digital dashboard that replaces the analogue dials with high-resolution colour graphics.

The cabin is dominated by a redesigned and repositioned 8in touchscreen infotainment display. This looks after everything from your preferred DAB station to the Bluetooth connection with your smartphone – for sat-nav, or using Android Auto, Apple CarPlay or MirrorLink.

Add the Volkswagen Connect Dataplug and a free app adds more futuristic smarts: telling you when your car needs a service, analysing your driving style and more.

Tech specs

Screens 10.5in Active Info Display, 8in infotainment touchscreen

Connectivity Bluetooth, USB, Qi wireless charging

Engine 2.0-litre petrol (197bhp)

Gearbox 6-speed DSG

STUFF SAYS This is one Polo without holes – and worthy of the GTI moniker HHHH

A slick and sporty performer with some extremely tasty in-car tech James Day

Hot hatches can be brutal beasts bouncing around on Britain’s roads – but while this Polo can shift when it wants, acting like a rabid dog and making a pleasing din in the process, it’s also got a softer side, offering an eminently sophisticated and comfortable ride quality on longer journeys. The tech spec is hugely impressive for the price and wouldn’t look out of place on an Audi twice its price.