Volkswagen has revealed the ID.3 GTI, based on the ID.3 Neo. When it comes to market in the spring of 2027, it will be the brand’s second electric GTI after the Polo, and the most powerful GTI ever made.
It will also be the first rear-wheel-drive GTI ever. The ID.3 GTI uses VW’s MEB+ with a 240 kW (326 PS) and 545 Nm electric motor on the rear axle, sticking to the power level of the pre-Neo GTX Performance model. Springs, shock absorbers, anti-roll bars and tires have been tuned specifically for the ID.3 GTI.
The ID.3 GTI can go from 0 to 100 kph in 5.6 seconds, using the new GTI mode with launch control, and has a top speed of 200 kph. The 79 kWh battery gives the car a 601 km WLTP range, while the 183 kW DC charging capacity recharges it from 0 to 80% in under 30 minutes. Again, no surprises here when comparing to the former GTX model.
References to past GTI models
What sets the ID.3 GTI apart are the looks that reference previous GTI models like the iconic Golf GTI, which launched exactly 60 years ago. At first glance, the most striking features are the GTI logo and red striping on the nose, just above the LED bar connecting the headlights. On the first-generation Golf GTI, it surrounded the grille, and it has been a GTI telltale ever since.
The grille in the lower part of the bumper has a honeycomb design echoing that of the current Golf GTI. It incorporates two vertical red elements resembling the tow eyes used on race cars.
Another nod to the GTI badge’s iconic status comes in the new 20-inch alloy wheels. They’re named Wörthersee, a tribute to the legendary GTI event held at the Austrian lake of the same name.
Completing the look are black mirror caps, while the rest of the car features more body-colored details than the black accents on the GTX it replaces. ID.3 GTI buyers can choose from 5 colors: Tornado Red solid, Moonstone Grey solid, Scale Silver metallic, Grenadilla Black metallic, and Glacier White metallic.
GTI Mode
In the interior, Volkswagen has integrated an illuminated GTI button on the lower part of the steering wheel. When pushed, it activates the ‘GTI Mode’ driving profile. This affects throttle response, steering, and the adaptive DCC sports chassis, dialing up the car’s responsiveness and making launch control available.
It also adds a combustion-engine sound while driving and changes the dial color to red. The color is used extensively throughout the interior of the ID.3 GTI, for example in the GTI-specific seats. The seats also make reference to the original Golf GTI with their ‘Superclark’ pattern, which reinterprets the tartan check pattern of the car that started the GTI legend.
Technologically up to date
The ID.3 may be sporty, but it is not a stripped-out car. The interior features a 10.25-inch digital cockpit, replacing the GTX’s smaller digital instrument panel, and a 12.9-inch central touchscreen. Like the rest of the ID.3 Neo line-up, the GTI also offers more physical buttons, for example, for climate and media control.
The ID.3 can be ordered with VW’s Connected Travel Assist for semi-autonomous driving. Beyond lateral and longitudinal guidance, it not only stops when traffic stops but also when it detects a red light.
