Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI prototype review: a true B-road weapon

The GTI badge is one of the few performance sub-brands with genuine emotional equity, which makes the first electric one a real test of whether that equity survives the powertrain change. An encouraging early drive matters less for the numbers than for the signal: VW thinks GTI can mean something in an EV, not just a sticker on a fast hatch. The risk has always been that instant electric torque makes every hot hatch feel the same, erasing the character that made GTI specific. Whether this car keeps that identity — or just goes fast in a straight line — is the question the production version has to answer.