If you grew up in any of Australia’s capital cities, chances are, you or someone you knew owned a Volkswagen Golf (and if some fortune was involved, it was a throaty GTI). For the die-hard fans of the Golf worried the legendary GTI badge wasn’t going to have a place in VW’s electrified future, today, the German automaker announced the Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept — which promises to be a hot hatch with a big battery.
This latest iteration of the GTI will be based on the ID.2all concept that VW revealed earlier this year; with its design coming from Andreas Mindt, who was the brains behind the Mk7 Golf from 2017. As you’d expect, the ID. GTI Concept still has all the original Golf blood pumping through its veins — muscular wheel arches, a red-trimmed front grille, and an eye-catching set of 20-inch wheels.
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While certain details have yet to be announced, VW has revealed it’ll be a front-wheel drive and feature a Vehicle Dynamics Manager control centre that allows owners to customise their driving experience, as well as the way the car responds to input. The cabin will also feature a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, while the driver will enjoy the 10.9-inch instrument display that comes with the option of a “vintage” mode, replicating the cockpit display of the original GTI.
The concept also boasts some concept-worthy details, including a heads-up display that makes use of augmented reality tech, displaying race track lap times and splits in the renders. It’s unclear how much of this HUD package will make it to the production vehicle, but the future has a slick look to it.
“The perfect combination of driving pleasure and everyday usability — that is what the three letters GTI have meant for decades,” says Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen brands.
“It remains sporty, iconic, technologically progressive, and accessible, but now has a new interpretation for tomorrow’s world: electric, fully connected, and extremely emotive.”
“This means GTI has a future — for our brand and for the fans. Production has already been decided as part of our electric offensive.”
The Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept will reportedly be introduced to European markets first sometime in late 2026. Currently, there’s no word on if/when we can expect examples to arrive Down Under. Likewise, pricing is currently speculative, but it’s believed to be around the €30,000 (AU$55,000) mark.
