Volkswagen takes legendary GTI line into electric era

Volkswagen has unveiled its latest addition to the GTI family, making the new model the most powerful production vehicle ever to carry the legendary GTI designation.

The German manufacturer released a first glimpse of the new ID.3 GTI on September 16, as Caliber.Az reports.

The car is equipped with a 240 kW electric motor and a highly efficient drive system, giving it a range of up to 601 km. Another major novelty is its rear-wheel-drive layout, marking the first time this configuration has been used in the history of the GTI line.

The launch is intended to mark the 50th anniversary of the GTI family. Volkswagen is positioning the ID.3 GTI not only as a sporty model but also as a practical vehicle for everyday use.

The electric ID.3 GTI has an electric motor integrated into the rear axle, producing 240 kW (326 hp) and up to 545 Nm of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, while its top speed is electronically limited to 200 km/h.

Until now, Volkswagen has placed its sportiest electric models under the GTX badge. With the exception of the ID.3 GTX, these models feature an electric all-wheel-drive system. Their styling has already incorporated familiar GTI elements, including red trim, but the electric performance models had not previously carried the GTI badge itself.

Three years ago, Volkswagen signalled its intention to bring the GTI name into the electric era with the ID. GTI Concept. In that concept, the “I” stands for “Intelligence”, while in the traditional GTI designation it refers to “Injection”, a reference to fuel-injection technology used in internal combustion engines.

Volkswagen describes the ID.3 GTI as the “most powerful production GTI of all time”. The previous record holder was the Golf GTI Edition 50, which produces 239 kW and has only been available since the beginning of this year. The electric GTI therefore surpasses the previous record by just one kilowatt.

By Nazrin Sadigova