Manual not available on these :(

DSG is a very good system, costs alot to maintain but good fun, it's not just auto you have flappy paddles on steering wheel........wich is awsome! Love gadgets! Wich is why I've chosen Smg on my M3, faster than manual for a fact! Plus a computer can't miss a change like a human

DSG is a very good system, costs alot to maintain but good fun, it's not just auto you have flappy paddles on steering wheel........wich is awsome! Love gadgets! Wich is why I've chosen Smg on my M3, faster than manual for a fact! Plus a computer can't miss a change like a human

SMG is a single clutch manual box with hydraulic action though. It's entirely different to DSG and regular autoboxes. A computer might not miss a shift, but hydraulic line issues can.

I assume it's an E46 with SMG II? If so, that's a whole lot better than the E36 SMG. I could definitely change gear as fast as if not faster than SMG I.

I also reckon I could change from top to 2nd/3rd faster than a computer controlled box...

Everyone has differing opinions though. You love gadgets. I love driver involvement.

I actually like DSG, perfect gearchange guaranteed every time, quicker than you could change manually. Plus they have a launch control feature (not sure if the Polo has it?).

I watched a few youtube vids of various DSG vs manual cars, DSG is usually quicker.

Some people say the fuel economy is slightly better as well with the DSGs, but then it does cost more where it's an option, and could take away from the driver involvement somewhat (important on a car with a GTI badge), so probably not everyone's cup of tea. I think a manual box should be available on the Polo as well.

Loving it,very nice you lucky bugger.

DSG is a very good system, costs alot to maintain but good fun, it's not just auto you have flappy paddles on steering wheel........wich is awsome! Love gadgets! Wich is why I've chosen Smg on my M3, faster than manual for a fact! Plus a computer can't miss a change like a human

SMG is a single clutch manual box with hydraulic action though. It's entirely different to DSG and regular autoboxes. A computer might not miss a shift, but hydraulic line issues can.

I assume it's an E46 with SMG II? If so, that's a whole lot better than the E36 SMG. I could definitely change gear as fast as if not faster than SMG I.

I also reckon I could change from top to 2nd/3rd faster than a computer controlled box...

Everyone has differing opinions though. You love gadgets. I love driver involvement.

You think you could change faster than SMG2.....?

Yes Smg in the E36 does suck to be honest wich is what put me off Smg at first, I like driver involvement too but you learn to live with the SMG plus I drive plenty of manuals at work so don't miss it, I'd never go back to manual,

I actually like DSG, perfect gearchange guaranteed every time, quicker than you could change manually. Plus they have a launch control feature (not sure if the Polo has it?).

I watched a few youtube vids of various DSG vs manual cars, DSG is usually quicker.

Some people say the fuel economy is slightly better as well with the DSGs, but then it does cost more where it's an option, and could take away from the driver involvement somewhat (important on a car with a GTI badge), so probably not everyone's cup of tea. I think a manual box should be available on the Polo as well.

Dsg is faster, thats why theyve done it, plus the specs on non dsg vs manual the dsg is faster on paper

Dsg is faster, thats why theyve done it, plus the specs on non dsg vs manual the dsg is faster on paper

Yeah on paper, but I had a look on youtube out of curiosity, after what Toby said on the last page about witnessing a manual one pulling away from a DSG.

I believe him, but from what I've seen DSGs are usually quicker. I'd say the specs are pretty accurate.

You think you could change faster than SMG2.....?

Nope.

Also, the DSG vs manual test was on Autocars website, not sure if it's there now.

A few tenths dont interest me,its all about the drive and i want a manual. Engine braking when i want it,and how much,is important. I want that flexibility and involvement,triggers are all very well point-to-point but when it comes to actually driving the thing i cant deal with autos they're like mobility cars.

The journey to work today was in several inches of snow,and it showed how useless people are getting at driving. Driver skill is going down the pan,as ABS,ESP,TCS etc does it all for you until it cant. Then people crash all over the place.

All the A-roads were closed/blocked but i got to work via the villages - good for me i had a manual and could actually feel what the wheels were doing through the clutch pedal.

2010 Polo GTi DSG. Very pleased with it since i drove it out of the showroom earlier this week.

Cool 0,

Great car, looks the business. But I would say that as I also have a deep black pearl GTI. Yours is the only other black one I have seen. Good luck with it especially now the weather is bad.

Here's a few pics of mine to share with you.

I really do like the new polo... I liked the last shape as well. I also like the fact its only a 1.4 :)

I've never driven a semi auto so it would be interesting to see what it's like

But a 1.2 tsi with the ABT Tuning gear and body kit

Photo stolen from PoloDriver.com

Full artical www.polodriver.com ABT

With the tuning kit it gives 140bhp and 220Nm so it should be a fun little package however you add it all up and it comes to the same amount as a GTI but you do get the 6 speed manual box..

awesome that, looks great!

