Volkswagen Unveils ID. Polo GTI First Electric GTI

Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Polo GTI, its first electric vehicle to carry the iconic GTI performance badge, at the Nürburgring 24 Hours on Saturday. The model arrives 50 years after the original Golf GTI debuted in 1976, adapting the hot hatch formula to battery power with 223 horsepower from a front-mounted electric motor and a 52-kilowatt-hour nickel-manganese-cobalt battery.

The ID. Polo GTI accelerates from zero to 62 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 109 miles per hour. It offers a WLTP-estimated range of 263 miles, with 105-kilowatt DC fast charging enabling a 10-to-80 percent top-up in 24 minutes. Weighing 3,395 pounds, the car features an electronically controlled front differential lock, adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control sports suspension, progressive steering and a reinforced twist-beam rear axle for enhanced handling. A dedicated GTI driving mode, activated by a steering wheel button, sharpens throttle response, suspension and steering settings while enabling launch control and synthetic engine sounds piped into the cabin.

Built on the MEB platform shared with the Cupra Raval, its mechanical sibling, the ID. Polo GTI retains the standard model's...