Volkswagen Opens Pre-Orders for the ID. Polo GTI, Its First Electric GTI Hot Hatch

Volkswagen has begun taking pre-orders for the ID. Polo GTI, marking the first time the badge that has defined affordable performance for five decades appears on an all-electric model. The opening price is 39,995 euros, roughly $45,000 at current exchange rates, and the launch is timed to coincide with the GTI nameplate’s 50th anniversary. VW describes the car as the start of a new chapter for the sub-brand rather than a break from it, and the positioning matters: the company is betting that the emotional pull of the GTI letters can carry over into a battery-electric lineup.

Mechanically, the ID. Polo GTI stays true to the formula that made the original 1976 Golf GTI a cult object. Power goes to the front wheels, with a front-mounted electric motor producing 222 horsepower (166 kW) and 213 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque available instantly. That is enough for a 0-62 mph sprint in 6.8 seconds, a figure that would have looked like supercar territory when the first GTI hit the road. A 52 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, shared with the standard ID. Polo, delivers up to 431 km (267 miles) of WLTP range. On a DC fast charger the pack can go from 10% to 80% in about 24 minutes at a peak rate of 105 kW.

Volkswagen has also worked on the driving experience rather than just the numbers. A dedicated GTI drive profile, activated by a button on the steering wheel, retunes the electric drivetrain, steering and suspension together to sharpen response. An electronically controlled transverse differential lock on the front axle meters torque between the front wheels to help the car turn in and hold a line. The brand stops short of claiming the ID. Polo GTI is the quickest thing in its class, framing it instead as a genuine hot hatch that prioritizes fun over raw figures.

Visual cues tie the EV to its ancestors: a honeycomb motif, a red accent strip across the nose and standard 19-inch alloy wheels. The cabin is finished in black with red sport accents, a new GTI sports steering wheel and upgraded seats. A 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit and a 12.9-inch infotainment screen sit on VW’s latest interior architecture. As in the regular ID. Polo, a Retro Display mode can restyle both screens to evoke the first-generation Golf, right down to the audio presentation.

Packaging is one area where the electric layout pays off. At 4,096 mm long, 1,816 mm wide and 1,514 mm tall on a 2,599 mm wheelbase, the ID. Polo GTI is close in footprint to the combustion-powered Polo. Compact drive modules and a flat battery floor free up 19 mm of extra interior space versus the gasoline Polo GTI, and folding the rear seats opens 1,240 liters of load capacity against 1,125 liters in the ICE version. For context, the standard ID. Polo starts at 24,995 euros. Volkswagen has said it will open pre-orders for a more powerful ID.3 GTI in early 2027, which will be the second electric model to wear the badge and the first GTI of any kind to send power to the rear wheels.