VW’s First Electric GTI Wants To Feel Old-School
- VW’s first electric GTI leans hard on classic design hot hatch cues.
- It gets GTI hardware, like an electronic limited-slip differential, but its 6.8-sec sprint isn’t class-leading.
- Fake engine sound is standard; fake gears are coming in the hotter Clubsport.
Volkswagen wants you to know that it’s new ID. Polo GTI is “a real GTI.” It’s the first time VW has used the GTI badge on an electric vehicle, but aside from the absence of a combustion engine under the hood, the traditional hot hatch formula remains unchanged.
The ID. Polo GTI certainly looks the part with an aggressive front fascia, a deep chin spoiler, and vertical daytime running lights that add aggression to its stance. It has unique GTI-badged side skirts and a chunky rear diffuser that actually makes it 2 inches (5 cm) longer than the standard car.
The unique 19-inch wheels with red GTI logos look fantastic and come standard, as do red brake calipers. The roof spoiler is slightly larger than on the regular model and has a split in the middle for extra visual interest.
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Source: Volkswagen
The GTI makeover continues inside with grippy bucket seats featuring a reinterpretation of the traditional tartan pattern and a unique two-spoke steering wheel that’s flat on the top and bottom. Red contrast details throughout the cabin and unique graphics on the two screens complete the visual makeover, making this a very credible-looking GTI.
Powering the front wheels is a single 223-horsepower electric motor with 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque—the same as the Cupra Raval Vz. It doesn’t make the electric Polo GTI too quick with a benchmark sprint time of 6.8 seconds to 62 mph (100 km/h) and a top speed of 109 mph (175 km/h). It does claw back some enthusiast points with its electronically limited-slip differential, lowered suspension, and bigger brakes, but it’s among the slower electric hot hatches currently available.
Volkswagen has tried to make the ID. Polo GTI look and feel as close to a traditional combustion GTI model as possible, so it has a combustion-style acceleration sound that you can activate both inside and out. The spicier Clubsport variant coming later will not only get more power, but also fake gears to shift for extra driver engagement. It already has paddles on the steering wheel, but they are used for adjusting the level of regenerative braking.
Weighing just 3,395 lbs (1,540 kg), the ID. Polo GTI is fairly light for an EV, largely because it’s a small car with a relatively small 52-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Its WLTP range drops from the regular model’s 283 miles (455 km) to 263 miles (424 km), and it charges at the same 105 kW maximum, which is good for 10-80% in 24 minutes.
Priced from “just under €39,000,” in Germany, it’s quite a bit more expensive than the base car, which has a starting price of around €25,000. But it’s priced to match rivals like the Alpine A290 or the Peugeot E-208 GTi.
