VW ID. GTI Concept will project the Nürburgring on the windscreen for that perfect GTI drive

VW has embraced the shift to electric power, with the ID.3 kicking things off – now in its second generation – with a number of GTX editions spicing things up a bit and giving a little more power. But brands like VW face a predicament when it comes to updating the models it’s best known for: anything with GTI on the back is iconic, with the Golf GTI the most iconic of all.

The ID. GTI Concept is based on the ID.2all concept that VW showed earlier in the year, so that could make this a little more compact than the Golf, about 100mm shorter. And yes, I’m talking about the ID. GTI as though it’s a real car – because it is. VW has already committed to bringing this car to production and from what I see, it probably won’t have too many changes.

Of course, the name doesn’t make sense – Grand Touring Injection – because without an engine, what are you injecting? So instead, VW is now saying that it stands for Grand Touring Intelligence, sidestepping that hangover of gasoline engines and giving it a reasonable excuse to hang on to the nameplate.

What VW isn’t actually giving us here is any detail on the performance. There’s talk about it being fast, but interestingly, because it’s built on the ID.2all Concept, it’s front-wheel drive as other VW GTIs have been. So this isn’t about making the fastest hot hatch around, it’s about affordable performance. That’s one of the reasons the Golf GTI was so popular: you’d get blistering performance without buying a sportscar.

Instead VW is going to use that intelligence from the name to control the front axle, using a differential lock that’s electronically controlled to ensure that all the power is dumped through the wheels with traction staying under control. Exactly how much power remains to be detailed.

Through the exterior, the ID. GTI Concept picks up on a number of GTI and motorsport themes, with unique bumpers, a rear splitter and GTI spoiler, and rides on unique 20-inch wheels. The lights are also adjusted to be unique to the GTI model, with the closed front grille hemmed in red to carry on the tradition from GTI models of the past.

The interior of the car gives a nod to the checkered pattern of the GTI seats, while the central rotary dial gets dimpled like a golf ball. The drive controller is now a stalk on the steering column, with steering wheel controls for other elements inside the car. There’s a 12.9-inch central and driver display, assisted by an augmented reality heads-up display. Much of what’s sitting in the interior looks so close to final, I expect this will be exactly what goes into production.

The augmented reality heads-up display has some interesting details, however, because it’s not just designed for the driver, it will display on the passenger side too. That gives sort of co-driver feeling, with VW saying that in GTI mode if you head to the Nürburgring, the track will be displayed so the passenger can basically detail the upcoming corners, as well as keep an eye on track times.

It’s an enticing proposition and marks an interesting stage in VW’s electric reinvention. The company is in the process of launching the ID.7 – which is basically an electric Passat – which simultaneously addressing the elephant in the room, which is that electric cars are too expensive. The ID.2all Concept was designed to address that and with the ID.3 getting more expensive to leave space beneath it, the GTI Concept comes in to remind us that performance isn’t going to be limited to the more expensive cars.

At the same time, through brands like VW and recently BMW, it’s easy to pick out the running theme, of automotive brands desperately trying to hang on to their heritage, while presenting a new face for a greener future.