Dad Gifts Car Enthusiast Daughter India's Most EXPENSIVE Volkswagen Polo For Her 18th Birthday (Video)
Birthday gifts are meant to be special. In 2023, an Indian dad surprised his daughter on her 18th birthday by gifting her India's most expensive Volkswagen Polo- or the 'Volkswagen GTI' as the carmaker preferred to call it then. Back in its day, the 3-door performance hatchback was available in limited numbers. Thus, this birthday gift gets as exclusive as it probably can!
Dad Gifts Daughter A Volkswagen GTI On Her 18th Birthday!
Mia Joseph Chirakkekaran, who goes by the name Octane Girl on Instagram, is who we are talking about. Currently in her twenties, Mia is an avid car enthusiast and influencer. She was gifted the Red VW GTI hatchback on her 18th birthday, a video of which was later shared on Instagram.
It shows the dad and daughter at the Ultimate Detailerz garage in Thrissur, Kerala. The girl eagerly awaits her birthday present, almost clueless about what's coming her way. Soon she finds out what car it is, and the realisation that it isn't just a Polo but a GTI surprises her. She is seen elated and in disbelief of finally getting to own her favourite car. At the time of writing this article, the delivery video has had over 4.4 million views.
If you did not know it yet, Mia (Octane girl) is the granddaughter of Joy Alukkas, the chairman and managing director of Joyalukkas Group. In addition to the Volkswagen GTI, she also owns an older generation Porsche Boxster.
In another video shared on her Instagram feed, we get to see a pristine 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne. It belonged to her great-grandfather. Mia is the fourth generation to inherit the car.
Volkswagen GTI: A Closer Look At It
Volkswagen launched the Polo GTI in India in 2016. It was first showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo, and when launched, it had an ex-showroom price of Rs 25.9 lakh. It was powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine that had an output of 192 PS and 250 Nm.
The hatchback was capable of accelerating to 100 kph from a standstill in just 7.2 seconds. It could do speeds of up to 233 kmph. It was brought in as limited imports, and all units got sold out soon. Today, it isn't easy to source a well-kept VW GTI.
The Polo GTI looks different from the standard Polo as well. It gets a three-door design and gets a front bumper with signature honeycomb grille, 16-inch 'Salvador' alloy wheels, full LED headlamps with DRLs, front and rear disc brakes with red callipers, dual exhaust tips with chrome surrounds and multiple Red inserts.
The cabin gets Red inserts as well. The seats get contrast stitching and sporty fabric upholstery.
Volkswagen Golf GTI Coming To India
Volkswagen India is gearing up to launch its second GTI model in the country- the Golf GTI. The 8th generation has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (EA888) that makes 265 hp and 370 Nm. The transmission on offer is a 7-speed DSG. The Golf GTI can do 0-100 kph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 250 kph.
The hatchback will feature a progressive steering. This means that it will have variable gearing for the steering's rach and pinion. This setup provides improved handling at high speeds and easier manoeuvrability at low speeds. Additionally, the hatchback will also come with an electronically controlled front-axle differential lock, and an optional adaptive suspension.
Clearly, the Golf GTI will be larger, more powerful, better equipped and faster than the Polo GTI that was previously on sale here. Once launched, it will compete primarily with the Mini Cooper S.