Volkswagen ID.3 GTI: the electric sibling of the Golf GTI has 326 horsepower and is rear-wheel driven

Volkswagen will no longer use the GTX acronym to designate its most sporty electric cars. Instead, the German brand has decided to bring back the iconic GTI name. After the launch of the ID. Polo GTI, it was only a matter of time before its larger sibling, the ID.3 Neo, followed suit. And that’s exactly what happened: the new ID.3 GTI is now here, being the first model in the series to feature rear-wheel drive.

This compact electric vehicle comes with the classic GTI styling, featuring a distinctive red strip on the grille, redesigned bumpers with a honeycomb-style air intake, and 20-inch tires... While the ID.3 GTX had its roof and trunk painted black, the ID.3 GTI has these sections in the same color as the rest of the bodywork.

There are a total of five colors available, including the typical Silver, Black, Red, and White from the GTI series, plus an additional gray shade. It’s interesting to note that the red color is the well-known Red Tornado, which was already offered on the first-generation Golf GTI; thus, this paint job has a rich history behind it.

Inside the cabin, we find a 10.25-inch digital dashboard (up from 5.3 inches) and a 12.9-inch touchscreen. The use of red decorative elements and sporty seats remind us that this is a GTI. There are also some nods to the past: the dashboard can mimic the appearance of the instrumentation from a first-generation Golf, and the sound system simulates the noise of an internal combustion engine.

The Volkswagen ID.3 GTI has a range of up to 601 km

Mechanically, there are no significant changes compared to the ID.3 GTX Performance. The new model still delivers 326 HP (240 kW) of power, while its 79 kWh battery provides a maximum WLTP range of 601 km. In terms of charging, it can reach a peak of 183 kW in DC fast charging, taking 29 minutes to go from 10% to 80% charge.

The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, with a top speed of 200 km/h. It comes standard equipped with adaptive DCC suspension. Among its optional features are a panoramic roof, massage and memory seats, a 480-watt Harman Kardon sound system, and an augmented reality head-up display.

The improved Travel Assist with traffic light detection should also be mentioned. As of now, the pricing for the ID.3 GTI has not been revealed, but pre-orders are set to open in early 2027. Production will take place at the Zwickau plant, where its twin model, the CUPRA Born VZ, is also manufactured.

Source | Volkswagen