Volkswagen’s First Electric GTI Might Actually Be Fun

The First EV GTI

In case you missed it, the Volkswagen ID.Polo has made its world premiere. There was even a tiramisu-covered person who attended the event for, um, reasons. That aside, the subcompact electric hatchback presents a new chapter for VW, mainly because it aims to correct all the past missteps the company made from the late 2010s to early 2020s.

With a new Polo also comes with it the inevitable GTI version. But as the ID.Polo is electric, the ‘I’ no longer stands for ‘injection’ as in fuel injected. In this case, it now means ‘intelligent,’ and the first-ever EV GTI has a lot riding on its fenders.

Any Specs Yet?

Why yes, and for a junior hot hatch, it’s pretty good. Of course, you’d like to know the power figures, and it’s 223 hp and 214 lb-ft. It doesn’t sound like a lot on paper, but as it weighs under 3,400 lbs and has the benefit of offering near-instant power delivery, it should get off the line fairly quickly. As for battery size, it gets the largest pack as standard which is 52 kWh. Estimated range is ‘over 260 miles,’ although that’s according to the somewhat optimistic WLTP cycle.

Power is delivered to the front wheels, sticking to the classic hot hatch layout. It then rides on 19-inch wheels with 235-section tires for more bite. The suspension is lowered by 0.6 inches, while the springs and shocks have been stiffened as well. A proper torque-vectoring front differential is also standard in the ID.Polo GTI, as well as adaptive dampers.

So, How Does it Drive?

Autocar managed to gain exclusive access to the ID.Polo GTI, and the publication’s impressions are, indeed, promising. It described the ride as firm, but not in a way that it’s jittery. One can thank the adaptive dampers for soaking up England’s bumpy and wavy back roads. Autocar lauded it for its great body control.

The term ‘energetic’ was used when it came to describing performance. The publication didn’t go into deep details as to how it pulled, but we’re imagining something in the lines of the Fiesta ST, albeit with sharper responses. Don’t expect it to scare a Golf R, though, but perhaps it can get close to a Golf GTI off the line.

But Autocar was most impressed with the driving dynamics. According to them, the front diff did wonders for the junior hot hatch. As it’s mechanical, the magazine said that the car doesn’t have to lean heavily on electronic aids to make it drive as well as it did. This suggests a rather organic driving feel with a decent amount of feedback, and driver engagement is what a sporty compact car is all about.

A Promising Sign

The bad news is, the U.S won’t be getting the ID.Polo GTI. The country had pretty much turned its back on subcompact vehicles that aren’t crossovers, which is a bit of a shame, if you ask us. Frankly, there’s heaps of fun to had with tiny hot hatchbacks, and those who say otherwise are missing out.

But given the impressions, it does suggest that VW is getting its mojo back little by little. There’s a clear emphasis on making the car feel fun to drive even if it doesn’t have heaps of power. As development continues for the all-new Golf, the ID.Polo makes us hopeful for the next-generation model, and maybe, we could get even better VW products down the line.