Volkswagen pays tribute to Polo in Gymkhana style
Volkswagen pay homage to its long-serving hatchback, the Polo, in a Gymkhana-style video. The Polo has been long stallion in the German car maker's stable and is one of their most successful product ever.
New Delhi: This year marks half a century for Volkswagen Polo, in what has been a testament to achieving new heights in motorsport and on the road as well. It is the brand’s best-known model that has been successful consistently through the decades. The Polo has been offered as a subcompact below the brand’s premium hatchback, the Golf.
To celebrate the feat, Volkswagen made their own version of Ken Block’s legendary Gymkhana. The brand recently showed a video in which a handful of Polos were at their facility in Kariega, South Africa, where it has been one of the best-selling cars. Commandering around the facility in a Polo WRX was world rally champion Johan Kristoffersson, wearing Volkswagen’s iconic Harlequin livery.
He is then joined by a fellow Polo R WRC and several other models of the Polo to commemorate the 50 years that the car has existed. VW’s video also pays a subtle tribute to some of the greatest Gymkhana videos ever made, pioneered by the late Ken Block.
Like the original Gymkhana style, there is a Red Bull plane that flies over the group of Polos, as Kristoffersson guides his rally car through the tight indoor factory ramps, where the Polos are made. A Polo GTI makes an appearance on the production floor, as Kristoffersson switches cars. He then takes the GTI back outside, where a bunch of parked rally, specced Polo goes up to an ID.Polo featuring in camo. Kristoffersson ends with a handbrake turn.
Volkswagen's transformation to ID.Polo
The ID.Polo comes with an updated version of VW’s Harlequin livery, and very few details are revealed before the car’s official debut, set to happen in 2026. It marks a new era for the Polo and compact electric transportation.
In India, the Volkswagen Polo had enjoyed more than a decade of presence in the competitive hatchback segment. It had carved a name for itself, but it was discontinued in 2022, due to the PQ25 getting outdated and VW shifting its focus to other products. In 2025, Volkswagen brought the Golf GTI to India, though it is quite a heavily priced hatchback in the country.