Can the car that defines “hot hatch”--the sporty, gasoline-burning Golf GTI--effectively go green? Insiders say Volkswagen will find out as it reportedly embarks on the first battery-operated Golf GTI, an electric version of the popular performance hatchback.

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New driving dynamic

Sources speculate that this new electric-powered Golf GTI will be based on Volkswagen’s current I.D. concept vehicle (pictured above). But unlike the gas-powered Golf GTI, the electric version will likely be rear-wheel drive with the engine housed in the rear. This will create a whole new driving dynamic for the Golf GTI. Additionally, sources say the current exhaust-driven turbocharger will be replaced with an electric turbo that improves low-end power. An upgraded 48V starter motor system could also provide an overboost function. A four-wheel drive version may be in the works as well.

Need for speed

While the current Golf GTI has a 0-60 time of just 5.8 seconds, the I.D. concept does the same in just under eight. The electric Golf GTI will likely deliver about 260 horsepower. Volkswagen will be working hard to ensure that the new electric vehicle lives up to the Golf GTI name in both speed and handling. According to Jürgen Stackmann of Volkswagen Sales and Marketing, the automaker is definitely up to the challenge:

I think the formula of GTI will change — it will not be the same formula that took us here. But to have an exhilarating, fun-to-own, fun-to-drive car, with electric cars it is possible to deliver that. Technology is clearly set to be able to do that — it is actually quite easy to do.

A welcome addition

Volkswagen assures us that the new electric Golf GTI will not be a replacement to the current Golf GTI, but a new addition to the Golf GTI family. It joins the plug-in performance hybrid Volkswagen GTE.

While this new electric Volkswagen isn't expected before 2020, our wide variety of exciting new models is sure to tide you over until then. Call, contact us online, or visit us in person at 505 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516 to learn more about them or schedule a test drive.

Image Credit: Volkswagen