2025 Volkswagen ID.2 imagined, GTI/GTX hot hatch variant confirmed

September: ID.GTI concept revealed

The new ID.2all-based ID.GTI concept has made its debut in Munich at the IAA Mobility 2023 motor show.

The concept arrives as a move the German brand describes as “marking the next chapter in the iconic GTI legacy”. Details at the link below!

Story continues...

Volkswagen's all-new electric hatchback, the Polo-sized ID.2, will launch in 2025.

While the final production vehicle remains under wraps, it is expected to be a toned-down version of the ID.2all concept revealed last week.

As depicted in our imaginative renderings above and below, this should include conventional side mirrors and lighting units; however, the overall design of the ID.2all is tipped to remain unchanged – including the hidden rear door handles.

14

Volkswagen ID.2 speculative rendering, inspired by the ID.2all concept

It will be underpinned by the front-drive MEB Entry platform, with a starting price below €25,000 (AU$40,000) and a driving range of up to 450 kilometres.

Inside, Volkswagen claims the ID.2all has similar cabin space to the current Golf Mk8, thanks to its flat floor configuration and long wheelbase, despite measuring just 4050 millimetres in length, almost identical to the Polo light car.

At the reveal of the ID.2all concept, Kai Grünitz, a Volkswagen board member for technical development, told Top Gear the ID.2 would serve as the basis for an all-electric GTI or GTX hot hatch.

“We’re working on a sporty version," he said. “It will only be front-wheel drive. No all-wheel drive.

“Whether it will be a GTI or GTX or whatever, we will see."

14

Volkswagen ID.2 speculative rendering, inspired by the ID.2all concept

The board member added that he has “a number in mind for the power figure”, which he promised to reveal sometime in the future.

In concept form, the ID.2all is powered by a 166kW single electric motor – more than a current Polo GTI and similar to the pre-update Mk7 Golf GTI from a decade ago.

Any hot hatch-related powertrain would likely be shared with its Cupra UrbanRebel stablemate – and potentially Skoda's version, too.

14

At the same event, Top Gear spoke to ex-Bentley design chief Andreas Mindt, who is now in the same role at Volkswagen.

Despite its compact size, Mindt said designing the car has not been an effortless task, and that designing a Bentley is "easy" due to the wide and low proportions.

“When I worked at Bentley, it was an easy job,” said Mindt. “I did the Batur based on the Continental GT and that was amazing – it’s so easy to do because it’s low, wide and has a long bonnet.

14

“It’s like taking a penalty in football without a goalkeeper. It’s easy to do. A lot of people think hypercar designers are geniuses, but it’s so easy to do.

“To make a small car like the ID.2all, you have to work hard, and people don’t understand that. It’s harder to design.

"When you look at things like the Fiat Panda – those are the genius designers in my eyes, not the ones who do hypercars. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I know both sides of it.”

Indeed, developing a mainstream vehicle requires a lot of consideration, from cost-focused pressure to save every dollar, to the latest technological, safety and emissions requirements – all while attempting to create an appealing design for the masses.

14

With his two-decade career at the Volkswagen Group, Mindt has worked on the first-generation Volkswagen Tiguan and the Golf 7.

He also played a leading role in designing the Audi A1, Q3, Q8 E-Tron, E-Tron GT, and the 1999 Bentley Hunaudières concept.

Mindt joined the Volkswagen brand as design chief in February, and claims the design process for the ID.2all concept was completed in just six weeks.