We've known about it for a while, but now we can finally show you the ready-to-buy VW ID. Polo GTI. Incidentally, this will be the very first time Volkswagen has used its hallowed GTI badge on a fully electric car, and it's expected to precede GTI versions of the ID.3 and the forthcoming ID. Golf.
Does the tech spec live up to the promise of the badge?
Volkswagen has thrown everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at this model from an engineering point of view, cognisant of how important the GTI badge is to the car enthusiast community.
For starters, there's a 226hp electric motor turning the front wheels, enabling a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.8 seconds. But GTIs are as much about how they go around corners, so this ID. Polo will benefit from an electronically controlled differential lock as standard.
All GTI variants will also be fitted with adaptive damping and variable-ratio steering - DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) and 'progressive steering,' respectively, in Volkswagen-speak.
Naturally, the rest of the chassis has been tweaked as well, including a stiffer 'torsion-beam' rear axle and stiffer anti-roll bar up front. The brakes are upgraded and the GTI runs on high-performance tyres, too - Bridgestone Potenza on the car shown here.
What does all this do to its efficiency?
We suspect buyers of anything with a GTI badge will be willing to compromise. The ID. Polo GTI features a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery pack with 52kWh of usable capacity. Volkswagen quotes a WLTP range of 424 kilometres and a peak DC-charging rate of 105kW.
What's unique about the GTI's exterior?
Lots of red pinstriping for a start, as you would expect, running across the front under the full-width LED lighting and incorporating a GTI badge on one side.
LED matrix lights are fitted as standard and there's more red detailing in the new design of front bumper, in which you'll find a GTI honeycomb pattern.
There are more GTI badges found ahead of the rear wheels on shapelier side sills, while those wheels are of 19-inch diameter and offered in two different styles.
Round the back, there's a boot spoiler, unique detailing for the LED lights, a large GTI badge and a new bumper with a prominent aerodynamic diffuser.
Just six paint colours will be offered: Tornado Red solid, Candy White solid, Oyster Silver metallic, Celestial Blue metallic, Magnetic Grey metallic and Grenadilla Black metallic.
Presumably lots of black and red inside as well?
But of course. There's a new 'squashed circle' steering wheel with red stitching and a red 12 o'clock marker, more red stitching on the doors, a red line across the dashboard and sports seats.
A 10.25-inch screen forms the 'Digital Cockpit' in front of the driver, with various selectable views, including one mimicking the analogue dashboard of the VW Golf Mk1 and another GTI-specific layout, automatically activated when you choose the GTI driving mode.
In the middle is a 12.9-inch touchscreen, which can also display retro graphics, but we're glad to see that Volkswagen has learned from past mistakes and has returned to using physical switchgear for the heating and ventilation.
How much will the VW ID. Polo be in Ireland?
Well, we know that the regular ID. Polo will start at just under €20,000, so the GTI will obviously be more than that. Can Volkswagen Ireland keep it under €30k? We'll let you know.