Nary two weeks after revealing the important new ID. Polo, Volkswagen has pulled the covers off the spicier version, the ID. Polo GTI. Shown during the weekend of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring – which, in case you’ve been living under a rock, featured yet another last-minute Max Verstappen heartbreak in his first attempt at the gruelling race – the hot hatch brings the iconic three letters into a new electric era in its 50th year. An almost perfect facsimile of 2023’s ID. GTI Concept, the ID. Polo GTI has been spruced up with a bunch of red accents, including a stripe below the full-width light bar, standard-fit IQ.Light LED matrix headlights and illuminated VW badge. There’s also a sporty bodykit rendered in black plastic – reminiscent of the Mk5 Golf GTI – with vestigial red tow hooks at the front. The rear of the car features an extended tailgate spoiler, the upgraded 3D-effect version of the quad rectangular taillights and a large diffuser style valance. A set of 19-inch alloy wheels with an octagonal design come standard and look massive on such a tiny car. Speaking of which, the ID. Polo GTI measures 4,096 mm long (43 mm longer than the standard ID. Polo), 1,816 mm wide and 1,513 mm tall (17 mm lower), with a wheelbase of 2,599 mm. To put that into perspective, the car is just 22 mm longer (but a whole 65 mm wider) than the outgoing petrol Polo GTI, 169 mm shorter than the also-new ID.3 Neo and 193 mm shorter than the Mk8.5 Golf GTI. Inside, the ID. Polo GTI retains the no-nonsense design approach taken by the regular model, with physical instead of capacitive buttons on the steering wheel, four discrete window switches and proper air-con toggles. As usual, there’s a 10.25-inch instrument display and a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, which can be configured to show analogue gauges and even a “cassette deck” that harks back to the original Golf. Here, the GTI extras include a sculpted oblong steering wheel with an illuminated GTI badge and red 12 o’clock marker, a red dash stripe atop the air vents, striped seats inspired by the Golf GTI’s trademark tartan upholstery, and GTI badging below the headrests. On the options list are a ten-speaker, 425-watt Harman Kardon sound system, a panoramic sunroof and even massaging 12-way power-adjustable front seats. While the ID. Polo GTI is billed as a hot hatch, it’s not exactly blessed with sky-high outputs – not when its 226 PS (166 kW) and 290 Nm of torque barely top those of a Proton eMas 7. Even so, with a kerb weight of 1,540 kg, Wolfsburg’s electric pocket rocket is able to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in just 6.8 seconds – although its top speed is equally low at 175 km/h. Instead, the focus has been placed on bringing the GTI brand’s signature front-wheel-drive thrills to an electric hatch. To that end, the ID. Polo GTI features a front locking differential, Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive sports suspension and variable-ratio steering. You’ll also be able to spec the car with bespoke Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres. The ID. Polo GTI also debuts a new GTI driving profile. Thumb the GTI button on the steering wheel and you’ll get the most aggressive powertrain, steering and suspension settings, as well as a unique interior colour and graphics scheme. Unfortunately, the ID. GTI Concept’s simulated gear shifts have not made it to production, with the steering paddles instead adjusting the regen braking strength. Despite the sporting bent, the ID. Polo GTI retains an impressive 424 km of WLTP-rated range through its 52 kWh (nett) battery, although the pack is of the outdated NMC chemistry. The car’s DC fast charging capacity maxes out at a lowly 105 kW, but the “particularly constant charging curve” (VW’s words, not ours) means it will still charge from 10 to 80% in around 24 minutes. As per the standard ID. Polo, the GTI version can be had with Level 2 semi-autonomous driving, enhanced using vehicle-to-X communication; as such, it will be able to stop for traffic lights. Available to order in Germany starting in the fourth quarter of the year, the car will be priced starting from under €39,000 (RM180,000). 54. ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring 2026 – Foto: Gruppe C Photography 54. ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring 2026 – Foto: Gruppe C Photography 54. ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring 2026 – Foto: Gruppe C Photography Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro. Compare prices between different insurer providers to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services. Many payment method supported and you can pay with instalment using Atome, Grab PayLater or Shopee SPayLater. Use the promo code 'PAULTAN' when you checkout for 10% discount!