Pricing For Electric VW Hot Hatch Proves Why Combustion Is Still King

It’s been a busy year for Volkswagen. In recent months, the automaker has announced the new Golf GTI, Golf R, and Golf GTI Clubsport, cementing its status as a purveyor of some of the finest hot hatches. And for those who prefer electric propulsion, there’s the facelifted ID.3 GTX, which is now available in a more powerful Performance guise.

The Golf GTI Clubsport is arguably more thrilling to drive than the ID.3 GTX Performance, so it may surprise you to know that the electric hot hatch costs more than the latest GTI Clubsport, and nearly as much as the new Golf R. First spotted by Carscoops, European pricing for the ID.3 GTX Performance has a starting price of €52,295 ($57,000) while the Golf GTI Clubsport retails from €48,075 ($52,400). The Golf R is still the priciest, but it’s very close to the ID.3 GTX €53,795 ($58,600).

GTX Has More Power, But That’s It

On paper, VW performance fans shopping in this segment may have a hard time making a decision. But the reality is rather different. The GTX Performance is much more powerful than the Clubsport, with its electric drivetrain producing 322 horsepower – 26 horses more than the hardcore GTI. Despite this power difference, the GTI Clubsport reaches 62 mph in 5.6 seconds – 0.1 seconds faster than the ID.3 GTX Performance. The Golf R, which now has 328 hp, is quicker still and reaches the benchmark speed in 4.6 seconds.

And it’s the same story with the top speed. Whereas the GTI Clubsport and R can reach 155 mph (the Golf R can reach 167 mph with the Performance package), the ID.3 GTX Performance is limited to 124 mph. With this in mind, European customers must really want an electric hot hatch to spend that much money on the ID.3 GTX Performance.

All The Right Ingredients, But Dynamics May Be Compromised

It’s the same story when it comes to the dynamics. The ID.3 GTX Performance may come with adaptive dampers, a MacPherson front suspension, and a five-link setup on the rear, but the RWD GTX is unlikely to be as much fun as the GTI Clubsport. The latest model has a special setting for the Sport mode and steering that was developed by Sven Bohnhorst, who worked on the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport. It’s hard to say without driving any of them, but when it comes to sharpness, our money is on the Clubsport GTI.

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This conundrum will never plague US-based buyers, as there are no plans to introduce the ID.3 GTX Performance to America. That being said, it would be a hard sell, given its middling performance capabilities and high pricing. European customers are faced with hefty MSRPs and, while VW USA hasn’t shared pricing, the outgoing Golf GTI retails for $31,965 while the R has a starting price of $45,665. Hopefully, the upcoming electric Golf GTI – delayed until 2029 – will balance performance and value much better than the ID.3 GTX Performance. Thankfully, the ICE-powered Golf will soldier on well into the 2030s.

Source:
Carscoops