โ€• Advertisement โ€•

Tesla’s Global Sales Drop Masks a Hidden Victory in China

For the first time in over a decade, Tesla experienced a year-over-year decline in global vehicle deliveries. In 2024, Tesla delivered 1,789,226 electric vehicles...

A new sales king in town?

HomeCarsVolkswagen is preparing an electric GTI that is even sportier than its...

Volkswagen is preparing an electric GTI that is even sportier than its thermal counterpart

Volkswagen is embarking on the adventure of the first electric GTI in its history, promising a car even sportier than the gasoline versions.

The GTI: an icon of the C segment

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of the most iconic models in the C-segment of compact cars. For almost 50 years, the GTI has been a benchmark for many competitors in the design of their own sports models.

Traditionally, the Golf GTI has always been a front-wheel drive model with a petrol engine, switching from naturally aspirated to turbocharged already in the fourth generation. Given this long tradition, every change made to this model is carefully considered by Volkswagen.

The future of the Golf GTI: inevitable electrification

The most significant change coming to the Golf GTI is its move to electric power. Volkswagen has already confirmed that the ninth generation of the Golf will be fully electric, including its iconic sports version. Last year, the brand even unveiled a GTI logo with the letter 'I' replaced by a lightning bolt, clearly signaling this transition to electrification.

However, this does not mean that Volkswagen will immediately abandon the petrol GTI. The eighth generation (thermal) of the Golf will coexist with the ninth generation (electric) for a few years, allowing the brand to reach a wider audience. This dual positioning aims to attract both buyers ready to switch to electric and those who prefer combustion engines.

Increased performance and sportiness

Volkswagen wants to make the electric model even more attractive, by increasing its sportiness. Thomas Schรคfer, Volkswagen CEO, recently gave some hints about what to expect from the first electric GTI in an interview with Motor1 Italy. He stressed that the suspension and chassis of the electric GTI will be โ€œat an even higher levelโ€ than those of the current gasoline model. The goal is to create a car that is not only high-performance, but also โ€œeven more exciting to drive and experience.โ€

Another senior Volkswagen official added that the upcoming GTI will have “electronic GTI sound,” meaning occupants will hear an artificial combustion engine sound through the speakers, an increasingly common practice in the auto industry.

GTI DNA preserved in the electric era

At the GTI Fan Fest in Wolfsburg, Thomas Schรคfer also claimed that Volkswagen could transfer “the spirit of the DNA [du GTI ร  essence] in the electric ageโ€. He confirmed that the electric model would offer โ€œhigh performance and iconic designโ€ while remaining instantly recognisable as a GTI.

Volkswagen's new electric GTI promises to combine the brand's traditions of performance and design with the cutting-edge technologies of electrification. As the market moves towards more sustainable vehicles, this model could well redefine the standards of sportiness and innovation in the sports compact segment.

Volkswagen is committed to making this transition a success, assuring fans of the brand that the electric GTI will be a worthy successor to its thermal predecessors. This new chapter for the GTI embodies the future of automotive sportiness, marrying tradition and innovation to continue to seduce fans of dynamic driving.