Volkswagen has announced an all-electric GTI hot hatch is coming in 2026. It’s likely a production version of the ID. GTI, itself a high-performance version of the ID.2. And the car is being developed even though Volkswagen hasn’t achieved its EV goals.
More specifically, the announcement comes from the Instagram account of VW head of design Andreas Mindt, who said “The Golf GTI was first unveiled at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show with a production run of 5000 units. To date, we have sold more than 2.8 million. In 2026, we will introduce an electric version of this iconic model.”
The announcement was widely expected by the VW and GTI-loving communities. The ID.2 is supposed to be a return to form for Volkswagen, a simple electric car launching in 2025 with a base price of €25,000 and has a nice interior with real buttons. It’s also small, about the size of the Polo (which it replaces), and is thus compared to the Mk1 Golf quite often.
But it’s not a Golf. The car will be called the ID.2 because the electric-only Golf 9 will come out in 2028 and is based on the SSP platform. Meanwhile, this ID.2 GTI or ID. GTI rides on the new MEB Entry platform, being front-wheel-driven.
ID. GTI specs and details
The specs are also quite decent. Volkswagen’s concepts are usually quite accurate, so the electric GTI will be about the same size: 161.5 inches (4104 millimeters) long, 72.4 in (1840 mm) wide, and 59 in (1499 mm) tall, with a wheelbase of 102.3 in (2600 mm). However, the 320 hp of the concept is total overkill for this size and class of car. We believe the ID. GTI will be much closer to the 226 hp of the ID.2all concept.
The electric GTI will compete against the MINI JCW electric hot hatch, the Abarth 500e, and an Alpine version of the Renault 5. Volkswagen, up to its old games, will offer an ID.2 SUV and a sexy Spanish version called the Cupra Raval.
Strangely, Volkswagen has been seen developing an ID3 GTX this month, a car that they officially announced a year ago. It’s probably RWD, like its sister car the Cupra Born, and probably uses the new 282 hp motor they put in the American Buzz. The GTX is also much bigger and more expensive than the ID.2/GTI.
The launch of the ID family of electric cars was hit with delays, parts shortages, software issues, customer complaints, and more. The latest news is that the ID.7 sedan’s launch in China is struggling due to cheaper competitors and the new Model 3.
Regardless, the days of the normal Golf GTI and the 2.0 TSI appear to be numbered. Skoda has already stopped taking deliveries of the Octavia RS which uses the same engine and says no replacement is coming in 2024.
