This is Volkswagen’s first all-electric GTI – the new ID. Polo GTI. It’s the first fully electric model to wear the famous three-letter badge in the GTI’s 50-year history, and while it may swap petrol power for batteries, Volkswagen is making it very clear that this is still supposed to feel like a proper GTI.
I’ve had a good poke around the new ID. Polo GTI and while I can’t tell you what it’s like to drive – yet – it has all the design hallmarks that have made Volkswagen’s GTI models so popular over the years. In fact, in size and proportions the ID. Polo GTI is actually very close to the original Golf GTI from 1976.
Officially, the car is still described as a near-production concept, but it looks very close to the finished thing and Volkswagen says pre-sales will start in mid-October.
There are plenty of familiar GTI design features, like the red pinstripe that runs across the front of the car, now sitting under a subtle full-width LED lighting strip and illuminated badge, and red strips that sit below the main bumper and proud of the lower honeycomb grille. The 19-inch alloys are also a nod to GTIs of old, while the red and black interior is pure GTI. And, of course, there are plenty of GTI badges outside and in.
I was as impressed with the interior of the new GTI as I was with the standard ID. Polo when I saw that, too. Quality and style are back to what you’d expect from Volkswagen, with plenty of subtle design touches that make the car feel really premium.
The dashboard is dominated by a 10.25-inch digital driver display and a 12.9-inch central touchscreen. The driver display and infotainment screen graphics can be switched to ones that look like they’ve come straight out of a 1970s GTI. There’s a classic-style speedometer on one side and a faux rev counter on the other, although in this EV it actually shows energy use and regeneration instead of engine revs. Even the music display gets a retro makeover, showing songs as if they were being played from a cassette tape.
If you don’t fancy going back in time with the displays, there’s also a bespoke, modern GTI look that highlights performance data.
The seats feature a modern version of the classic GTI tartan fabric, now called “Superclark”, while the steering wheel gets red stitching and a motorsport-inspired red marker at the 12 o’clock position.
As you’d expect from a Volkswagen GTI, there’s plenty of practicality. The ID. Polo GTI measures 4,097 mm long and sits on a 2,599 mm wheelbase, while the electric platform frees up more interior space than the outgoing petrol Polo GTI.
I could sit behind the front seat, despite it being set for my near-six-foot frame, while the boot is wide and very deep with 441 litres right down to the lowest point. Boot space grows to 1,243 litres with the rear seats folded, which is more than many family hatchbacks manage. Volkswagen is offering a detachable tow bar as an option, and says the little EV can tow up to 1.2 tonnes.
Despite its near-production state, the ID. Polo GTI’s performance figures have now been locked in – and they look pretty promising for a compact electric hot hatch. There’s a front-mounted electric motor producing 224bhp and 290Nm of torque, enough for 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 109mph.
Importantly, this remains a front-wheel-drive car – just like every GTI that came before it. Volkswagen says that was deliberate, with engineers keen to preserve the feel and balance that has always defined the badge.
To help handle all that instant electric shove, the ID. Polo GTI gets an electronically controlled front differential lock as standard, plus adaptive suspension. The idea is that the car can still feel agile and playful on a twisty road while remaining perfectly civilised for everyday driving.
Volkswagen has also created a dedicated GTI driving mode. Hit the GTI button on the steering wheel and the car sharpens its steering, suspension and power delivery, changes the cabin lighting (to red, of course) and switches the digital displays into the sportier GTI-specific layout.
There’s even a synthetic combustion-engine sound effect, which may divide opinion, but Volkswagen clearly wants the experience to feel emotional rather than silent and clinical.
The nostalgia doesn’t stop there – the company has also brought back Tornado Red, one of the best-known GTI colours from the 1980s.
Power comes from a 52kWh battery pack mounted under the floor. Volkswagen is quoting a range of up to 264 miles, while DC rapid charging peaks at 105kW. Under ideal conditions, a 10 to 80 per cent charge should take around 24 minutes.
The ID. Polo GTI also introduces a new low-speed sound for Volkswagen’s electric cars. Because EVs have to make a warning sound at low speed, so pedestrians can hear them approaching, Volkswagen has created a new, branded sound that changes depending on speed and throttle input. In GTI Sport mode, the sound becomes more aggressive up to around 31mph.
There’s plenty of technology elsewhere, too. Matrix LED headlights come as standard, along with wireless phone charging, a heated steering wheel and configurable ambient lighting. Optional extras include a Harman Kardon sound system, a panoramic roof and electrically adjustable massage seats – something not usually associated with small hot hatches.
Volkswagen will also offer its latest Connected Travel Assist system, which uses a data connection to react to traffic lights in some situations, plus one-pedal driving for stronger regenerative braking.
The petrol-powered Polo GTI is due to disappear in 2026, so the ID. Polo GTI is more than just another electric hatchback launch. It marks a huge moment for Volkswagen’s performance car heritage.
New Cupra Raval arrives as a £23k electric supermini with big-car attitude
Volkswagen ID. Cross review: Small electric SUV feels impressively polished and properly posh
VW’s renaming frenzy picks up pace – here’s what the ID.4 will be called
A plug-in hybrid from just £26,995 – and yes, it’s Chinese
Aion V review - my honest verdict on the latest Chinese challenger
