Volkswagen ID.3 spawns the first rear-wheel drive GTI

With the reveal of the Volkswagen ID.3 GTI , the GTX is dead, long live the GTX!

The new ID.3 GTI marries the body and interior of the heavily updated ID.3 Neo with the drivetrain of the soon-to-be superceded ID.3 GTX Performance.

That means there's a 240kW/545Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels, and a 79kWh battery powering the whole shebang. Volkswagen claims it will have a driving range of 601km (up 1km) under the WLTP testing regime. The maximum DC fast charging rate is up 8kW to 183kW.

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Given the power and torque outputs are unchanged, it's not surprising that the 0-100km/h time remains the same at 5.6 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 200km/h.

Compared to less powerful versions of the ID.3 Neo, the GTI has a unique front bumper with more aggressive sculpting, as well as a larger lower air intake with a honeycomb grille and red highlights.

At the rear, changes are limited to the new honeycomb insert in the lower bumper, which like the front air intake, side sills and mirror caps is finished in gloss black.

The ID.3 GTI rides on new 20-inch Wörthersee alloy wheels, but like the GTX the braking package has discs up front and drums at the rear. There are two solid paint options (Tornado Red and Moonstone Grey), and three metallic ones (Scale Silver, Grenadilla Black and Glacier White).

While the outgoing GTX preferred to hide its light under a bushel, the new GTI is very happy to proclaim its GTI-ness to all and sundry, with GTI badging to be found on the grille, front doors, hubcaps, tailgate, steering wheel and front seats.

Speaking of the interior, the GTI uses the ID.3 Neo's completely new dashboard, which includes a higher quality finish, a larger and more responsive 12.9-inch touchscreen, physical buttons for the air conditioning and audio systems, and physical buttons on the steering wheel spokes.

GTI-specific features include a red 12 o'clock marking on the sports steering wheel, and grippier fabric front seats with a Superclark pattern inspired by the original Golf GTI.

The GTI button on the steering wheel unlocks the new GTI driving profile that puts the DCC sports chassis, progressive steering and power delivery curve of the electric motor into their sportiest setting. It also unlocks launch control, changes the background lighting to red and adds background combustion engine noise.

The European order book for the ID.3 GTI opens in early 2027, but there's no word yet about ID.3 or the ID.3 GTI availability Australia.

In May, Piergiorgio Minto, Volkswagen's local brand director, told us that Australia's heavy bias towards SUVs means the business case for the ID. Polo and ID.3 Neo is hard to make. The closely related Cupra Born was sold here from 2022, but the facelifted model isn't making the trip to Australia .