This Is Volkswagen's First Electric GTI ModelVolkswagen (Volkswagen)Volkswagen has unveiled the ID. Polo GTI, the first electric vehicle to wear the GTI badge.The ID. Polo GTI sends 223 horsepower and 213 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels via an electronically controlled differential.The hot hatch reaches 62 mph in 6.8 seconds and can travel up to 263 miles on a charge on Europe's WLTP test cycle.The letters GTI carry a lot of weight among Volkswagen enthusiasts, so much so that VW has avoided using the hallowed moniker on sportier versions of its EVs, instead opting to brand them GTX. But that all changes now. After recently unveiling the ID. Polo—the seventh generation of VW's subcompact hatch that is now all-electric—VW has now unveiled the ID. Polo GTI, the first EV to bear the GTI badge.Volkswagen (Volkswagen)While the regular ID. Polo maxes out at 208 horsepower, the Polo GTI produces 223 horsepower and 213 pound-feet of torque via an electric motor mounted on the front axle, which is paired with an electronically controlled front differential. Volkswagen says it can scoot to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds, and the top speed is listed at 108 mph. The car weighs 3395 pounds without the driver.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe ID. Polo GTI is fitted with an adaptive suspension, while the steering has been retuned for a sportier driving experience. There's also a new GTI drive mode, activated by a button on the steering wheel. This button turns all of the drive and chassis systems to their sportiest settings, while also adjusting the graphics on the screens.Volkswagen (Volkswagen)A 52-kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery provides up to 263 miles of range on Europe's WLTP test cycle, which would likely translate to around 223 miles using the EPA's metrics. The GTI can be DC fast-charged at a rate of up to 105 kilowatts, going from 10 to 80 percent in around 24 minutes.The ID. Polo GTI features a similarly clean design to the standard car, but gains more assertive styling to indicate its sporty intentions. There are, of course, plenty of red accents, from the stripe that runs along the bottom of the full-width LED light strip on the front end to the two vertical fins that live in the honeycomb air intake in the front bumper, meant to emulate the towing eyes found on race cars.Volkswagen (Volkswagen)The GTI comes standard on 19-inch wheels with a neat design featuring eight silver trapezoidal cutouts that form a rim around a black inner section. At the rear, there's a roof spoiler that splits in the middle where the brake light is housed. Volkswagen also redesigned the rear bumper with an integrated two-part diffuser.AdvertisementAdvertisementInside, there are more red accents, including on the stitching, the 12 o'clock position on the steering wheel, and a thin trim piece in the dashboard. The seats wear a series of crisscrossing stripes meant to emulate the tartan inserts seen on past GTI models, while a red GTI logo sits just below the headrests. The 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster can also be configured with a retro look that mimics the gauges of a first-generation Golf. The graphics on the 12.9-inch touchscreen adapt to match, with the track display for songs then represented by an image of a cassette tape, for example.Volkswagen (Volkswagen)The ID. Polo GTI will go on sale in Germany starting in the fall with an equivalent price of about $45,000 at current exchange rates. Sadly, the ID. Polo GTI, like the regular ID. Polo, will remain forbidden fruit for American Volkswagen shoppers.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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