Volkswagen’s First Electric Hot Hatch, the 322-hp ID.3 GTX
With the ID.3 GTX, Volkswagen is finally dipping its toes into the electric hot hatch market. The sporty EV is available in two variants and is essentially a sister vehicle to the Cupra Born VZ. There is the standard GTX and the hot GTX Performance, which has the most potent electric motor VW has ever created.
Continue using the standard ID.3 GTX, an electric motor with 282 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque is mounted on the back axle. If you upgrade to the Performance variant, VW will increase power to 322 horsepower while maintaining torque. These greater production numbers, predictably, exactly match the Cupra Born VZ’s.
When accelerating from a standstill, the rear-wheel drive hot hatch takes six seconds for the standard GTX and 5.6 seconds for the GTX Performance. The electronic top speed limit is set at 111 mph and 124 mph, respectively. VW claims that the more powerful of the two variants is an electric add-on for the Golf GTI Clubsport, a front-wheel drive vehicle.
A lithium-ion battery pack with 79 kilowatt-hours of useful energy is shared by both GTXs. It can be charged DC at 175 kW, which will take about 26 minutes to fully recharge the battery from 10% to 80%. In the combined WLTP cycle, the ID.3 GTX models are predicted to go 373 miles with a fully charged battery. For improved weight distribution, the battery is situated in the center of the car’s floor.
Similar to the ID.4 and ID.5 GTX, VW updated the front bumper of the ID.3 GTX to include a larger air intake and a diamond-shaped pattern. Boomerang LEDs were positioned on either side of the bumper to function as daytime running lights. The performance model’s rear diffuser has a glossy black finish to complement the window frame, side sills, and dark mirror caps. New 20-inch wheels with 215-section tires on the GTX and bigger 235-section tires on the GTX Performance are also included.
Numerous red accents are used inside. Recycled material upholstery, GTX badging, and electrically adjustable sport seats with integrated headrests are all present. A new 12.9-inch infotainment system and a separate driving mode choice lever located on the steering column will be features of every ID.3. The touch sliders for the AC and volume are now lit, much like the newly released Golf Mk8.5. Better late than never.
As far as we know, the ID.3 GTX will not be arriving in the United States. However, it essentially faces up against the Cupra Born VZ in a section of two in Europe. The MG4 XPower is the most direct competitor that comes to mind, but that vehicle is endowed with two motors, all-wheel drive, and a robust 429 horsepower. A couple of smaller EVs that are worth mentioning are the incoming Alpine A290 and the Abarth 500e. Additionally, a John Cooper Works (JCW) version of the new electrified Mini Cooper 3-Door will be unveiled before the year is up.
Future-focused, VW has already hinted that the ninth-generation, all-electric Golf will replace the ID.3 because there isn’t room in the lineup for both. Should that occur, the German firm plans to keep the three iconic letters, so the GTX will become the GTI. It even trademarked a new logo that substitutes a lightning bolt for the letter “I,” which stands for injection.
