The design of the ID models has not been a hit with all potential customers and the criticism of electric models such as the ID3 or an ID4 has hardly subsided. But after the electric bus of the ID Buzz and the ID7 received a lot of applause, the near-series concept study of the ID GTI makes you want more. Technically, it is based on the ID2, which will not be available to customers until early 2026. While there was already a lot of praise for the new design line and a return to well-known Volkswagen qualities with the ID2, the ID GTI Concept is the first real hit and, quite incidentally, a befitting revival of the GTI label, which was threatened by the ubiquitous electric trend among the wheels to come.
Crisp shapes, successful proportions, flared wheelhouses and fat wheels – that’s the ID GTI. Only one thing is bitter for the fans: it will be at least three more years before he calls for a dance with the competitors on the hunt for curves. “The perfect combination of driving fun and suitability for everyday use – that’s what the three letters GTI have stood for for decades,” says Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer, “with the ID GTI Concept we are bringing the GTI DNA into the electric age: unchanged sporty, iconic, technically progressive, accessible “But reinterpreted for tomorrow: electric, fully networked, super emotional. Driving pleasure and sustainability go together. This is how GTI has a future – for our brand, for the fans.”
The 4.10 meter long VW ID GTI Concept is reminiscent of its great role model without much charm: the VW GTI Generation I, which from 1976 startled the sports car world with its affordable sportiness. With him he shares the front-wheel drive and a comparatively sober interior, which underlines the dynamic claim with all kinds of sporty extras. With all the desire for curves and speed, practicality should not be neglected. The wheelbase of 2.60 meters ensures appropriate space and a 490 liter cargo space offers over 100 liters more than a current VW Golf GTI from a higher class.
When it comes to engine performance, Volkswagen keeps a low profile, but in order to underline the sporty design claim, the production model of the VW ID GTI Concept would have to offer at least 230 to 250 hp so that the opulent 20-inch wheels, which shamelessly flashed out of the thick fender cheeks of the electric speedster, next to the lush spoiler work does not become a dazzler. A range of well over 400 kilometers should also be set in the models on the electric front-wheel drive platform of the Volkswagen Group, produced in Martorell in northern Spain. And it will hardly stay with an ID GTI, because the GTI family has shown in recent years that sharpened derivatives make you want to have a second look.
