Late last year, Volkswagen’s design boss revealed on Instagram that an electric GTI will arrive in 2026. That’s still two years away, and many details remain fuzzy, but there’s a chance the company could offer the hot hatch in the US if the price is right.
VW Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si said during a press conference in Berlin that the model could appeal to American buyers if it cost between $20,000 and $25,000. He told the media he’d be happy with a “$25,000 price point” because anything more than that would turn it into “more of a niche product.” According to Automotive News, the executive said that a $35,000 hot hatch would put the model into halo car territory.
Gallery: Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept
VW previewed the electric GTI with a concept based on the ID.2all that debuted as the battery-powered replacement for the Polo, not the Golf. VW’s MEB Entry platform underpinned both concepts, while the all-electric Golf that arrives in 2028 will ride on the SSP platform.
ID.2all production kicks off small in 2025 before ramping up to full capacity in 2026. However, Volkswagen has no plans to bring the EV here in its base form, and Di Si admitted that there is no plan yet to bring the GTI to the American market. But it is something that the company is considering.
Volkswagen is one of several automakers with aggressive plans to electrify their lineups in the coming years. EV sales have slowed, and VW could offer plug-in hybrids to Americans, but the restrained growth isn’t deterring VW like other automakers.
