Volkswagen recently unveiled its latest Polo model with the new ID. Polo GTI, which saw its official debut at the 24h race at the Nürburgring. While it is an all-electric vehicle, the ID. Polo GTI does carry over some design elements from its predecessors, particularly the 1976 Golf GTI. What else is there though?
A front-wheel-drive model, the ID. Polo GTI packs an output of 166 kW (226 PS) and 290 Nm of torque, allowing it to accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. Power is managed via a front differential lock, which comes as standard alongside adaptive DCC sports suspension and progressive steering. Drivers can also enable a dedicated GTI driving profile via a button on the sports steering wheel, which instantly sets up the electric motor, steering, and the chassis.
The ID. Polo GTI also comes with the the APP290 drive system, which is powered by a 52 kWh net nickel-manganese-cobalt battery with a WLTP range of up to 424 km. The vehicle also supports DC fast charging up to 105 kW, allowing the battery to charge from 10 to 80 percent in approximately 24 minutes due to a highly constant charging curve.
As far as looks are concerned, Volkswagen says that its designed the ID. Polo GTI with its “Pure Positive” design language—this includes 19-inch alloy wheels, classic GTI elements including a red stripe across the front grille, a 3D GTI logo, a honeycomb air intake, and IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights. The rear profile also includes a split roof spoiler, a two-part black diffuser, and three-dimensional LED tail light clusters connected by an illuminated red strip.
Inside, the cabin features a black and red color scheme with contrast stitching on the sports steering wheel and premium sports seats, as well as a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit and a 12.9-inch infotainment touch display; passengers gain 19 mm of interior length, and luggage capacity increases by over 25 percent to 441 liters, expanding to 1,240 liters with the rear seats folded. The car also comes with an optional detachable tow bar with a 75 kg drawbar load and a braked towing capacity of up to 1.2 tonnes.
Finally, the ID. Polo GTI includes standard driver assistance software, with an optional “Connected Travel Assist” system that uses swarm data to provide automated guidance, recognize red traffic lights, and even support for one-pedal driving functionality. Pre-sales will kick off in Germany later this autumn, with a starting price of under €39,000.