The Electric Volkswagen GTI: Everything You Need to Know

It could be wild — and wildly affordable.

Electric Volkswagen Gofl GTI parked in front of a fancy house with graffiti

Published March 18, 2024

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VW is killing off the Golf GTI’s manual after the 2024 model year. But the brand may be bringing an exciting new electric version to America that will make enthusiasts forget all about that.

VW unveiled the ID. GTI concept at IAA in Munich in the fall of 2023. It’s a hotter version of VW’s ID. 2all hatchback, with several nods to GTI heritage. And best of all, it’s confirmed to be heading to production.

Here’s what you need to know about the Volkswagen’s electric GTI.

The ID. GTI will be smaller than the current Golf GTI

The current GTI is an upgraded version of the standard Golf. The electric GTI would be a similar version of the eventual ID. 2all EV. The ID. 2all is a four-door hatchback, but it’s smaller than the ID.3 electric car (which VW doesn’t offer in the U.S.) and the current Golf. It’s closer in size to the Polo, the car that slots below the Golf on size and price in Europe.

The ID. GTI will be front-wheel-drive

Volkswagen has also revealed a hotter version of the ID.3, the rear-wheel-drive ID.3 GTX. The ID. 2all, however, will use the front-wheel-drive MLB entry-level setup — which would also be the base for the GTI version. And like the current GTI, the ID. GTI should have an electronic locking front differential.

The ID. GTI should look and drive a lot like a gas-powered GTI

The ID. GTI will be a nostalgia play. Expect GTI-like detailing: the concept incorporates plaid seats, red detailing on the grille, golf ball shift knobs (even if there is no shifter) and sporty features like a black roof spoiler.

And the similarity won’t just be looks. The ID. GTI concept features a GTI experience control center. It allows drivers to customize the drive system, running gear, steering and sound. Drivers can even simulate the shift points of historic GTI models. We expect that feature and some specialized track modes to make it to production.

Is the Volkswagen ID. GTI coming to America?

Volkswagen has not confirmed that the ID. GTI will come to America yet. But VW Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si is trying to make that happen. He told Inside EVs that “it’s a beautiful car. I think it would sell in America. I think it has potential. It’s a ‘love vehicle’ in the U.S.”

When will the ID. GTI arrive?

Not for a while. Volkswagen has confirmed the ID. GTI will debut sometime in 2026. The first cars will not hit European dealers until 2027. Typically, there is a lag time between VW’s European and American launches for vehicles.

If VW does decide to bring the ID. GTI to America, a few months after the European launch would be the absolute earliest to expect it.

How much would the Volkswagen electric GTI cost?

Volkswagen would want the car to be super-affordable. According to Inside EVs, VW could be targeting a price around $25,000. Di Si told Inside EVs that the vehicle needs to hit the right price point to make sense.

The current gas Golf GTI starts at just under $32,000. And VW’s current EV, the ID.4 crossover, starts just under $40,000. Hitting a $25,000 price may require advanced battery tech and a related dramatic reduction in EV production costs. That could happen by later this decade.

Do we have any specs for the Volkswagen ID. GTI yet?

Sort of. We know the dimensions: The ID. GTI will be 161.6 inches long, about 7.2 inches shorter than the current GTI, with a proportionally longer 102.4-inch wheelbase. The ID. GTI concept is 1.4 inches taller than the current GTI and two inches wider. It will also offer up to 47 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded.

We can guess that it will have a higher power output than the ID. 2all’s 223 horsepower. And VW says the batteries being located under the floor will give it a lower center of gravity than the gas-powered version.

Wait, what about that goofy electric GTI logo?

Volkswagen has trademarked a new electric GTI logo, with a lightning bolt in place of the letter “I.” It’s possible that could appear on the production car. However, it appears sticking with a traditional look has won out (at least on the concept).