VW GTI storms into electric age

ID 2 GTI to open new chapter for Volkswagen's hot hatchback badge, starting in 2026

- GREG KABLE

Volkswagen has previewed a feisty, affordable performance variant of the upcoming ID 2 with the new ID GTI concept - a car that harks back to the original Golf GTI in spirit and styling.

A headliner at the 2023 Munich motor show, the compact front-wheel-drive hot hatch is earmarked to head Volkswagen's new entry-level electric car line-up with a front-mounted electric motor, specially tuned sport suspension, traditional GTI design elements and a price expected to start at around €30,000 (£26,000).

"Production has already been decided as part of our electric offensive," said Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer in a clear statement of intent for the first electric GTI model. "It remains sporty, technologically progressive and accessible, but now has a new interpretation for tomorrow's world: electric, fully connected and extremely emotive."

Although no official date has been announced for its launch yet, the production version of the ID GTI looks set to follow standard forms of the ID 2 into showrooms around a year later, indicating a late-2026 introduction in the UK.

Confirmation of the hot ID 2 comes after Schäfer told Autocar he was seeking to ensure long-standing Volkswagen names like GTI are retained on future electric models. "We have iconic names," he said. "It would be crazy to let them die and slip away."

As has always been the case, the GTI name will be applied exclusively to front-driven performance models. The two-year-old GTX name will continue to be seen on four-wheel-drive sporting models, with the R badge set to be reserved for only the most potent of these 4WD EVS, according to Volkswagen.