Some poke in this one too.

Saw one, possibly a Tdi sport with a low body kit on and bigger wheels. Looked so cool on the road!

i now want one.

very flash

3dr or 5dr i think it looks much better than the Golf.

The trouble with the ABT is that it's not a GTi, it'll always just be a tuned 1.2 Polo.

Having said that,you're not restricted to VW's policy of keeping the Polo a lesser car than the Golf,as VW wont let the Polo outshine that car - wouldn't surprise me if the Polo is auto only just so its not better to drive than the manual Golf..

3dr or 5dr i think it looks much better than the Golf.

The trouble with the ABT is that it's not a GTi, it'll always just be a tuned 1.2 Polo.

Having said that,you're not restricted to VW's policy of keeping the Polo a lesser car than the Golf,as VW wont let the Polo outshine that car - wouldn't surprise me if the Polo is auto only just so its not better to drive than the manual Golf..

They do a chip for the GTI as well takes it up to 210 BHP and 290 Nm :)

I like the DSG debate as its one of those Marmite things you either love it or hate it, it would appear.

I have had manuals for years in sports and performance cars as the thought of an auto just does not appeal and much like a few of you Auto is a dirty word but then again so is Diesel (another subject) just my opinion

However since trying DSG and then owning three DSG equiped cars Golf GTI Edition 30, Golf GTI MKVI and now Polo GTI 6R I would not have the manual option over the DSG (Polo no option), it really is like having your cake and eating it the benefits of which have already been debated. When driving hard using the paddles or gear lever it is a real delight to bang through the gears on a seamless wave of power and also the down change comes with a nice blip of the throttle. Using these every day is just great and for me enhances the appeal and I dont feel any less involvement than I did before it just different. I would recommend anyone who has not tried one to have a go but dont put it Auto mode and then it is as designed a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal. I only ever use Auto when in a traffic jam. I am quite lucky as most of my trips are A and B roads so I get to the use the DSG as a manual all the time. After 3.5 years of driving I have never had an issue with a DSG its always shifted perfectly in all weather and driving conditions. The reasons why I think VW have only put DSG in the Polo GTI is emissions plus it is a sports, racing derived Gearbox.

I got the following from an internet search for info:

The Direct-Shift Gearbox commonly abbreviated to DSG, is an electronically controlled dual clutch multiple-shaft manual gearbox, in a transaxle design - without a conventional clutch pedal, and with full automatic, or semi-manual control. The first actual Dual Clutch transmissions derived from Porsche in-house development for 962 racing cars in the 80's.

In simple terms, it is two separate manual gearboxes (and clutches), contained within one housing, and working as one unit. It was designed by BorgWarner, and was initially licensed to the German automotive industry concern Volkswagen Group (which includes the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles automotive marques), with support by IAV GmbH. By using two independent clutches, a DSG can achieve faster shift times, and eliminates the torque converter of a conventional epicyclic automatic transmission.

The DSG takes only about 8 milliseconds to upshift. In comparison, the sequential manual transmission (SMT) in the Ferrari F430 Scuderia takes 60 milliseconds to shift, or 150 milliseconds in the Ferrari Enzo. The quoted time for upshifts is the time the wheels are completely non-powered.

This very fast shift translates to real world increases in performance for us non racing drivers who cant shift very fast me included and in other occasions better fuel consumption. Why is it that many manufactures have put these types of gear boxes in high performance cars and in the current ultimate car the Bugatti Veyron.

I think this technology is here to stay and in my opinion it is step forward. I am not trying to change opinion (I guess if you had asked me this even 5 years ago before I had tried DSG I would have just dismissed it) just be open minded and give it a go.

One last point if I was fortunate to be able to afford a real high performance car which did not have a DSG type gearbox then I would still buy it because its the car that I want, therefore just because the Polo GTI does not come with a manual you should not dismiss it either.

Cheers,

Edi30

I like the DSG debate as its one of those Marmite things you either love it or hate it, it would appear.

I have had manuals for years in sports and performance cars as the thought of an auto just does not appeal and much like a few of you Auto is a dirty word but then again so is Diesel (another subject) just my opinion

However since trying DSG and then owning three DSG equiped cars Golf GTI Edition 30, Golf GTI MKVI and now Polo GTI 6R I would not have the manual option over the DSG (Polo no option), it really is like having your cake and eating it the benefits of which have already been debated. When driving hard using the paddles or gear lever it is a real delight to bang through the gears on a seamless wave of power and also the down change comes with a nice blip of the throttle. Using these every day is just great and for me enhances the appeal and I dont feel any less involvement than I did before it just different. I would recommend anyone who has not tried one to have a go but dont put it Auto mode and then it is as designed a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal. I only ever use Auto when in a traffic jam. I am quite lucky as most of my trips are A and B roads so I get to the use the DSG as a manual all the time. After 3.5 years of driving I have never had an issue with a DSG its always shifted perfectly in all weather and driving conditions. The reasons why I think VW have only put DSG in the Polo GTI is emissions plus it is a sports, racing derived Gearbox.

