Is Volkswagen’s new ID.3 GTI the most exciting EV of 2026?

Volkswagen has just unleashed its latest electric hot hatch - the ID.3 GTI.

Bringing together the brand’s popular electric hatchback - which you’ll find available here at My Electric Lease - and one of the most recognisable nameplates of all time, it’s a car we’re all excited about. But what is it powered by, what are its key features and when will it arrive in the UK? We’ve got all of the answers you need to know. 

Powertrain

At the heart of any GTI model is an exciting powertrain and that seems to have been the case when Volkswagen designed this new model. Powering the rear wheels is a single electric motor which produces 322bhp and 545Nm of torque. This allows the ID.3 GTI to go from 0- 60 mph in 5.3 seconds - that’s quicker than the current petrol-powered Golf GTI. 

Despite this, Volkswagen claims that the ID.3 GTI will still return up to 373 miles of range, and be able to go from 10 to 80 per cent in just under half an hour. 

Design

Volkswagen has introduced a variety of GTI-specific design touches to the ID.3. Many of these are ones that you might remember from iconic Golf GTI models, including the famous red stripe along the front grille. Here, though, it sits alongside a horizontal light bar and an illuminated Volkswagen logo. 

Other design features include 20-inch ‘Worthersee’ alloys - named after the famous Volkswagen festival in Austria - red detailing around the lower front bumper and vertical red elements at the front, which have been designed to mimic the towing eyes on racing cars. 

Interior

It’s a similar story inside. The sports seats are finished in tartan upholstery - just like the original MK1 Golf GTI - and there’s plenty of go-faster red stitching located here, there and everywhere. The sports steering wheel has been designed to give a greater sense of connection between car and driver, too.

Of course, the ID.3 GTI has been designed to still offer a good level of practicality, with its five-door design meaning it should still be perfectly usable on a day-to-day basis. 

Special GTI features

What about any hidden ‘Easter Eggs’, though? Well, one of the most important is a dedicated GTI mode, accessed via its own special button on the steering wheel. Press this, and the instrument cluster goes red, the steering gets weightier and the Dynamic Chassis Control system firms up the ride. It also unlocks the full potential of the electric motor for maximum performance. 

Launch Control comes as standard, and there’s even a sound generator which recreates the noise of a conventional petrol engine. 

Other equipment 

Volkswagen has still equipped the ID.3 GTI with plenty of useful features alongside those performance-led touches. It’s why you still get a 12.9-inch infotainment screen and new physical air conditioning buttons beneath the display. 

In keeping with some of Volkswagen’s other revisions, the GTI also gets a physical rotary volume control dial to help adjust the sound when on the move. 

When is it coming to the UK?

Volkswagen has stated that the ID.3 GTI is a near-production concept for now and, as such, no on-sale date for the UK has been announced just yet. 

However, when Volkswagen does finally bring this high-performance EV to market, you can be sure that we’ll have the very best deals on it here at My Electric Lease.