The Volkswagen ID.3 now gets a GTI version with 326hp, making it the most powerful series-production VW with the GTI badge. It's also the first GTI model to get rear-wheel drive. Customer bookings will begin in early 2027, and the GTI version offers unique design elements and features compared to the regular ID.3 Neo on which it is based. The unveiling of the high-performance version of the ID.3 also marks 50 years since the ‘GTI’ nameplate debuted in 1976.
- 79kWh battery pack supports DC charging at up to 183kW
- 0-100kph in a claimed 5.6 seconds
- Gets vertical LED elements, gloss-black accents and Wörthersee wheels
- Sport seats with check pattern, red stripes on the dash and 12 o'clock steering marking
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI powertrain
The first fully electric GTI gets all of the ID.3’s performance-enhancing features as standard
The Volkswagen ID.3 GTI is equipped with a 79kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is available as standard with the range-topping variant of the regular ID.3 Neo. This energises a single rear-mounted electric motor that generates 326hp and 545Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100kph sprint in a claimed 5.6 seconds.
The top speed of the ID.3 GTI is electronically limited to 200kph. Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual drive modes aside, the ID.3 GTI also gets launch control, progressive steering and adaptive dampers as standard. Supporting DC fast charging of up to 183kW, Volkswagen says that the 79kWh battery pack in this ID.3 can be topped up from 10-80 percent in around 29 minutes.
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI exterior
There are ‘GTI’ badges, more aggressive bumpers and unique alloy wheels
Apart from Moonstone Grey, Scale Silver, Grenadilla Black and Glacier White, the ID.3 GTI will also be sold in Tornado Red. This is the exact same colour tone that was available with the first-generation Golf GTI, according to Volkswagen. The front fascia has a red stripe running between the IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlamps, mimicking the red radiator grille frame of the very first Golf GTI. There’s also the honeycomb grille, red accents and vertically aligned LED elements.
There are gloss-black elements on select surfaces, which includes the ORVM (outer rearview mirror) housings, rocker panels and lower bumper trim. The 20-inch alloy wheels feature the so-called Wörthersee design, which, the brand says, acts as a tribute to GTI gatherings hosted at an Austrian lake with the same name. The rear sports a large spoiler and a sporty-looking bumper. Of course, there are several ‘GTI’ badges all around.
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI interior and equipment
Plenty of GTI bits on the inside add to the overall sporty vibe
The interior of the Volkswagen ID.3 GTI gets a red-on-black theme. The sport seats feature a ‘Superclark’ pattern with grey and red stripes, whilst the dashboard also gets a contrasting red stripe. There’s a red 12 o'clock marking and red stitching on the steering wheel, plus a prominent ‘GTI’ badge.
Switching to ‘GTI’ mode makes the ambient light glow red. The graphics for the digital driver’s display also change, and the screen now shows a power display with an integrated speedometer. The speakers will also play fake engine sounds. Other equipment of the ID.3 GTI includes a 480-watt Harman Kardon audio system, dual 12.9-inch digital displays, a panoramic sunroof, sport seats with massage and memory functions, an augmented-reality head-up display, advanced parking assistant, traffic-light recognition with automatic braking, and vehicle-to-load (V2L).
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