By Otsile Kadiege

Volkswagen is one of the car manufacturers at forefront of the electrification of automobiles thanks to their extensive range of ID. electric vehicles. The automaker is now ready to enter the performance EV segment with their popular GTI nameplate – a nameplate that stood for compact sports cars for decades. Volkswagen previewed the future of GTI with the ID.GTI Concept which is based on the front wheel drive ID.2all that was presented to the world back in March this year.

Unmistakably GTI

Off the bat, the Volkswagen ID.GTI Concept is one hell of a looker thanks to typical GTI design and styling principals which have been modernised for the EV GTI. Highlights of its striking front end include the signature GTI red surround on the radiator grille, sporty-looking IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights and a motorsport inspired GTI bumper with vertical LED daytime running lights and functional black-framed air curtains.

In profile, the ID.GTI Concept has a powerful appearance thanks to a C-pillar that flows into the side of the body. The concept car is shod with massive 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped with 245/35 performance tyres and GTI badging on the front door and the sculpted side skirt. The rear sports an integrated rear spoiler, a large diffuser and darkened 3D LED taillights. The exterior dimensions are as follows: 4 104 mm long, 1 499 mm high, 1 840 mm wide, and it has a wheelbase of 2 600 mm.

Futuristic cabin

Inside, the design sketches of the ID.GTI Concept previews a highly modernised, performance focused and somewhat minimalist interior with groundbreaking technologies. Highlights include an augmented reality head-up display that projects new data spectrum on to the windscreen for both driver and passenger, a 12.9-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster, and chunky GTI branded seats with a pulse sensor on the driver’s seat called “GTI Heartbeat”.

The four-door sports car is fitted with numerous USB-C interfaces (45 W), a wireless charging pad and has a generous 490 litres of luggage capacity which can be expanded to 1 330 litres by folding the 60:40 split rear seats.

ID.GTI Concept performance

Volkswagen hasn’t shared estimated power and torque figures of the front wheel drive performance EV but the automaker did announce that it will be fitted with an electronically controlled front-axle differential lock which is debuted in cars like the current gen. Golf GTI and Golf GTI Clubsport.

The Vehicle Dynamics Manager of the ID.GTI Concept integrates the powertrain into the control system to an even greater extent than on the petrol models. This is possible because the set-up of the electric drive motor, as an electric system, can be varied almost infinitely. This permits realisation of a wide range of different GTI profiles. Using a newly developed GTI Experience Control on the centre console, the driver can choose which characteristics the powertrain of the ID.GTI Concept should have. For the first time, it is therefore possible to adjust the drive system, running gear, steering, sound experience and even the simulated shift points in the style of one of the historical GTI models – such as the Golf GTI I from 1976, the first Golf GTI II 16V from 1986 or the legendary Golf GTI IV ’25 years of GTI’ from 2001. This makes the ID.GTI Concept a highly dynamic time machine.