Volkswagen WRC Inspired Polo R Might Not Make It To The Road

Published: Wednesday, October 5, 2016, 13:17 [IST]

Volkswagen is planning to rename Polo R World Rally Championship (WRC) contender as Polo GTi. The German company is making an effort to offer a closer connection between its premier motorsport affiliation and its second best-selling model line according to reports.

Volkswagen WRC Inspired Polo R Might Not Make It To The Road

The renaming is expected to be made public at an official unveiling of VW's new 2017 Polo based WRC later this month. This will add emphasis to a successor to today's second-generation Polo GTi.

The second generation Polo GTi is under development at Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The proposed Polo line-up is expected to go on sale in 2018 featuring a powerful engine. The current VW Polo GTi features an 189bhp turbocharged 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol mill.

Earlier the company had plans to bring the WRC inspired Polo R; however, due to cost cutting measure have led the company to shelve the name.

With the diesel gate scandal on the back Volkswagen has instigated it to leave the four-wheel drive Polo R WRC and its name without any direct connection to a series production Polo.

Back in 2012 when VW entered the WRC, it unveiled the limited edition Polo R WRC Street. The limited edition Polo is a front-wheel drive hatchback which ran a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol unit churning out 217bhp of power.