First things first: the Volkswagen Polo isn't sold in the US. Likely never will be. The death of the American market Ford Fiesta is proof this segment isn't profitable for automakers anymore in the US. So it goes. But Autocar has learned that VW has built, for evaluation purposes at the moment, a Polo R with 300 hp. That really wasn't so hard to do considering the Polo GTI's turbocharged 2.0-liter four is also found in the Golf R. "There is enough room for all of the extra cooling in the Polo, for sure," said Ralf Kolling, VW's head of small cars.

What's more, a potential Polo R could even be given the Golf R's AWD system because both cars are built on the same flexible MQB platform. However, there are a couple problems with a potential Polo R. First off, cost. It may simply be too expensive for buyers to seriously consider. Second, and continuing with that thinking, it could very well infringe upon Golf territory in general. The one thing automakers strive to avoid is internal competition within the lineup. However, because this is the VW Group, some of its other brands, specifically Seat and Skoda may also be interested in this 300 hp turbo four.

Several models in their lineups are also built on the MQB platform, so engineering issues are non-existent. If VW is able to make greater use of this engine with its other brands, this may help offset the cost of a Polo R program. Sounds good, right? It does, but it's a European thing. America, fortunately, will still have the Golf GTI and R to play with for years to come.