Volkswagen ID3 GTI Reportedly Coming In 2026

Although the future of Volkswagen’s fabled GTI moniker had been in doubt in the age of electric cars and its newfound GTX badging, we’ve known for some time that it will live on with battery power. Reports are suggesting the first GTI EV will arrive next year, but not in a way we expected.

According to German outlet Auto Motor und Sport, a VW ID3 GTI will be arriving next year as a new range-topping performance version of the electric hatchback. It’s unclear if it’ll sit above the GTX at this stage, but given it’ll reportedly be a modest bit more powerful, it’d be a surprise to see the two co-exist.

It’s set to offer up 335bhp from a single motor, making it the most powerful production GTI car, as well as being the first rear-driven model. That’s 14bhp more than the GTX, for reference.

According to a translated version of Auto Motor und Sport’s story (Duolingo hasn’t quite covered ‘vehicle chassis and dynamics’ for us, yet), ‘extensive modifications to the chassis are intended to enable even more agile handling’. That would suggest this will be a little more than a rebranding of the GTX and a remapping of its power output, although the publication rules out the introduction of a mechanical limited-slip differential.

That’s about all we have so far on the ID3 GTI, other than it likely going on sale in mid-2026.

We had anticipated that the first electric GTI would be coming in the form of a production version of the ID GTI Concept – more than likely badged as an ID2 GTI. It’s expected that it’ll be a front-driven car and with power closer to 200bhp than 300bhp.

Still room, then, for a Volkswagen ID3 R to come and take us by surprise. We hadn’t expected the GTI, so you never know…