New Volkswagen ID.GTI Concept hints at production electric hot hatch

Volkswagen’s performance cars are currently split into three groups: GTI, R and GTX. The GTX badge has been exclusively reserved for the firm’s warmed-up EVs, but now, a new direction will see the iconic GTI moniker being applied to its electric cars. At this month’s Munich motor show, Volkswagen is providing a first glimpse of what’s to come with this: the ID.GTI Concept.

Taking the ID.2all supermini as a base, the ID.GTI Concept previews a forthcoming electric hot hatch aimed squarely at the Abarth 500e and Mini’s newly announced Cooper SE. A production version of the ID.2all will arrive in 2025 with a starting price of around 25,000 euros (c£21,500), and the GTI version is being designed to bring affordable EV performance to the masses. 

That’s not to say it won’t house an advanced suite of tech. Built on Volkswagen’s MEB Entry platform (a derivative of the architecture found in the ID.3), the ID.GTI signals a new philosophy for the firm’s performance cars that centres around software-based drive systems to conjure a unique dynamic character. Indeed, in the electric age, the ‘I’ in the GTI badge will denote ‘Intelligence’, and not ‘Injection’ for obvious reasons. 

Following the same philosophy as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the ID.GTI can emulate the power delivery and sound of iconic ICE models of the past, including the 1976 Mk1 Golf GTI. Performance figures are yet to be announced, but for reference, the ID.2all uses a 223bhp front motor and reaches 62mph from rest in around 7sec – the GTI will of course surpass these figures.

The concept uses a single electric motor to deliver power to the front wheels, and as ever with performance EVs, the torque delivery can be precisely tuned and integrated with the car’s electronic chassis systems to optimise performance. The ID.GTI uses a locking differential to more effectively distribute torque between the front wheels, which is also managed by electronics.

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Clothing the ID.2all concept with typical GTI touches, such as a red pinstripe on the front fascia, a honeycomb mesh grille and a new bodykit, the ID.GTI certainly looks more overtly sporting than the mild GTX models on sale today. At 4.1m long and over 1.8m wide, it has a slightly bigger footprint than today’s Polo, and it should be much more spacious inside thanks to the packaging advantages of EVs. 

The Concept’s interior, with its wraparound dashboard and oblong-shaped steering wheel, will probably be watered down for production, but Volkswagen says that some elements – such as the 12.9-inch central infotainment display – are almost showroom-ready. There’s no indication of what the ID.GTI might cost, but expect it to be positioned somewhere near £30,000.