The IAA Mobility Motor Show is the car show that keeps on giving, especially if you’re a fan of electric vehicles. We’ve already seen Mercedes’ latest electric efforts with the concept CLA, BMW is electrifying its Mini range, and now it’s Volkswagen’s turn at the wheel. The brand has promised an electric future for its iconic GTI line-up, with the new ID. GTI concept making an appearance at this year’s IAA event.
A GTI for the future
The ID. GTI isn’t a real car – yet. Sure, VW’s gone through the effort of making a physical version to present at the IAA Mobility motor show (and the video above), but its real-life counterparts won’t be hitting any tarmac until at least 2027. As such, Volkswagen has kept information scarce. We know it’s all-electric, will probably don a new GTI logo and comes in the colour red. The important bits, like what motor it’ll sport or the range it’ll get, are still being kept under wraps.
“With the ID. GTI Concept, we are taking the GTI DNA into the electric age. It remains sporty, iconic, technologically progressive and accessible, but now with a new interpretation for tomorrow’s world: electric, fully connected and extremely emotive. Here, driving pleasure and sustainability are a perfect match. This means GTI has a future – for our brand and for the fans. A Volkswagen sports car for the electric age that is suitable for everyday driving: 100 per cent electric – 100 per cent emotion,” says Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars.
Wacky insides
All VW could promise, without going into specifics, was a big battery, low weight and some comfy seats. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t confirm some stuff. It was able to offer up the car’s dimensions (4,104mm x 1,840mm x 1,499mm), confirm that the car will be front-wheel drive and feature the same front-axle differential lock for improved traction control found in the Golf GTI and GTI Clubsport.
As for the ID. GTI’s innards, all we have to go off is a few renders that show off the 12.9in infotainment system and a whole lot of red. That’s accentuated by the sportier-than-usual multi-function steering wheel, 10.9in digital instrument cluster, a cockpit littered with several USB-C ports, two wireless charging pads, and a heads-up display that looks like it was pulled from an unreleased red-themed Tron movie. It’ll even display a map of the Nürburgring Nordschleife Grand Prix circuit to take a casual drive-through. It all screams “concept” and might give us a hint as to why VW wasn’t so keen to show off the ‘real’ insides just yet.
Whether all those features will make it to the production model is anyone’s guess. VW might be forced to curb some of the more grandiose ideas to keep costs down. Or it’ll engage thrusters and put the GTI even further out of reach for most people.
