VW ID. GTI Concept is an electric hot hatch and it's headed to production
The Munich Motor Show has turned into a bit of an electric hot hatch show (we highly approve) first with the reveal of two new electric Minis, and now with the reveal of the Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept. It’s based on the previously shown ID. 2all concept, and is much sportier looking in every way. And the best news? It’s already slated for production.
The ID. 2all connection is quite clear, with the basic body and lighting designs appearing on this ID. GTI, too. The changes begin with black trim around the headlights with the signature red highlight shared with past GTIs. It also incorporates the GTI logo. The lower grille is black as well with a bigger opening, honeycomb mesh and red tow points. Vertical LED fog lights sit on either end and a deeper front lip spoiler. That spoiler is matched with black fender flares, sculpted side skirts and an aggressive rear diffuser. VW added some nifty striped graphics along the sides and the rear hatch, and the hatch itself features a black spoiler and dark tinted taillights. The whole thing sits on quite sizable 20-inch wheels.
The ID. GTI is smaller in most dimensions than the current gas-powered Golf GTI. Its overall length of 160.4 inches and wheelbase of 100.7 is virtually identical to the VW Polo GTI sold in Europe and elsewhere, though it’s actually 1.4 inches taller than the Golf-based GTI sold here. Cargo space is similarly a little smaller than the Golf GTI with 17.3 cubic-feet versus 19.9. There’s a little more space overall, perhaps due to its greater height, with 47 cubic-feet with the back seat folded.
The design of the ID. GTI’s interior will look very much like the ID. 2all, but it will get tartan sport seats (with a nifty GTI heart on the driver’s seat) and a golf-ball-styled drive mode selector (since the actual shifter is on the steering column like other electric VWs). A sportier steering wheel is fitted with an illuminated 12 o’clock mark. Behind the wheel is the 10.9-inch instrument cluster that can also be changed from the default modern graphics to versions of classic GTI instrument clusters (like the Fox Body cluster mode in the new Mustang), and VW touts an augmented reality windshield-sized head-up display. We’re not so sure that last feature will actually make production, but it could be neat. Or distracting. Or both.
The one thing that VW sadly didn’t share much about was the powertrain. It will be front-wheel drive like the 2all and past GTIs. It will also undoubtedly be more powerful than the 2all, but that still doesn’t give us an actual number. The batteries will be mounted in the floor, though VW didn’t give any capacity numbers. We are happy to hear that the GTI will get a limited-slip differential. VW also noted that the ID. GTI has multiple simulated shift patterns and sounds to simulate vintage GTIs. It reminds us a bit of simulated shifting for the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
No information was given about when the ID. GTI will be available, but as we mentioned before, it will come to production. Whether it’ll show up in the United States is still a mystery. We’re hoping it will be pretty affordable, too, since the ID. 2all is supposed to start under $30,000. Certainly the GTI will cost more, but a cheaper starting point should keep it from getting too pricey.
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