Volkswagen’s R&D department is already testing prototypes of the ID. GTI concept car in preparation for a 2026 launch, bosses have confirmed. But it sounds like the production version of the electric hot hatch will be missing one of the concept’s most interesting features.
The ID. GTI is essentially a hot hatch version of the ID.2all concept that was unveiled in the spring, and while VW didn’t offer any detail about how much power its single-motor drivetrain might produce on top of the 228 hp (150 kW / 231 PS) already offered by the ID.2all, it did drop a few details about the setup when it whipped the covers off last week.
We learned that the GTI concept allows drivers to tweak the sound and feel of the performance and chassis to replicate the sensation of driving a classic 1970s or ’80s Golf GTi, and that in certain modes the power delivery would be punctuated by simulated gearshifts.
Related: VW ID. GTI Concept Is A Hot ID.2 With Fake Gearshifts That’s Coming In 2026
Hyundai has already confirmed that a similar feature will be fitted to the Ioniq 5 N, and it sounds like a fun idea to us. If VW applied it to the ID. GTI you could theoretically tailor the torque curve, a bit like Ferrari did with its turbo V8s to simulate the power delivery of a naturally aspirated engine. That could give drivers the option to replicate the gusty mid range of a Mk1 8-valve Golf GTI or turn-of-the-millenium 1.8T, or the top-end rush of a 16-valve Mk2.
But according to a report in Autocar the tech will be missing when the production GTI makes its debut three years from now. It’s not all bad news though. While confirming the fake shifter’s absence, VW R&D boss Kai Grunitz told Autocar that the simulated engine sounds would be present (and that drivers could choose to switch them off) and that the concept’s limited slip differential would also be on the equipment list to boost the EV‘s agility.
Grunitz also told the magazine’s Greg Kable that it was working on a “dream car” that would presumably serve as a halo vehicle for the VW brand, but didn’t elaborate on what form it could take.