I got the following from an internet search for info:

The Direct-Shift Gearbox commonly abbreviated to DSG, is an electronically controlled dual clutch multiple-shaft manual gearbox, in a transaxle design - without a conventional clutch pedal, and with full automatic, or semi-manual control. The first actual Dual Clutch transmissions derived from Porsche in-house development for 962 racing cars in the 80's.

In simple terms, it is two separate manual gearboxes (and clutches), contained within one housing, and working as one unit. It was designed by BorgWarner, and was initially licensed to the German automotive industry concern Volkswagen Group (which includes the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles automotive marques), with support by IAV GmbH. By using two independent clutches, a DSG can achieve faster shift times, and eliminates the torque converter of a conventional epicyclic automatic transmission.

The DSG takes only about 8 milliseconds to upshift. In comparison, the sequential manual transmission (SMT) in the Ferrari F430 Scuderia takes 60 milliseconds to shift, or 150 milliseconds in the Ferrari Enzo. The quoted time for upshifts is the time the wheels are completely non-powered.

This very fast shift translates to real world increases in performance for us non racing drivers who cant shift very fast me included and in other occasions better fuel consumption. Why is it that many manufactures have put these types of gear boxes in high performance cars and in the current ultimate car the Bugatti Veyron.

I think this technology is here to stay and in my opinion it is step forward. I am not trying to change opinion (I guess if you had asked me this even 5 years ago before I had tried DSG I would have just dismissed it) just be open minded and give it a go.

One last point if I was fortunate to be able to afford a real high performance car which did not have a DSG type gearbox then I would still buy it because its the car that I want, therefore just because the Polo GTI does not come with a manual you should not dismiss it either.

Cheers,

Edi30

Thanks for all the kind comments. Edi30, Nice to meet another Polo GTi owner as we are very thin on the ground. Its my 1st time with DSG so i,m still learning how to use it. Saying that i have not seen a dry road since i got it so i,ve never had the opportunity to give it some beans.

Edited 21 December, 201015 yr by Cool O

Autos are just great for traffic/relaxed driving and I hated them before I actually had one. I guess the same would be for DSG. :)

Cool O, yes shame the weather is rubbish so you can't enjoy playing with the car. However it's something else to look forward to getting used to the different type of gearbox. I really enjoyed getting used to DSG as it was something new and it was great to learn something new to add to the driving pleasure. Once you have mastered it you will be able to make the most of what it can offer.

Mark, you crack me up and sound just like me a few years ago. Remember it's not an auto so don't think it is. It's also not a manual in the same sense as a regular manual it's different and offers a different driving experience. I suggest you try it and then this will take out the guess work in your opinion. You might not like it but then again you might just? I was a die hard manual only and have been converted it's the best new driving tech/improvement on modern cars in my opinion.

Cheers,

Edi30

On another subject i,ve been toying with the idea of getting some Team Dynamic Pro Race 1.2,s. My wheel spec is 17x7J ET46 5 x 100 stud pattern. Not knowing much about wheels can someone advise me on what ET to go for to fill the arches better, ie, sticking out a bit more. 18,s seem more abundant 2nd hand but again i have no idea what spec would fit?.

Autos are just great for traffic/relaxed driving and I hated them before I actually had one. I guess the same would be for DSG. :)

I was the same. In fact I'd go as far as to say out of all the cars I've owned (and that's a lot) my favourite two have been autos. I've not tried a DSG yet, but do like the sound of it. It strikes me as being an auto without the inherant compromises a regular slushbox makes.

my friends just brought a ibiza cupra (pretty similar to the gti) and his is the 1.4 tsi 7 speed dsg, i find it very strange, it sounds kinda like your going fast, but it doenst feel it, but looking at the speedo its pretty nippy.

i was looking at buying one of these brand new tbh. driving autos all day long at work (jags & landrovers) its soo much easier.

id rather have a nice modern easy to drive, comfortable car for day to day use, then something older, manual etc for playing about.

love the interior on your though mate, all the red bits make it look cool hahaa

front view is stunning!!!

The only downsides of the DSG I can think of are extreme driving conditions (like a track day, or proper race) and the fact you can't tune it to withstand more torque by simply upgrading the clutch and flywheel. Otherwise it is far superior for daily and sport use to any manual vw gearbox. Fuel economy and comfort plus good performance is a win win gearbox :)