- Volkswagen’s first electric GTI produces 166kW and 290Nm.
- The ID. Polo GTI offers up to 424km WLTP range.
- German pre-sales start this autumn, priced under €39,000 (NZ$77,300).
Volkswagen has finally done it: the GTI badge has gone fully electric.
The new ID. Polo GTI has been revealed at the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring, arriving 50 years after the original Golf GTI helped define the affordable hot hatch.
This time, there is no petrol engine under the bonnet, but the basic idea remains familiar: compact size, front-wheel drive and enough punch to make a school-run car feel mildly mischievous.
Front-drive fun, battery included
The ID. Polo GTI produces 166kW and 290Nm from its electric drive system, with power sent to the front wheels. Volkswagen claims 0 to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds and a 175km/h top speed.
To keep the front axle honest, the electric GTI gets an electronically controlled differential lock as standard. It also comes with adaptive DCC sports suspension and progressive steering, all tuned specifically for the GTI brief.
A new GTI drive profile can be activated via a button on the sports steering wheel.
It sharpens the motor, steering and chassis systems in one hit, while the cockpit switches to dedicated colours and graphics. Very GTI, just with fewer fumes.
Range, charging and daily use
The ID. Polo GTI uses a 52kWh net nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, giving a provisional WLTP range of up to 424km.
DC charging peaks at 105kW, with Volkswagen claiming a 10-80 per cent charge in about 24 minutes.
The car measures 4096mm long, 1816mm wide and 1513mm tall, with a 2599mm wheelbase. Its minimum EU kerb weight without driver is listed from 1540kg.
Practicality has improved over the combustion Polo GTI. Boot space rises to 441 litres, or 1240 litres with the rear seats folded. A detachable tow coupling can support a 75kg drawbar load, while braked towing capacity is up to 1.2 tonnes.
Tartan seats and retro screens
Volkswagen has kept the visual GTI cues intact. There is a red front stripe, honeycomb lower intake, 19-inch alloy wheels, IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, a split roof spoiler and red-lit rear detailing.
Inside, red and black dominate. The sports seats reinterpret the classic GTI tartan, while the steering wheel gets red stitching, a 12 o’clock marker and paddles for adjusting recuperation. There is also a retro display mode that gives the digital instruments a late Golf I look, with matching 1980s-style graphics on the 12.9-inch touchscreen.
Pre-sales are scheduled to start in Germany later this year, priced at just under €39,000 (around NZ$77,300). Volkswagen has not disclosed local availability yet.
