Volkswagen entered the electric hot hatch niche about a year ago with the launch of the ID.3 GTX. However, it’s now apparently working on an even spicier version carrying a far more iconic badge: GTI. Much like Porsche’s electric Turbo models lack actual turbochargers, the ID.3 Grand Touring Injection will obviously not have fuel injectors. And while traditional GTIs are front-wheel drive, the ID.3 GTI will be rear-wheel drive. So much for tradition.
A new report from German magazine Auto Motor und Sport claims that the inaugural electric GTI will receive a modest power bump over the GTX. It’s believed the zero-emissions GTI will deliver 335 hp, or just 13 hp more than the current flagship version. Rumor has it VW’s engineers are planning significant updates to the chassis, steering, and suspension to make the ID.3 GTI more engaging to drive than the GTX.
According to AMS, the electric GTI wasn’t part of the original plan. However, VW is now purportedly giving the ID.3 a second facelift to extend its life cycle. The reasoning behind this decision reportedly stems from the delay of its successor, the ninth-generation, electric-only Golf. Now due near the end of the decade, the Golf Mk9’s postponement means the aging ID.3 will stick around longer than expected.
Indeed, the ID.3 debuted back in 2019 and received an update in 2023. To keep the EV competitive, a second, more comprehensive facelift is allegedly set for 2026, coinciding with the launch of the hotter GTI version. This update will reportedly bring the ID.3’s design and tech more in line with the smaller ID.2.
Speaking of which, the ID. GTI concept (pictured below) previewed VW’s first electric car with a GTI badge. However, it appears the larger ID.3 GTI will beat it to market. The standard ID.2 is scheduled to go on sale next year in Germany with a base price around €25,000, but the GTI version will, of course, cost more. As for the ID.3 GTI, expect it to carry a premium over the current GTX, which starts at just over €47,000 at home in Deutschland.
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Several other models have already received the GTX treatment in Europe. The ID.7 and ID.7 Tourer have performance variants, and even the ID. Buzz GTX minivan. It remains unclear whether the GTX branding will eventually be phased out in favor of the GTI name for potent EVs or if it will continue as a more affordable alternative.
We’ll have to wait and see if VW will also put an R badge on its electric cars. If it’s determined to launch an EV GTI, possibly with a new GTI logo where the “I” makes way for a lightning bolt, it likely doesn’t have a problem introducing an EV R some years from now.
Source:
Auto Motor and Sport
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