With electrification on its side, the OG hot hatch gets even more sizzle
Some cars seem destined to be better with electrification. Mini, for example, should’ve been a slam dunk. The same goes for most of the Fiat lineup. Whether or not those brands have lived up to expectations, of course, is another conversation. Volkswagen’s iconic Golf GTI has a lot of the same traits: small, practical, and quick. For over 45 years, it’s been the poster child for accessible enthusiast rides in the VW portfolio, and the company doesn’t plan on blowing it. At least, not if its CEO is to be believed.
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VW’s CEO has driven a “mind-blowing” electric Golf GTI prototype
In conversations originally cited by Autocar, VW CEO Thomas Schäfer discussed some of the finer points of the upcoming, all-electric GTI. He’s under the impression that an electric Golf can “absolutely” still be exciting. How can he be so sure? “We have driven a few prototypes that we have built on the new setup…it is mind-blowing.” He goes on to say that VW is paying special attention to how the car feels, sounds, and handles. He claims that, based on the prototypes, the EV GTI will be “a monster car.”
Last year, we got our first glimpse at what exactly an EV GTI might look like. VW executive Kai Grünitz’s comments rang a bit more modest relative to Schäfer’s more recent ones. “Do we need 300 or 350 bhp? With a GTI, what’s more important than power is drivability,” he said in 2024 at GTI Fan Fest in Wolfsburg. “It will be a real go-kart. I’ve driven a prototype and it’s really amazing.” The current gas-powered GTI makes 240 horsepower (236 bhp), and while a 280-something horsepower GTI still sounds like a ton of fun, it’s probably not what most drivers would call a “monster.” But who knows, VW may have changed its tune (literally and figuratively) in the 10 months since Grünitz’s comments.
The GTI badge is spreading, according to Schäfer
Shreds of hope for the EV GTI weren’t the only clues Schäfer dropped regarding what’s coming out of Wolfsburg. Schäfer claims the electric Golf won’t debut until close to the end of the decade, but it will be the forerunner for a “whole group” of cars wearing GTI badges. While we’re hoping that means something more in the way of a Jetta GTI than an ID.4 GTI, we don’t have any other information right now. The current Golf’s lifecycle will run until 2028 or 2029.
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Final thoughts
Electric cars can be fun, and the GTI is a natural fit for electrification. It all comes down to implementation, though, as the feel has almost always been the reason shoppers end up in the driver’s seat of a GTI as opposed to any other hot hatch. From the tartan/plaid seats to the iconic gear selector, there is no shortage of things besides the powertrain that make a GTI decidedly “fun.” It’s good news that the CEO of VW is excited about the new GTI; we just hope the small details don’t get missed.
